wastewater management case study

Wastewater? From Waste to Resource

Wastewater is Not a Waste

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From Waste to Resource: Shifting Paradigms for Smarter Wastewater Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean

Wastewater? From Waste to Resource 

An important paradigm shift is necessary at multiple levels to advance sustainable sanitation services toward a circular economy in which wastewater is considered a valuable resource rather than a liability. Energy, clean water, fertilizers, and nutrients can be extracted from wastewater—and used to help achieve the SDGs. 

In 2018 the World Bank launched the “Wastewater: From Waste to Resource” initiative in the LAC region, to address the  wastewater challenge  and raise awareness among decision makers about the potential of wastewater as a resource. The initiative also provides guidance on improving the planning, management, and financing of wastewater treatment and resource recovery and promoting the measures needed to make the shift a reality. The initiative has involved a  participatory process , including multiple consultations and workshops with stakeholders working on wastewater management projects in the LAC region.  The initiative’s findings  have been presented and validated at several international conferences, raising awareness of the issue and promoting dialogue among governments, international organizations, and the private sector.

The challenges faced in the LAC region are not unique. The initiative’s final report is published so that countries in the region and around the world can learn from best practices in the sector and promote the paradigm shift toward a circular economy, fostering resource reuse and recovery and ensuring sustainable wastewater management.

Given the increasing interest in and importance of the issue, the World Bank aims to expand this regional initiative into a global one, providing on-demand solutions to implement circular economy principles in wastewater projects worldwide. 

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Population and economic growth have driven a rapid rise in demand for water resources. As a result, 36 percent of the world’s population already lives in water-scarce regions. Especially in low- and middle-income countries, rapid urbanization has created various water-related challenges, including degraded water quality and inadequate water supply and sanitation infrastructure, particularly in expanding peri-urban and informal settlements. 

Only about 60 percent of LAC’s population is connected to a sewerage system, and only about 30–40 percent of the region’s wastewater that is collected is treated. These percentages are surprising given the region’s levels of income and urbanization. They have significant implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and social equity. 

By focusing on sustainability, the SDGs  are adding a new dimension to the challenges faced in the water supply and sanitation sector. SDG targets for water include improving water quality, implementing integrated water resource management, achieving water use efficiency across sectors, reducing the number of people suffering from water scarcity, and restoring water-related ecosystems. If the LAC region is to achieve the SDGs, the region’s governments will need to significantly increase levels of wastewater treatment. 

To improve the wastewater situation in the region, countries are embarking on massive programs to collect and treat wastewater. The investment needs in the water supply and sanitation sector are significant. As cities continue to grow, there is an opportunity to ensure that investments are made in the most sustainable and efficient way possible. Future urban development requires approaches that minimize resource consumption and focus on resource recovery, following principles of the circular economy. Wastewater is and should be considered a valuable resource from which energy and nutrients can be extracted, as well as an additional source of water.

Wastewater can be treated up to different qualities to satisfy demand from different sectors, including industry and agriculture. It can be processed in ways that support the environment—and can even be reused as drinking water. Wastewater treatment frees scarce freshwater resources for other uses or preservation. In addition, by-products of wastewater treatment can become valuable for agriculture and energy generation, making wastewater treatment plants more environmentally and financially sustainable. 

Resource recovery from wastewater facilities in the form of energy, reusable water, biosolids, and other resources, such as nutrients, represents an economic and financial benefit that contributes to the sustainability of water supply and sanitation systems and the water utilities operating them. One of the key advantages of adopting circular economy principles in the processing of wastewater is that resource recovery and reuse can transform sanitation from a costly service to one that is self-sustaining and adds value to the economy. Indeed, if financial returns can cover operation and maintenance costs partially or fully, improved wastewater management offers a double value proposition.

The report From Waste to Resource: Shifting Paradigms for Smarter Wastewater Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean summarizes the work of the World Bank’s initiative “Wastewater: From Waste to Resource,” launched in 2018 to raise awareness among decision makers regarding the potential of wastewater as a resource. The report highlights the findings and conclusions from technical background reports , from in-depth analysis of several case studies , and from the feedback received during workshops and seminars with main stakeholders.

The purpose of the report is to share the knowledge created and the conclusions from the initiative with stakeholders and practitioners involved in wastewater planning, financing, and management (including water utilities, policy makers, basin organizations, and ministries of planning and finance) to encourage a paradigm shift in which the value proposition of wastewater in a circular economy is recognized. The report focuses on the LAC region, but many of its findings can be applied to other regions.

