Books published by IWA Publishing

Anaerobic/aerobic (AnA) and completely aerobic (CA) laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors operating on an acetate- and casamino acids-based synthetic wastewater were used to investigate the suitability of the AnA process for treating nutrient?deficient wastewaters in plants that have stringent effluent nutrient requirements. Of particular interest is the case where phosphorus (P)-deficient wastewaters with highly variable influent COD loading are being treated to meet both effluent TSS and P limits. At a 4 d mean cell residence time, AnA activated sludge had an approx. 20% lower P requirement than CA activated sludge. The difference between the end-of-aerobic cycle polyhydroxyalkanoate and carbohydrate contents of the sludges indicated that the AnAsludge used more influent carbon than the CA sludge for synthesis of non-P-containing storage products. The nitrogen requirements of AnA sludge were similar to those of the CA sludge. The AnA and CA SBRs were subjected to three different transient influent COD loading patterns that simulated (#1) daily COD Loading fluctuations, (#2) low weekend COD loading, and (#3) extended low COD loading periods. During the Loading Pattern #1 experiment, the average effluent soluble P concentrations for the AnA and CA SBRs were 0.4 and 1.0 mgP/L respectively, and complete removal of influent acetate was observed. During the Loading Pattern #2 experiment, the average effluent soluble P concentrations for the AnA and CA SBRs were 0.3 and 0.9 mgP/L respectively, but effluent acetate was detected during the first high COD loading cycle following the low weekend COD loading period. During the Loading Pattern #3 experiment, the VSS content of both reactors dropped sharply, effluent acetate breakthrough occurred, and effluent P concentrations exceeding 1 mgP/L were detected in both the AnA and CA SBRs. Based on these findings, the AnA process has potential as a technologically and economically superior alternative for wastewater treatment plants treating P-deficient wastewasters to meet stringent effluent TSS and P limits. This publication can also be purchased and downloaded via Pay Per View on Water Intelligence Online - click on the Pay Per View icon below

While pond treatment technology offers relative simplicity in its application, it incorporates a host of complex and diverse mechanisms that work to treat and cleanse polluted waters before their return to our environment. This book offers a comprehensive review of the pond technology field including the various ideas and findings.

This Scientific and Technical Report (STR) describes the main reasons for the growth of the different filamentous microorganisms in activated sludge, and the biological molecular tools today available for the identification of the main biomass components.

The book covers the subject of membrane bioreactors (MBR) for wastewater treatment, dealing with municipal as well as industrial wastewaters. The book details the 3 types of MBR available and discusses the science behind the technology, their design features, operation, applications, advantages, limitations, performance, current research activities and cost. As the demand for wastewater treatment, recycling and re-use technologies increases, it is envisaged that the membrane separation bioreactor will corner the market. Contents Membrane Fundamentals Biological Fundamentals Biomass Separation Membrane Bioreactors Membrane Aeration and Extractive Bioreactors Commercial Membrane Bioreactor Systems Membrane Bioreactor Applications Case Studies

The ability to measure sludge network strength is important in sludge dewatering applications because it can be used to determine optimum polymer dose for conditioning to achieve good dewaterability. This was demonstrated in laboratory and in full-scale dewatering and thickening. The network strength increased as the polymer dose was increased, however, at the optimum dose a "e;drop"e; in the network strength occurred. Further research is needed to verify this concept at full scale and to provide a robust technology to the water and wastewater treatment industry. A second phase is sought through WERF funding. Rheometry was used for determining the sludge network strength. This report also formulated and demonstrated a standard protocol for measuring network strength in terms of energy dissipated in a certain volume of sludge. Two protocols for measuring network strengths by either torque or concentric cylinder rheometers are described in this report. A mathematical derivation has shown that area under rheograms, namely the curves which were developed by plotting shear rate (1/sec) versus shear stress (Pa) and time (sec) versus torque (mNm), indicated the rate of energy dissipation within the sludge system and the total dissipated energy was related to the network strength. The research did not intend to measure the "e;absolute"e; network strength, rather a comparative strength of different aggregates using the same instrument and under the same measuring conditions.

This research focused on the use of sonication to destroy surfactants and surface tension properties in industrial wastewaters that affect traditional water treatment processes. We have investigated the sonochemical destruction of surfactants and a chelating agent to understand the release of metals from surfactants during sonication. In addition, the effects of physical properties of surfactants and the effect of ultrasonic frequency were investigated to gain an understanding of the factors affecting degradation. Successful partial or total destruction of surfactants resulting in the release of metals bound to surfactants may result in a significant cost savings of treatment plants.

