Conference Agenda

Since the early 2010s, there has been a significant paradigm shift in the water sector. Wastewater treatment facilities are now being reconceived as "resource recovery and water recycling centres." The state of the art of carbon and nutrient removal and recovery from wastewater is one of transformation, driving the development and deployment of innovative and sustainable technologies. Struvite precipitation is a leading technology, recovering phosphorus as a crystalline solid for use as fertiliser but vivianite is getting much interest as recovery technologies evolve. Targeted ammonia recovery on the other side, is being tested at a high pace, and knowhow and learnings are being transferred from other industries. High nitrogen recovery yields have been demonstrated with ion exchange processes combined with hollow fibre membranes. Algal systems can absorb nutrients, producing biomass for biofuels or fertilisers. Additionally, bio-mineral forming microorganisms are being explored for their ability to form nutrient-rich bio-struvite. Others focus on carbon removal from wastewater, leaving a nutrient rich ultrafiltered stream that can be used for irrigation. To ensure the future and implementation of these exciting technologies, clear wider benefits to WWTPs must be demonstrated by reductions in operational costs (such as reduced chemicals, sludge production or electricity), release capacity in the WWTP or reducing green gas emissions. On the other side, the markets for the recovered products and regulation remain as key challenges that we must address. Does the concept of recovering nutrients for the agricultural sector still make sense after so many years of trying to engage with limited success?

We should be looking at opportunities within the water sector itself and using the recovered products and nutrients to increase the sustainability of the water industry and drop the barriers for wider implementation.