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The case studies analyzed , workshops with key stakeholders, and lessons learned in the LAC region suggest that four main actions are needed to achieve a paradigm shift in the sector 

• ACTION 1: Develop wastewater initiatives as part of a basin planning framework to maximize benefits, improve efficiency and resource allocation, and engage stakeholders. There is a need to move from ad hoc and isolated wastewater solutions (such as one treatment plant per municipality) to fully integrated river basin planning approaches, which yield more sustainable and resilient systems. Planning and analyzing water quality and quantity at the basin level makes possible integrated solutions that are more financially, socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Basin planning allows for the optimal deployment of facilities and sanitation programs, including the location, timing, and phasing of treatment infrastructure. It enables decision makers to set priorities for investment planning and action. The basin planning framework also allows for more efficient investments, through the design of effluent standards based on the specific contexts of particular water bodies and ecosystems instead of uniform or arbitrary water pollution control standards. Moreover, including wastewater in the hydrological system as a potential water source makes it possible to account and plan for wastewater reuse, limiting incidental and unplanned water reuse that can have negative health and environmental consequences. 

ACTION 2: Build the utility of the future by shifting away from wastewater treatment plants to water resource recovery facilities, thereby realizing wastewater’s value. Traditionally, treatment focused on removing contaminants and pathogens to recover water and safely discharge it into the environment. To improve sustainability, treatment plants should be viewed as water resource recovery facilities that recover elements of wastewater and use them for beneficial purposes. This process starts with the water itself (which can be used for agriculture, industry, and even human consumption), followed by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and energy generation. These resources can generate revenue streams for the utility, which can potentially transform the wastewater process from a heavily subsidized one to one that generates revenues and is self-sustainable. To move toward the ideal utility of the future, facilities must be designed, planned, managed, and operated effectively and efficiently. Countries need to recognize the real value of wastewater and the potential resources that can be extracted from it, incorporating resource recovery and circular economy principles in their strategy and investment planning and infrastructure design. Infrastructure is a long-term investment that can lock countries into inefficient and unsustainable solutions. To avoid undesirable lock-in, policy makers need to keep resource recovery in mind when planning wastewater investments. 

ACTION 3: Explore and support the development of innovative financing and sustainable business models in the sector. Financing sanitation infrastructure and recovering its costs is a challenge throughout the region. Many utilities do not collect sanitation tariffs that cover the costs of operation and maintenance, not to mention capital investment or future expansion. More efficient subsidies are needed for sanitation, at least during a transition period. The existence of subsidies, however, does not mean that the sector must rely on conventional financing without taking advantage of market conditions and incentives to enhance sustainability. The sector should pursue innovative financial and business models that leverage the potential extra revenue streams from reuse and recovery at wastewater treatment plants. 

ACTION 4: Implement the necessary policy, institutional, and regulatory frameworks to promote the paradigm shift. For the paradigm shift to happen, incentives are needed to encourage sustainable wastewater investments that consider reuse and resource recovery and promote circular economy principles. The case studies analyzed show that wastewater projects usually happen in an ad hoc fashion, with no national or regional planning; the enabling factors (including water scarcity and distance to the nearest water source) are often physical and local. To enable the development of these innovative projects, changes in the policy, institutional, and regulatory environment and the proper valuing of water resources are needed. Basin planning efforts in the region need to be strengthened, and governments need to support basin organizations, so that they can improve their technical expertise and exert oversight powers to enforce the implementation of planning instruments. Regulations and standards need to be tailored to the needs of the region and trends in the sector. They need to embrace and promote gradual compliance and foster reuse and resource recovery. Countries in the region need to ensure that they have the required institutional capacity to enforce environmental regulations such as water pollution control standards. 

Read the full report  to find out more about the four key actions.

The initiative included multiple consultations and workshops with stakeholders working on wastewater management projects in the LAC region. The initiative’s findings were presented at several international conferences, raising awareness of the issue and promoting dialogue among governments, international organizations, and the private sector. Feedback from these events informed the main report and enabled the team to shape the main messages of the initiative into more practical recommendations. 

Brasilia, Brazil: World Water Forum , March 2018 .To kick-start the initiative, an event was co-organized with the Development Bank for Latin America (CAF) at the 2018 World Water Forum, on “Planning and Financing Wastewater Treatment under A Circular Economy: Perspective for Achieving the SDGs in LAC.” Panelists included ministers and deputy ministers from several countries in the region and representatives of the private sector. A preliminary report, Shifting Paradigms: From Waste to Resource: Preliminary Insights for the Latin America and Caribbean Region for the World Water Forum 2018 , was prepared for and shared during the event and feedback solicited from participants. 

Lima, Peru: Workshop, September 2018. An internal workshop with task team leaders working on wastewater in the region was held to share findings from the background technical reports and identify potential case studies. 

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Workshop , November 2018. A regional workshop was organized in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Stakeholders from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay participated. The main results and key messages of the initiative were presented and validated, and participants presented success stories from the region. The organizing team convened panels of experts and roundtables at which counterparts shared their ideas on and discussed the challenges of promoting the paradigm shift. The agenda and links to the presentations can be found here.

Montevideo, Uruguay: Workshop, November 2018. A workshop with key government officials and other local stakeholders was held in Montevideo to present the findings of the initiative, discuss their experiences and talk about resource recovery ideas to implement. 

Antigua, Guatemala: XIX Ibero-America Water Directors Conference (CODIA in Spanish), November 2018. The main preliminary findings of the initiative were presented to representatives of the LAC region at this conference, organized by the Spanish government. As part of the conference’s “agreements” ( point 14 ), all members agreed to recognize the value of wastewater, to include wastewater resource recovery as part of CODIA’s future work program, and to further the exchange of knowledge on the issue.