Cyanide occurs in many industrial and municipal wastewaters and is often an expected constituent of typical treatment plant wastewater streams. However, a growing number of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the USA have detected cyanide in cholorinated effluents at levels exceeding influent concentrations. Because water quality criteria and related discharge limits are typically low some of these WWTPs periodically exceed effluent cyanide standards. Potential causes include cyanide formation during wastewater cholrination processes, the presence of interferences that cause false negatives, and false positives caused by artifacts of sample handling or analytical techniques. The possible causes of the apparent cyanide formation phenomenon were investigated in this study. This publication can also be purchased and downloaded via Pay Per View on Water Intelligence Online - click on the Pay Per View icon below

Over the past 20 years, the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the United States has been instrumental in reducing both the detrimental impacts to receiving water quality and the exacerbated flooding caused by urbanization and storm water drainage. More recently, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have started to be used in the United Kingdom. Both SUDS and BMPs attempt to mimic the drainage patterns of the natural watershed, and can also provide a degree of treatment needed to improve the quality of the water discharged to an acceptable level. The costs of conventional stormwater collection systems are determined primarily in terms of initial capital expenditure. Long-term maintenance costs are absorbed by stormwater authorities that are responsible for maintaining their infrastructure as part of their "e;asset base"e;. Currently, only a few of these responsibilities exist for BMPs and SUDS, which generally incorporate surface components and are often dependent on landscaping rather than on traditional construction techniques, but may require significant regular maintenance. Any potential adopting organization will require guidance on the maintenance regimes of different types of systems and how such regimes translate into long-term adoption costs. The project is being conducted in two phases. Phase 1, which is the subject of this report, includes a literature review and a survey of stormwater authorities and organizations in the US and UK to identify the most commonly used BMPs and SUDS and to determine the availability of data on their cost and performance. As part of Phase 2, the operation of selected BMPs and SUDS will be monitored over a one-year period in terms of pollutant removal and hydrologic/hydraulic efficiency, and applicability of their design criteria and maintenance regime. The protocols developed in Phase 1 will be used to assess BMPs/SUDS performance and whole-life costs.

In other words, any grass added to the surface of a swale system would represent a positive influence on metal uptake. However centipede is possibly be the best choice for its resilience to drought, its nutritional frugality, and its greater ability to accumulate key contaminant metals such as Cu, Zn and Pb.

A scientifically sound approach is needed to ensure that flushable consumer products are compatible with household plumbing fixtures, as well as wastewater collection and treatment systems. In addition to assessing disposal system compatibility, an assessment approach should also ensure that flushable consumer products do not become an aesthetic nuisance in surface waters and soil environments. This document presents an overall approach for assessing the fate and compatibility of consumer products in wastewater disposal systems. While the focus of this document is on the United States, it is believed that the conceptual approach and many of the test methods could be used to assess the compatibility of flushable consumer products in wastewater disposal systems throughout the world.

Non-potable and potable (principally in-direct potable) water reuse initiatives in the United States have faced increasing public opposition. Several high-profile initiatives have been halted after several years of planning and tremendous expenditures. To understand why the public holds the perceptions they do and what public participation options exist to address water reuse more constructively, a multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken by a team of social scientists, engineers, and water professionals. Through a comprehensive literature review, three in-depth case studies, and a 2-day interactive symposium this framework was developed for water professionals. The framework summarizes five underlying principles that contribute to shaping public perception and acts as a guide for water professionals in their selection of public outreach, education, and participation activities. Adhering to the principles outlined in this report contributes to building public confidence and trust, which in turn helps water utilities engage constructively with the public on challenging, contentious issues. The five principles are: ? Manage information for all ? Maintain individual motivation and demonstrate organizational commitment ? Promote communication and public dialog ? Ensure fair and sound decision making and decisions ? Build and maintain trust However, no checklist of "e;to-do's"e; exists for establishing public confidence and trust. Quite the opposite, this research suggests that a one-size-fits-all model cannot work because the most appropriate ways to achieve the principles can vary from case to case. Thus, the framework includes an analytical structure to assess the community in which a water reuse initiative is underway. Using diagnostic questions and analytical techniques, a comprehensive picture of the community can be generated and monitored over time. Through application of the diagnostic tools and a commitment to the principles outlined above, water professionals can build the public confidence and trust they need to engage with the public on difficult water reuse issues.

Under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), many municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities must perform Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing. Regulatory agencies determine the level of compliance of each facility by making inferences about the results of these tests. There has been some concern regarding appropriate ways to integrate WET tests into NPDES permits. The central issue of this concern involves determining the relationship between WET tests and instream biological conditions. Previous research (WERF project 95-HHE-1) has examined this issue using historical data. Because of issues with data comparability, i.e. questionable data quality, and project design, results were inconclusive. This study plan was designed to collect new data on method performance for both WET and bioassessment that would help answer the outstanding question. The study plan was designed using a Data Quality Objective (DQO) approach in which DQOs and MQOs were defined. These DQOs and MQOs were characterized using technical input from many scientists from federal, state, and private organizations. It was through this effort that certain technical design issues arose that needed further investigation before implementing the definitive study. Among these issues were determining if DQOs and MQOs were achievable, and determining appropriate biological assessment methods for various ecoregions (e.g. effluent dependent streams in the arid west). In order to appropriately address these issues, it was determined that a pilot study would be implemented before the definitive study. The pilot study is designed as a one-year study in which participating facilities will perform quarterly WET tests (Ceriodaphnia, P. promelas, Selenastrum) and at least one bioassessment (macroinvertebrate, fish, algae) as well as providing other prescribed data requirements. Results of the pilot will provide answers to technique design issues and will ultimately determine the most appropriate study design for the definitive study.

