Output details

Comparison between disintegrated and fermented sewage sludge for production of a carbon source suitable for biological nutrient removal

UK water utilities are required to meet strict nutrient discharge standards. Biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes offer economic and environmental benefits over chemical precipitation methods, but are only financially viable above certain population sizes. This is due to requiring supplementary carbon, usually in the form of methanol which presents H&S issues. This work demonstrates the viability of on-site recycling of partially fermented sewage sludge as an alternative carbon source, thereby making BNR viable at lower population sizes. These findings have been incorporated into process design guidelines of Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and Severn Trent Water (corroboration: E. Wood, YW).