São Paolo, Brazil: Water Scarcity and Water Reuse Seminar, November 2018. Results of the initiative were presented at this seminar organized by the state government of São Paulo, with the support of the 2030 Water Resources Group.

San Jose, Costa Rica: Latinosan , April 2019. Two sessions on wastewater— “Public Private Partnerships in Wastewater “ and “Business Models to Foster Wastewater Reuse and Resource Recovery in Wastewater Treatment Plants “—were co-convened with CAF, to facilitate discussions with governments and the private sector on the challenges and opportunities associated with promoting wastewater reuse and recovery. At both sessions, findings of the initiative were presented and feedback from participants provided. 

Stockholm, Sweden: World Water Week, August 2019. A session on circular economy approaches was convened on Wednesday August 28th.  A preliminary report— Wastewater? From Waste to Resource in a Circular Economy Context. Latin America and the Caribbean Region. Insights for World Water Week 2019 —was prepared for and shared during the event. Participants provided feedback. 

The case studies illustrate best practices and provide examples of projects and programs that promote the implementation of one or several circular economy principles. They analyze the context and challenges, solutions, contract agreements and financial structure, benefits, enabling factors, and conclusions. 

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Bolivia   • Santa Cruz de la Sierra : Covered Anaerobic Ponds and Their Potential for Energy Generation in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Brazil   • PRODES : Output-Based Financing in Brazil to Increase Wastewater Coverage and Improve Water Quality

Chile   •  Santiago : Generation and Sale of Biogas

Egypt   • New Cairo : Successful PPP to Increase Wastewater Coverage and Foster Wastewater Reuse

India 

  •  Nagpur : Wastewater Reuse in Thermal Power Generation

Mexico   • Atotonilco de Tula : Reuse of Treated Wastewater for Agriculture, Energy Generation, and Transfer of Value to Stakeholders in the Valley of Mexico 

 •  San Luis de Potosí : Integrated Wastewater Management Plan and Water Reuse

Peru   •  Arequipa : Wastewater Reuse for Industrial Purposes 

South Africa 

  • Durban : Wastewater Reuse for Industrial Purposes

United States   • Ridgewood , New Jersey: Achieving Energy Neutrality in Wastewater Treatment Plants

River basin planning background papers | Explore this background report “ Showcasing the River Basin Planning Process through a Concrete Example: The Rio Bogota Cleanup Project ” to understand the river basin planning process; or read “ The Role of Modeling in Decision-Making in the Basin Approach ” for an overview of the main types of models used in basin-wide water quality assessments and their data requirements.

Market potential and business models for resource recovery products   | Discover the potential for resource recovery products and explore the different business models and financial structures and tools to develop waste-to-resource projects.

Policy, institutional, regulatory and financial incentives for the development of waste-to-resource projects | Many reuse and resource recovery initiatives happen ad hoc, rather than in a systematic way at the regional or country level, because they are triggered by local conditions. The right policies, institutions, and regulations are crucial to ensure that a paradigm shift occurs in a systematic and planned way. Understand the  political, institutional and regulatory incentives  as well as the  financial frameworks  required to scale up the development of waste-to-resource initiatives reading these background materials.

Case studies  | Explore the case studies developed by the initiative showcasing best practices examples of projects and programs that promote the implementation of one or several circular economy principles.

Other relevant case studies and reports  | Explore previously published material by the World Bank relevant to wastewater reuse and resource recovery, including case studies and reports on blended finance, energy management and innovative business models in wastewater planning and management.

• Reuse and reduce: The case for better wastewater treatment in Bolivia: English  | Spanish
• Unleashing wastewater’s potential in Brazil: English  | Portuguese
• Smarter wastewater interventions through circular economy principles in Bogotá, Colombia: English | Spanish
• Three ways to improve wastewater management in Guayaquil, Ecuador: English  | Spanish
• Investing in Wastewater in Latin America Can Pay Off
• Wastewater Treatment: A Critical Component of a Circular Economy  (Also available in Spanish  here )

Chile 

Santiago : Generation and Sale of Biogas

• Press Release  (March 19, 2020): Wastewater A Resource that Can Pay Dividends for People, the Environment, and Economies, Says World Bank  ( English  |  Spanish  |  Portuguese  |  Chinese )
• Animation:  Wastewater is Not A Waste  ( English  |  Spanish ) 
• Video:  Working Toward Better Wastewater Treatment in Bolivia  ( English  |  Spanish )
• Video:  Improving Wastewater Management in Guayaquil, Ecuador ( English  |  Spanish ) 
• Learn About the #Waste2Resource Initiative in   AUGMENTED REALITY!
• Article  “Consideraciones sectoriales para el tratamiento sustentable de aguas residuales “  (“Sectoral Considerations for the Sustainable Treatment of Wastewater”), published in Water and Sanitation, the magazine of the Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Agua y Saneamiento (ANEAS) Mexico
• " Wastewater: from waste to resource. Shifting Paradigms for Smarter Wastewater Interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean ". Published as Chapter 2 of the 2020 UNESCO and UNESCO i-WSSM book " Water Reuse within a Circular Economy Context. Global Water Security Issues ", UNESCO Publishing, Paris.

