Water & Wastewater International | GPE August 10, 2017:
BATH, UK – Algae ponds are being used to remove nutrients and treat wastewater in a joint project between the University of Bath and utility Wessex Water.
Originally published July 31, 2017: The project is investigating utilising algae ponds to treat wastewater and reduce levels of phosphorus – an increasingly key concern for the UK’s water utility companies, with pressure from the Environment Agency to find new solutions due to the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The current trial aims to use a ‘managed eutrophication’ approach. Rather than allowing wastewater to release nutrients which encourages algae to grow in the watercourse and cause damage, algae are grown at the sewage treatment works in a managed way and removed before the water enters the river.
This results in “polished” wastewater that can then be released into the river, and algae biomass which can be recovered and used as a resource.
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