Wetlands for wastewater treatment sludge
BE CIRCULAR, BE EFFECTIVE: STOP SENDING SLUDGE TO THE LANDFILL
Wetlands for wastewater treatment sludge
BE CIRCULAR, BE EFFECTIVE: STOP SENDING SLUDGE TO THE LANDFILL
Wetlands for wastewater treatment sludge
BE CIRCULAR, BE EFFECTIVE: STOP SENDING SLUDGE TO THE LANDFILL
WETLANDS COURSES
ETE WETLANDS
tratamento de efluentes sanitários e industriais de forma descomplicada, eficiente e econômica
Whether in an industrial setting or a small municipality (up to 6,000 inhabitants), the biggest challenge in wastewater treatment operations is keeping the wastewater treatment plant functioning properly .
Most operational problems in wastewater treatment plants are related to non-compliance with legislation, high operating costs, and conflicts with users and the surrounding community.
The selection of a wastewater treatment plant should prioritize:
Operational simplicity; cost reduction and environmental sustainability.
This is the proposal from ETE Wetlands.
>90%
BOD removal efficiencies exceeding 90%
+40 years
Technology established for over 40 years around the world.
30,000
It is the population equivalent of the world's largest wetlands for the treatment of raw sewage.
Benefits generated by Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs)
SIMPLIFICATION
and operational safety
Simple construction, operation and maintenance;
Absence of sludge disposal and complex sludge management routines;
Absence of electromechanical elements and chemical products;
Treatment efficiency above 90% (BOD removal);
Resistance to load and flow shocks;
They safely comply with the legislation;
REDUCTION
costs ETE operational
Low or zero electricity consumption;
Operational routines require only 2 hours per day;
It does not require skilled labor;
Cost reduction through sludge management;
Independence from centrifuges and landfills for dewatering and sludge disposal;
RECOVERY
of resources and environmental quality
Global sanitation trend;
Absence of odors, vectors, and noise;
Possibility of water reuse;
Passive mineralization and sanitation of sludge with the possibility of agricultural use;
Landscape integration and harmonization with the surroundings;
Technology recommended by the UN;
Possibility of reusing plant biomass;
Landscape integration and environmental quality
Internationally established for industrial wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands technology offers advantages that align perfectly with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals and Circular Economy concepts. These systems can receive raw sewage or effluents from other conventional technologies, delivering water suitable for reuse in a simple, safe, and economical way, while also being landscape-integrated with the surrounding environment.
WETLANDS
WITH RUSTIC VEGETATION
WETLANDS
WITH ORNAMENTAL VEGETATION
High efficiencies and operational safety
One of the biggest challenges for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is ensuring treatment stability and efficiency. Wetlands WWTPs, in addition to their resistance to load and flow shocks, can be designed to meet various treatment objectives, from meeting discharge standards into receiving bodies of water to the most restrictive standards for reuse. In hybrid systems (vertical + horizontal wetlands), the average organic matter removal efficiencies for raw sewage exceed 93%.
Graph of efficiencies in a hybrid wetland system (vertical followed by horizontal) for the treatment of municipal sanitary wastewater.
Recover resources and Never send sludge to the landfill again.
Another major advantage of Wetlands Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) is the conversion of sewage sludge into organic compost through passive processes! Our systems eliminate the need for all mechanized dewatering structures and ensure independence from landfills. This is because the sludge is retained on the surface of the bed, accumulating at a rate of 1 to 2 cm per year, and is mineralized and digested throughout the system's operation. The removal interval for mineralized sludge can occur every 5 or 10 years, eliminating intensive and costly sludge management routines (most WWTPs require continuous sludge disposal, weekly or bi-weekly). After removal, the stabilized and sanitized material can be used for agricultural purposes and/or the recovery of degraded areas without the need for any type of processing.
See how to make it feasible.
the implementation of the Wetlands Wastewater Treatment Plant
The most important step in assessing the feasibility of implementing wetland wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is related to the analysis of sewage flow rates and available areas. As an estimate, a WWTP requires 0.8 to 2 m² of bed area for each equivalent population*. These areas are conditioned by flow rates, efficiency requirements, and the characteristics of the effluent to be treated. In addition to the bed area, it is also necessary to provide for an additional 40% area for slopes, vehicle access, and vehicle maneuvering areas.
0.3 the 0.6m²
The area designated for a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to treat sanitary sewage is based on staffing levels.
*considering 50 L of effluent per employee per day
0.8 the 1.6m²
The area required by population equivalent is the area needed for a Wetlands Wastewater Treatment Plant to treat sanitary sewage.
*considering 160 L of effluent per inhabitant per day
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant
Simple, robust and safe operation.
No machines, no chemicals, and no landfill.
Preliminary treatment
As with any treatment system, the removal of coarse solid waste must be carried out. Since wetland wastewater treatment plants allow the conversion of sludge into organic fertilizer, the goal in this case is to obtain a high-quality final biosolid with low levels of metals, plastics, and glass. In this sense, preliminary treatment with fine screens or even sieving is recommended.
Power supply device
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that are wetlands can be fed with raw or primary sewage. In both cases, when working with vertical flow wetlands, the use of lift pumps or automatic siphons is necessary. Depending on design assumptions, 12 to 48 batches per day may occur.
Food rotations
Generally, 3 beds are installed in parallel, each being fed for 2 or 3 days. At the end of a feeding cycle, a rotation between the beds is carried out by a simple valve adjustment.
Desidratação e mineralização
do lodo de esgoto
Ao longo do ciclo de mineralização, variando de 3 a 10 anos, os lodos são estabilizados. Durante o período de repouso, os sólidos suspensos retidos na superfície do leito formam uma camada chamada “depósito de lodo”. Esta camada cresce numa taxa média de 1cm ao ano. Ao final de 10 anos de alimentação, COM NENHUMA DESPESA DE DESTINAÇÃO DE LODO, esse material terá sido convertido em composto orgânico em conformidade com a legislação CONAMA 375 e portarias do Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (fertilizante orgânico classe D).
Disposal of final effluent
With the exception of any necessary booster pumps, Wetlands Wastewater Treatment Plants DO NOT EMPLOY ANY MECHANIZED EQUIPMENT. Compliance with legislation is guaranteed by purely biological mechanisms that occur in the filter medium. The treatment process is similar to that of Low-Load Trickling Filters, involving the removal of organic matter, nitrification, and even denitrification within the system.
Vegetation management
Vegetation is the most notable element in these systems, providing landscape harmony and contributing to microbial biodiversity in the supporting environment. When the system has ornamental purposes, it is necessary to care for the plants as in a garden, performing monthly or quarterly pruning. When the system is more rustic, a grass field can be cultivated with semi-annual or annual pruning, which SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES MAINTENANCE COSTS. In both cases, a gardening team is capable of performing the services. The plant material removed from the beds can be composted, as it is FREE OF TOXIC MATERIALS when it comes to sanitary effluents.
Removal of composted sludge
Every 10 years, a maintenance shutdown is carried out on each of the beds to remove the organic compound formed in the sludge layer. At this point, the sludge will have reached a solids content greater than 10% and will be stabilized (VS/ST ratio). This procedure DOES NOT REQUIRE THE REMOVAL OF THE SUPPORT MEDIUM, but only the 10 cm layer of organic compound. Following the logic of a Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Plant, ideally this material should be used as agricultural fertilizer. After the sludge layer is removed, the vegetation is restored and the bed returns to operation for another 10 years.
