Wastewater Valorisation through biological trEatment and Reduction of its impact on the aquatic enviRonment (WAVERR)

Summary

In Ecuador, 12% of the total surface area is used for agriculture, of which 60% is situated in the coastal area (Costa) and 35% is situated in the Amazon region (Oriente). In many cases, agriculture activities (feedstock) and fish farming are carried out by small familiar companies. Next to these farmers, also other companies and  households are not connected to the sewer system. Only 30% of the domestic wastewater is treated in Ecuador. A major problem nowadays is that the untreated wastewater of these point sources is discharged without treatment in the surrounding surface water bodies. This causes an inflow of excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus which leads to eutrophication and as such a decrease of the surface water quality. Further, nowadays, there is no restriction on water use by national politics and there are no incentives for water reuse. As such, in some regions (e.g. the Costa) a shortage of freshwater is a major problem.
This project proposal has different goals, namely reducing the impact of wastewater discharge on the aquatic environment and a reuse of the treated wastewater. The project approach is to treat the wastewater with a biological treatment step combined with low-cost technologies (adsorption, membranes). As such, the inflow of excess of nutrients in the surrounding surface water bodies will be reduced, decreasing the impact of the receiving water body. Also, the wastewater could be reused. As biological treatment technology, the use of microalgae and aquatic local plants like Azola (fern), Eichornia, Pistia will be considered. These species can transform the nutrients of the wastewater into intracellular high value compounds such as e.g., proteins. As such, the harvested biomass could be valorised. The focus on the technologies allowing wastewater reuse will be where e.g., natural local materials can be used. The project results will also deliver an incentive to local and national politics to promote water reuse

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