Description:
This session explores innovative methods to optimize water treatment processes avoiding chemical dependent practices, reduce environmental impacts, and maximize resource recovery. For example, the “Minus Approach” involves minimizing contaminants in drinking water and wastewater through anaerobic processes, advanced filtration, and sustainable resource recovery practices. This approach ensures cleaner drinking water and reduces energy use and emissions. It also enables the recovery of valuable resources from wastewater, supporting circular economy principles. Anaerobic wastewater treatment processes are of particular interest because they use less energy than activated sludge and nutrients can be retained for applications like hydroponic farms for growing food. Potable reuse is also of interest; the membrane barrier helps ensure drinking water safety. Various factors have hindered AnMBRs from become mainstream, including fouling control energy demands, effluent dissolved methane, and lack of nutrient removal (for potable reuse). This session will engage those who are working to make water management technologies (such as AnMBRs) more adaptable, robust, and reliable. For example: (1) decarbonization and valorization of carbon for chemical feedstocks, (2) recovery of high nutrient strength streams such as livestock wastewater, and (3) creating high-quality permeate, free of emerging contaminants.
Organizers:
David Ladner, Yongsheng Chen, Paul Westerhoff, Prathap Parameswan, Adam Smith, Jeonghwan Kim