Download the infographic as a PDF  here .

The infographic is available in Spanish  here .

• To learn more about this initiative, please contact Diego Rodriguez at  [email protected] .
• Join the conversation:  #Waste2Resource
• Bookmark this page:  www.worldbank.org/wastetoresource

This initiative “Wastewater: from Waste to Resource” is supported by the  Global Water Security & Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) and  the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility  (PPIAF).

Last Updated: Apr 01, 2020

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Wastewater management: A case study of Tiruchirapalli city in Tamil Nadu

Any form of liquid waste discharged by domestic residents, industries, agriculture and commercial establishments into water is called a wastewater. This water contains different quantities of contaminants which pollutes water and makes it unfit for any productive or domestic use. Set against the backdrop of dire need for effective and efficient management of wastewater, this paper is a case study of Tiruchirapalli city in Tamil Nadu. The analysis provided in the paper is an outcome of the field work carried out in the city, which emphasises for developing a strategy for the management of wastewater.

The authors of this paper first give a brief over view of the need for managing wastewater, which if left to accumulate might lead to production of malodorous gases and can cause diseases.

The paper then lists out the contaminants of wastewater, which are as follows:

• Suspended solids

Though the need for proper drainage and disposal system in India has been felt way back in 18 century , following which treatement plants have been set up , laws have been passed, the authors state that strategies for wastewater management have not been proposed so far in a comprehensive manner. For this they under took a study, which aims to prepare a strategy for wastewater management.

The objectives of the paper are as follows:

• To review the status of wastewater quantity, quality, Collection, transport network, treatment, disposal, recycling and reuse.
• To determine the level of awareness among people on the drainage schemes, network connections etc.
• To identify the existing problems in quantitative manner.
• To propose, alternative collection network, strategies for increasing sewer connections, optimal routing etc.

The authors undertook a field study in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, to collect data, where field observation was made and interviews have been taken.

The paper then goes on to elaborate the field findings which are as follows:

• Only 3 lagoons occupying 55.83 acres, were to be inadequate to handle the current sewage discharge.
• Only 45% of houses have been assessed to be suitable to obtain sewer connections thus there is a need to expand the system to serve a population of 8.25 lakhs.
• 32 areas in Tiruchirapalli city are omitted in the existing sewerage network

The paper then provides details of the field areas where the study has been carried out. After listing out the details of the state of wastewater system in the city, the problems were identified which are:

Lack of awareness among the public on the existing facility and procedures for obtaining sewer connections.

• The duties of the private agency were not clearly specified leading to poor collection and transport.
• As a result of which the sewage received at the treatment plant contain bulk quantities of floating materials and coarse solids. This creates a problem of clogging during transport, an increase in pollution load on the treatment units thereby decreasing the efficiency of aerobic pond and facultative stabilization pond.
• The reasons for the above problems were found to be lack of administrative coordination among private agency, TWAD, and community.
• It was also found that these agencies blame one another while failing in their duties.
• The efficiency of the STP, Panchapur is very poor, only 40% BOD removal is obtained. This is mainly due to quality of the influent, silting of the lagoons, development of anaerobic conditions, lead to the reduction in the efficiency of the plant. The problem could be very well handled by making the agencies realize their responsibilities and try to build partnerships with the public.
• Poor land use practices and discharge of sewage on to the river system has resulted in public demonstration and appeal calling for appropriate land use and potential reuse of wastewater for agriculture and pisciculture.
• Reuse of wastewater for agriculture was not a successful one due to quality of treated wastewater, selection of crop and poor land use pattern.

The recommendations given by the authors are as follows:

• A decentralized local sewerage system (individual sewerage system at each source with wastewater collection pits, cesspits or small sewage works, latrines, etc).
• Safe collection and removal of sewage and rainwater in order to protect against disease.
• Maintenance or improvement of the quality of surface water and groundwater.
• Construction of permanently watertight sewers and repair of leaking sewers, pressure pipes and drains.
• Optimization of drainage works.
• Appropriate and adequate dimensioning of sewers and storage chambers to cope with peak flows (avoidance of flooding of properties, roads and land).
• Suitable routing of sewers and arrangement of outfalls (in combined systems).
• Flow control installations.
• Use of materials, which fully meet the technical and hygiene standards.
• Reuse of wastewater for agriculture and aquaculture i.e., Pisciculture.

