Green Options » sewage treatment

Bluewater Bio Makes Water from Sewage with New HYBACS System

Tina Casey — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:02:31 +0000

Sewage treatment plant effluent may finally get its Cinderella moment, thanks to a new process called HYBACS developed by Bluewater Bio International. Up to now, the waste water from sewage plants has been shunted aside for disposal, typically into a nearby waterway. HYBACS transforms it into a reusable water resource, by improving the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants. Bluewater Bio has won a grant from the Spanish Environment Ministry to conduct a pilot test of the technology at a treatment plant near Madrid. If it proves successful, sewage treatment plant effluent could get a new life - and new respect for its role in a sustainable future.

BIOROCK Uses Rocks to Treat Sewage

Tina Casey — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:44:56 +0000

Good-bye honey truck, hello rocks. A mini sewage treatment plant called BIOROCK beats conventional septic systems on every level. Using rocks as a medium, BIOROCK needs little or no electricity, requires less maintenance, and produces a super-clean effluent. It’s scalable down to use for individual homes. Farms, campgrounds, trailer parks, corporate parks, subdivisions and vacation spots are other likely uses. BIOROCK was developed in the Netherlands and has been kicking around Europe for a number of years. Recently it made the jump to Ireland and Canada, so it could be only a matter of time before it pops up in the U.S.

More Efficient Sewage Treatment on a Small Scale

BIOROCK consists of a modular block, installed underground like a septic tank. In the first treatment chamber, solids are trapped and digested anaerobically. The company claims that this chamber requires emptying only every 3-4 years. The second chamber treats the effluent through an aerobic process. It contains layers of fibrous rock in netting, which are exposed to air through a natural updraft, or chimney effect. Aerobic bacteria grow inside the rock matrix, aided by the updraft, and digest the suspended solids. BIOROCK U.K. reports that the effluent beats European standards for small sewage treatment plants, EN 12566-3 2005 and EN 12566-7 2006.

Sustainable Sewage Treatment

BIROCK’s ease of maintenance, simple installation, and use of recyclable materials helps contribute to a low carbon footprint. The BIOROCK process itself requires no electricity, and it is designed to discharge effluent by gravity into a waterway.

Sewage Treatment Off the Grid

Sewage treatment is one of the stickiest dilemmas that off-grid building designers face, especially in urban areas. The BIROCK system offers one solution for sites where a gravity discharge is not possible and pumping is required. Small scale solar panel and wind turbine components are available to help keep the system off-grid. The system could also prove useful for off-grid second homes or eco-vacation spots, even when they are not used year-round. It can be left dormant for long periods of time without damage, and it can be restarted within a day or so compared several weeks for a conventional septic system start-up.

Note: BIOROCK is not to be confused with the Biorock method of restoring coral reefs.

Image: Ryan Harvey on flickr.com

Down the Toilet and Back into the Grid: San Antonio to Turn Sewage Into Energy

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:17:12 +0000

Among the many other distinctions San Antonio residents can point to, they can now add one more: their city will boast the first utility system in the U.S. to capture and sell methane gas generated during sewage treatment.

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) Board of Trustees last night approved what they call a “truly innovative contract” with Ameresco, an “independent energy solutions company” based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Under the 20-year lease and operating agreement, Ameresco will build the pipelines and other facilities needed to collect and distribute methane gas produced from the city’s sewage. In return, SAWS gets a 12 percent royalty on the open market methane sales.