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Waste Water Management Techniques

Waste water is categorized as domestic such as toilets, bath and kitchen water, and industrial such as hospitals and agricultural sites. If not properly managed, waste water contaminates water sources and damages coastal ecosystems, causing major health and environmental challenges. Almost 90 percent of untreated waste water flows into coastal zones, resulting in marine dead zones. Globally, more than two million people die each year from water-related diseases. Effectively managing waste water can help reverse these trends.

  1. Ecosystem-based Management

    • Ecosystem-based waste water management aims to maintain the health and productivity of the ecosystem. Instead of focusing on an individual species or action, the entire ecosystem is considered, particularly the preservation of its structure and function. This system examines the factors that affect location-specific ecosystems, and applies social, ecological and economic measures to combat their negative impact.

    Wetland Treatment

    • In wetland areas, water is purified by a range of physical and biological elements such as microorganisms, plants and the sun. This process is utilized as a technique to manage waste water by designing shallow stabilization ponds where water is accumulated and treated. Aquatic plants such as duckweed help remove heavy metals, while bacteria, algae and plankton remove other biochemical contaminants. The wetland treatment method is sustainable and needs few resources. Its drawbacks include that it is climate specific, and it requires a considerable amount of non-arable land, which is not always available in populated areas.

    Anaerobic Digestion

    • Anaerobic digestion involves the degradation of organic materials in waste water by anaerobic bacteria. This occurs in the absence of oxygen and results in the production of methane, which is used as biogas. This method produces fewer bio-solids, and remaining waste sludge is stable enough to be used as agricultural compost since nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous are not removed during the process. Anaerobic digestion is utilized in both small and large-scale treatment projects. Several digesters are available, chosen according to climate conditions. The technique does not remove all pathogens, and requires further treatment such as stabilization ponds.

    Hybrid Poplar

    • The Hybrid Poplar System applies waste water to hybrid poplar trees. This is an alternative to applying waste water to pasture and cropland. In addition to utilizing waste water, the fast-growing trees have a short harvesting period, making them a source for wood products. The requirements for hybrid polar trees include the amount and delivery pressure of waste water, the distance between the irrigation system and the waste water treatment facility, and the daily irrigation rate. The trees must also be protected from destruction by animals, insects, and plant diseases.

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