Water Scarcity and Ways to Reduce the Impact pp 15–45 Cite as

Sustainable Wastewater Management Through Decentralized Systems: Case Studies

• Ligy Philip 11 ,
• C. Ramprasad 11 &
• D. Krithika 11  
• First Online: 29 May 2018

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5 Citations

Part of the book series: Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future ((AESE))

There is a significant increase in the urban population in developing countries like India and consequently, this has thrown up a major challenge to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) entrusted with the task of waste management. In India, less than 20% of the wastewater generated is getting treated. Recent studies indicate that the supply is roughly equal to the demand for the country, hiding wide regional variations with acute shortages in many parts. Since economic growth implies increased water use, the water situation can be expected to worsen rapidly. Even though water resources are not scarce from the perspective of total available water volumes, the precipitation is highly variable in time and space. In addition, the untreated or partially treated wastewater from human settlements is polluting the existing freshwater bodies, creating shortage of freshwater for different uses. Moreover, many studies have shown that centralized treatment plants are not a sustainable solution for countries like India, where the power supply is rarely continuous, and operation and maintenance are not secured. Hence, it will be advisable to treat the wastewater near to the point of generation and reuse it so that the environment is protected and reliable source of water supply is provided. Innovative decentralized wastewater treatment plants aiming not only at treating the wastewater but also providing other benefits such as the reuse of water, energy reuse or nutrient reuse—depending on the local context—are the need of the day water treatment systems. Any sustainable wastewater management system should be oriented toward the 3R concept, i.e., reduce, recycle, and reuse. However, the selection of technologies/management strategies will be depending on the economic status of the society. An integrated wastewater management system is the base for a sustainable development in urban and peri-urban areas. It is important to quantify and characterize the amount of wastewater for (i) developing effective strategies to treat the wastewater, (ii) applying different technologies, i.e., anaerobic, followed by aerobic and physicochemical, and (iii) using the treated wastewater in a sustainable way taking into account the risks involved, e.g., using treated wastewater for toilet flushing, and landscaping. This chapter deals with the case studies of various sustainable decentralized/on-site wastewater treatment systems.

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Philip, L., Ramprasad, C., Krithika, D. (2019). Sustainable Wastewater Management Through Decentralized Systems: Case Studies. In: Pannirselvam, M., Shu, L., Griffin, G., Philip, L., Natarajan, A., Hussain, S. (eds) Water Scarcity and Ways to Reduce the Impact. Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75199-3_2

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Wastewater case studies: Solutions and strategies

Best practices for meeting canadian municipal wastewater regulations.

Are you looking for technical information and examples of best practices to help you with your municipality's wastewater treatment initiative? We have developed case studies to help Canadian cities and towns of all sizes meet the wastewater regulations introduced by the federal government.  The case studies provide valuable information that you can apply to your own wastewater treatment plant projects and upgrades. They include technical information, project details, tips on best practices and the significant benefits gained by community members. Read the case studies to learn the steps you can take to:

• Upgrade, retrofit or replace your wastewater treatment system.
• Increase capacity and extend the service life of your wastewater treatment plant.
• Improve wastewater quality, reduce odour levels and eliminate chemical residues.
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Resources / Case Studies

Case Study: A sustainable approach to brewery wastewater

This article is from issue Number 4, 2020, of a journal dedicated to the applied and practical science of the brewing industry published by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, a non-profit professional scientific organization dedicated to advancing, supporting, and encouraging advances in the brewing of malt beverages and related industries.

This file is posted with the authorization and permission of the Master Brewers Technical Quarterly Editorial Board.

Through the efforts of Master Brewers membership and authors, like those associated with this article, Master Brewers leverages the collective resources of the entire brewing community to continually improve the processes and products of our membership.

For more information on this and other topics related to the brewing industry, we invite you to visit Master Brewers at mbaa.com

SUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE

A Sustainable Approach to Brewery Wastewater

Orianna Bretschger Aquacycl, Escondido, CA 92029, U.S.A.

Orianna Bretschger is the CEO and Co-founder of Aquacycl, a wastewater technology company commercializing modular, plug-and-play systems for industrial wastewater based on microbial fuel cell technology. A native of the southwestern United States, she grew up appreciating water issues. She received a Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, where she studied how microbes remove pollutants from water and produce electricity at the same time. In 2016, she founded Aquacycl with her partners after 8 years of R&D into distributed wastewater treatment. Her research has resulted in 32 journal publications, three book chapters, and eight patent filings. E-mail: [email protected] https://doi.org/10.1094/TQ-57-4-1207-01 © 2020 Master Brewers Association of the Americas

Wastewater management is never a primary consideration to breweries that are just getting started. However, as they grow, it can become a limiting factor. With the explosive growth of the brewing industry over the past decade, utilities are challenged to treat the high-strength wastewater and are limiting discharge levels or increasing rates. New microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology provides an option for onsite treatment of the ultra-high-strength (and most costly) streams, enabling brewers to meet their permitted levels, even while expanding production. While the technology is not applicable in all cases, brewers should understand how new MFC systems can be used to reduce wastewater management costs.

Wastewater management is never a primary consideration to breweries that are just getting started. However, it can become a limiting factor as they grow, and it is best considered in the brewery planning and design phases. Whether you are just getting started or rapidly growing, the first step is to understand your wastewater and your options for managing it. Onsite treatment of wastewater has traditionally been cost prohibitive for breweries, but new microbial fuel cell (MFC) technologies offer promise to reduce costs and increase sustainability.

The Challenge of Brewery Wastewater

The brewing industry has almost doubled in the past 5 years, with over 8,275 craft breweries in 2019, up from 4,600 in 2015 (1). This has overwhelmed many small towns’ municipal infra- structure, resulting in limitations placed on brewers or surcharges to discharge to the sewer. This forces brewers to consider disposal or treatment of the highest-strength streams. Other factors for addressing wastewater management include sustainability, cost escalation, and permit risks. Off-grid breweries face even more challenging situations as they have no utility to discharge to.

Understanding Your Wastewater

For every gallon of beer produced, breweries generate between 3 and 10 gallons of wastewater. This wastewater has high concentrations of organic material, which is challenging to treat.

For brewers that are limited by permit levels or facing high surcharges, the first step to reducing the impact is to understand wastewater balance and sources. This includes testing to see what the current biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and other nutrients are, and where the highest strength sources are coming from.

The most important concepts to know about brewery wastewater are BOD and TSS. BOD is a measure of the amount of biologically degradable organic content (sugars, etc.) that exists in a wastewater stream. BOD levels will vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of beer, ingredients used, and whether the high-strength streams are separated out. In a typical brewery, BOD will range from 3,000 to 10,000 mg/L, which is up to 30 times higher than residential sewage (2). TSS is a measure of the concentration of solids in the wastewater and is typically less than 3,000 mg/L. Most publicly owned treatment works charge extra (surcharges) for any BOD and TSS over 300 mg/L.

Both of these factors can significantly impact the downstream treatment plant, resulting in unpermitted discharge. High BOD, TSS, and other nutrients will not only impact the treatment facility but also can become a problem to the waterways that they discharge into. If a treatment plant cannot handle the incoming high-strength wastewater, it will discharge partially treated waste- water into the waterway, creating anoxic conditions for the fish or algal blooms. Brewers are important members of the community and need to recognize that sustainable water and wastewater strategies are critical for the environment and a sustainable business.

High-Strength Defined

Utilities consider high-strength to be anything over 300 mg/L BOD, while technology providers consider high-strength to be anything over 1,000 mg/L and ultra- or super-high-strength to be over 10,000 mg/L BOD. In a brewery, the highest-concentration wastewater comes from spent yeast, the trub, waste beer, and the first rinse of the clean-in-place washdown of the equipment. Think of washing dishes: the first rinse will be the dirtiest and contain the highest levels of soluble organic matter, making it the most expensive and difficult part to treat. This volume tends to be just 20% of the total wastewater generated at the brewery, but it still poses a challenge to utilities as they may not be able to accept strong brewery wastewater and still serve residential customers. To put it into context, a brewery producing 5,000 barrels per year discharges the same amount of BOD as about 500 homes (2). Other factors to consider are pH, temperature, nitrogen, and phosphorus, all of which have limits set by the local utility.

A Practical Approach to Evaluating Wastewater Options

The Brewers Association’s Wastewater Management Guidance Manual (2) is an excellent resource that gives information about how to side stream the highest strength streams and re- duce the remaining wastewater BOD to levels that the utility can treat. For side streaming, the most common activities are to separate the process waste from the wastewater. Mash from spent grain can be picked up by farmers for animal feed and can be an additional revenue stream. Other leftover yeast and hops can be brought to a composting facility. Waste beer should be captured in a calamity tank.

Once breweries have implemented side streaming, initially the most cost-effective option is typically to segregate and transport the high-strength streams, but this can get expensive if they face significant growth. There comes a time when the only real option is to consider onsite treatment.

Before installing an onsite treatment system, talk with other brewers that have installed systems or experts in the field. Understand what your requirements are, and understand the differences, challenges, and benefits between various systems. These discussions will help you determine what the best system may be for your operations and financial situation. There is, however, a new treatment option that may be worth considering, described below.

MFC Technologies for High-Strength Wastewater Treatment

MFC technology is based on over 20 years of research and development efforts to produce electricity from wastewater. MFC uses naturally existing electrogenic bacteria that produce direct electricity while “eating” the carbon source. Wastewater from the food and beverage industry is an early use case for MFCs, as it is rich in carbon, providing good food for the bacteria.

How It Works

Until recently, most MFC technologies were not commercially scalable and addressed only a small part of wastewater treatment. Early efforts at commercialization were designed to maximize energy recovery rather than wastewater treatment and contained expensive components that limited the application. Aquacycl, a water technology startup, has developed the first commercially viable MFC for ultra-high-strength wastewater treatment.

The BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT®) is an anaerobic process of degradation, meaning no oxygen is added, which results in lower energy costs compared with aerobic treatment. The system contains an anode and a cathode in a single chamber. Locally sourced bacteria are selected and enriched to generate biofilms on the anode, and they begin degrading the sludge and soluble organic material contained in the wastewater. As the bacteria break down the carbon-based organic matter in the wastewater, they release electrons during the process of respiration. The bacteria use the conductive surface to breathe, and the system captures the electrons as they are discharged. The anode and cathode are electrically connected to allow the electrons to flow across the circuit at a fixed rate and produce direct current (DC).

Depending on the amount of energy generated, it can be captured for beneficial use (charge a forklift) or allowed to dissipate safely. Since most wastewater treatment is a huge energy-consuming activity, this system will make it energy neutral or generate DC power. By increasing the rate at which electrons are taken away, the treatment rate is significantly increased, taking hours instead of days or weeks. Removing electrons faster has the added benefit of effectively “starving” the microbes so they do not overgrow, meaning that they have minimal sludge production. Sludge removal is only needed one or two times per year and is included as part of the service fee. The low sludge management is critical to the success of the operation of the MFC system. The bioreactors are the size of a standard car battery and stack together like LEGOs® to increase treatment quality or capacity. This means that as production grows, the treatment can grow. Each reactor in the container is remotely monitored and controlled by Aquacycl in real time, resulting in the earliest indication of any issues and minimizing the need for a full-time onsite operator.

MFCs in Action

An example of a brewery that validated the MFC technology is one of the largest beer companies in the world. They had acquired a micro-brewery and were experiencing increased demand for the new brand. This led to the decision to add production capabilities to their mega-brewery line that produced the recipe from the acquisition. As the new beer had fruit flavors, the high-concentration streams were upsetting their onsite treatment facility. They were trucking the high-strength wastewater for disposal, and it was costing tens of thousands of dollars per month. They worked with Aquacycl to validate treatment of the high-concentration wastewater from the fruit beer, reducing the BOD and TSS to levels that could then be fed into their existing anaerobic digester. This provided enhanced flexibility in terms of production variation, allowing them to make production changes without impacting the downstream treatment.

Another application of MFC technology was a brewer that had to consider wastewater before they even opened. Joshua Tree Brewery was looking to expand their popular beers out of the garage and into a physical taproom. The town of 10,000 is a craft beer desert, with the nearest brewery located over 50 miles away. They were informed that they would require an onsite treatment system to comply with state, county, and local dis- charge requirements, as they had no utility to discharge to.

When they started looking at options to treat their wastewater, standard treatment systems were prohibitively expensive for a small company with small volumes. The treatment requirements came close to shutting down the entire business. Working with Aquacycl, they were able to affordably meet the county’s requirements for discharge, removing 99% of BOD, 85% of TSS, all sulfur, and about one-third of the nitrogen. Sulfur removal uses a biological process to convert all sulfates and sulfites into elemental sulfur. No hydrogen sulfide is generated, which means no odor from the system. Similarly, the microbes directly remove the nitrogen, converting it to ammonium. Aquacycl technology is typically applied as a pretreatment, removing bulk BOD, and depending on customer discharge requirements, will work with partner technologies as a polishing step.

Benefits and Challenges of MFCs

MFCs hold promise for distributed wastewater treatment, but they are not a fit for all brewers. The best application is small volumes of ultra-high-strength streams that cannot be discharged to sewer or treated by conventional systems, or that otherwise are transported off-site. By directly treating the most difficult portion of wastewater, brewers will significantly reduce costs from trucking, surcharges, and the risk of non-permitted discharges.

Here are some other benefits:

• Small footprint—because they are treating a small volume, they occupy a fraction of what a conventional system would require. As most brewers are located in cities, space constraints are a key consideration.
• No capital expenditures—the BETT systems are operated as a service contract, providing guaranteed performance without large installation costs.
• Scalable to meet changing production demands—onsite treatment is capital intensive and typically built for fixed production volume, so fast growth may exceed design capacity, limiting the new production volumes.
• Energy neutral and sustainable—by producing direct electricity without methane generation, they eliminate the need for complicated cogeneration facilities to burn the biogas. Combined with other technologies, they can enable water reuse.
• Cost-effective for rural breweries that are not able to discharge to a sewer

The main challenge of MFC systems is finding the right application where it is cost-effective to implement. They will not be competitive to treat entire brewery wastewater or high volumes of low-strength wastewater. The best application is where breweries are already side streaming the high-strength streams and would like to eliminate transport offsite. The other key consideration is costs to discharge or treat. MFC technologies will not be cost competitive in areas where surcharges are low.

While most brewers do not think about wastewater unless they are forced to, having a good understanding of your options and new technologies can be helpful to growing and new brewers alike. When your brewery gets to the point where you need to change the way you are managing wastewater, start with side streaming the highest strength streams. These can either be treated onsite with MFC systems or trucked offsite. While MFC systems are probably not a fit for all breweries, they have demonstrated significant cost reductions, smaller footprint, a hands-off wastewater treatment, and direct energy recovery, allowing brewers to focus on making beer instead of worrying about wastewater treatment.

• Brewers Association. 2020. Brewers Association releases annual growth report for 2019. https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/brewers- association-releases-annual-growth-report-for-2019/.
• Brewers Association. 2017. Wastewater Management Guidance Manual. Brewers Association, Boulder, CO. https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws. com/brewersassoc/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Wastewater_Management_ Guidance_Manual.pdf.

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Sustainable Waste Management In Indore: A Case Study

Indore, a fast-growing city in India, has emerged as a model for sustainable waste management practices. Over the past few years, Indore has consistently ranked as the cleanest city in India, thanks to the efficient waste management system put in place by the municipal corporation. 

This case study explores the background, challenges faced, solutions implemented, and key learnings from Indore’s successful waste management system.

Indore, with a population of over 3.2 million people, generates around 1,100 metric tons of waste daily. Prior to 2016, the city struggled with waste management, leading to unhygienic conditions, increased pollution, and negative impacts on public health. 

However, the launch of the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign in 2014 led the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to undertake a comprehensive transformation of its waste management system. This involved an overhaul of existing infrastructure, policies, and community engagement initiatives to create a more efficient and environmentally friendly waste management system.

Challenges faced:

Lack of waste segregation at the source:  

Indore faced issues with mixed waste, which hindered the recycling and disposal process. Unsegregated waste resulted in inefficient waste collection and processing, causing further strain on the waste management system.

Inefficient waste collection and transportation system: 

With limited resources and vehicles, the city’s waste collection and transportation system could not keep up with the growing population and waste generation.

Open dumping and burning of waste: The absence of adequate waste processing facilities led to the practice of open dumping and burning of waste, which contributed to air and land pollution.

Inadequate public awareness and participation: 

Citizens were not fully aware of the importance of waste segregation, recycling, and proper disposal, resulting in low participation rates and disregard for waste management rules.

Limited infrastructure for waste processing and disposal: 

The city’s waste processing and disposal infrastructure was unable to cope with the increasing waste generation, leading to unmanaged landfills and environmental degradation.

Solutions implemented:

Segregation at the source: 

The IMC implemented a mandatory waste segregation policy, requiring households to separate waste into wet (biodegradable) and dry (recyclable) categories. This allowed for more efficient waste collection and processing, as well as increased recycling rates.

Door-to-door waste collection: 

A fleet of over 600 GPS-enabled vehicles were deployed to collect segregated waste daily from all households and commercial establishments. This ensured timely and efficient waste collection, preventing littering and illegal dumping.

Waste processing and disposal: The city established a state-of-the-art waste processing facility capable of handling 1,000 metric tons of waste daily, including a 15 MW waste-to-energy plant and a 200 TPD (tons per day) composting plant. These facilities enabled the city to process and dispose of waste more effectively, reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal.

Public awareness and participation: 

The IMC launched numerous awareness campaigns, involving local celebrities, schools, and religious institutions, to educate the public on the importance of waste segregation and cleanliness. This resulted in increased community involvement and support for the waste management program.

Strict monitoring and enforcement: 

Regular inspections, fines, and incentives were introduced to ensure compliance with waste management rules. This helped maintain the cleanliness of the city and encouraged citizens to adhere to waste segregation and disposal guidelines.

Results achieved:

Waste segregation: 

Over 90% of households in Indore now segregate their waste, significantly improving the efficiency of waste collection and processing, and reducing the burden on landfills.

Waste processing: 

The city’s waste processing facility successfully manages 1,000 metric tons of waste daily, with a 95% waste recovery rate. This has led to a substantial reduction in landfill usage and has minimized the environmental impact of waste disposal.

Cleanliness: 

Indore has consistently ranked as the cleanest city in India in the annual Swachh Survekshan survey since 2017. This highlights the success of the city’s waste management system and the active participation of its residents in maintaining cleanliness.

Health and environment: 

Cases of vector-borne diseases have dropped by 60% since the implementation of the waste management system, and air quality has improved due to reduced open burning of waste. This has led to a healthier environment and improved overall quality of life for Indore’s residents.

Key learnings:

Political will and administrative commitment are crucial for the successful implementation of waste management systems. Indore’s transformation was made possible by strong leadership and a dedicated municipal corporation committed to addressing the city’s waste management challenges.

Public awareness and participation play a significant role in ensuring the success of waste management initiatives. By actively involving the community and raising awareness about the importance of waste segregation and proper disposal, Indore was able to achieve a high level of public participation and support.

Strict monitoring and enforcement mechanisms help ensure compliance with waste management rules and regulations. Indore’s approach to enforcing waste segregation and disposal guidelines, combined with regular inspections and penalties, proved to be effective in maintaining the city’s cleanliness.

Investing in modern waste processing infrastructure can significantly improve the efficiency of waste management systems and reduce environmental impact. Indore’s investment in a state-of-the-art waste processing facility allowed the city to process and dispose of waste more effectively, leading to a substantial reduction in landfill usage and associated environmental issues.

Indore’s transformation into a clean, sustainable city serves as an inspiring example for other urban centers in India and around the world. 

By adopting a comprehensive, integrated approach to waste management, Indore has successfully addressed its waste management challenges and set a benchmark for sustainable urban living. 

The city’s experience provides valuable insights and lessons for other municipalities looking to improve their waste management systems and promote environmental sustainability.