TMDLs, or total maximum daily loads, are required under the Clean Water Act, Section 303(d), for waterbodies that do not attain water quality standards. The objective of this research was to review the existing TMDL process and to develop an improved design for TMDL development where improvements are needed. This objective was accomplished through: (1) Identifying and verifying problems with the existing TMDL program; (2) Formulating a range of recommended improvement options on specific topics that address identified weaknesses; and (3) Providing case studies examples that highlight these recommended changes to improve the TMDL process. The research team identified ten specific areas for improvement, based on a review of approved TMDLs, a survey of state programs, and an in-depth review of specific case study examples. Each topic is addressed in a separate chapter of the report, with a discussion, recommendation of improved approaches where appropriate, and specific examples to help guide water quality professionals when developing or reviewing TMDLs.

Presenting a survey of wetland design techniques and operational experience from treatment wetlands, this global synthesis discusses types of constructed wetlands, major design parameters, role of vegetation, hydraulic patterns, loadings, treatment efficiency, construction, operation and maintenance costs in depth.

Environmental Technologies to Treat Nitrogen Pollution will provide a thorough understanding of the principles and applications of environmental technologies to treat nitrogen contamination

Research into the sampling and measurement of odours has developed in a number of sectors, especially the agriculture, food and process industries, with knowledge from each sector being transferred to the wastewater and solid waste management sectors. Progressive developments in odour research have resulted in researchers re-tracing original research studies to understand the contribution and variability of differing sampling and measurement techniques. There are, however, very few reviews that compile earlier studies across each sector. This study looks at the information used to support current practices in odour sampling and measurement for impact reduction. Sampling for Measurement of Odours reviews European and other internationally available research studies to understand odour sampling and measurement practice in waste applications. The emphasis is placed on appropriate odour sampling and its relationship to differing measurement techniques. As recent developments in standardisation of odour measurement have reduced much of the variation and identified best practice in this area there is, at present, a far greater variation in sampling techniques with serious implications for the quality of samples obtained and their usefulness for assessing odour impact. The review considers the available information on uncontrolled area sources, identifies factors influencing sample losses or transformations and looks at information on the sources of variability identified through standardisation programmes. This need for this report was identified by the Odour Network, an EPSRC-sponsored discussion platform intended to promote multidisciplinary research in the areas of odour measurement, modelling and treatment. Scientific and Technical Report No.17

Scientific and Technical Report No. 24Performance-Based Contracts (PBC) for Improving Utilities Efficiency: Experiences and Perspectives is a compendium of articles written by members of the PBC taskforce. It focuses on new approaches without delegated management to private operator i.e. service contracts, consulting contracts, Alliance approach, public-public partnership. It also mentions new design and generation of more traditional PPPs, (MC, lease, concession), where a larger proportion of performance-based design is being applied. List of Contents:Performance Based Contracts - Setting the scene; PBC and Results Based Financing: the inverse approach; PBC and Energy Efficiency; Internal Performance Contracts: A Case of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Uganda; Performance-Based Service Contracts in Navi Mumbai; Financial Comparison of PBCs and Conventional Approach; Tegucigalpa PBC Case Study; Performance Based Contracts - Key Design Issues; NRW Reduction Optimization Framework; How to improve water services performance? Performance Based Contracts (PBC) and Regulatory issues; Peer-to-Peer Partnerships Operational for sustainable water services; Performance Based Contracts in Malawi: Teamwork Works; Performance based affermage contracts; Performance based Contracts, The Aroona Integrated Alliance Experience; Experience from Eastern Europe; NRW Performance Contract - Kingdom of Bahrain; The way forward and perspectives/trends

Molecular techniques are emerging as a rapid and powerful approach for microorganism detection. This project reviewed the efficacy of PCR assays for Cryptosporidium, Microcystis, adenovirus and ammonia oxidising bacteria, as well as candidate techniques for DNA extraction and inhibitor removal. The literature review led to an evaluation of DNA extraction kits and reagents for PCR; finalisation of assay formats; the development of PCR controls and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP); analysis of assay robustness using real samples; and completion of an Inter-laboratory trial using the SOP's developed. This book is co-published with Water Research Australia.

According to the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), over the last seventy years, floods have shown the fastest rate of increase relative to any other type of disasters. Devastation due to these events occurs almost daily. Even though our technological capabilities for dealing with floods have advanced rapidly over the same period, and while global economic growth per capita has doubled, flood events have become ever more disastrous. Does this mean that our technological developments have advanced independently from the social and wider ecological needs? Flood Risk: The Holistic Perspective is a direct response to this question and it argues that this paradoxical situation is a result from our narrow and fragmented perception of reality which has been characteristic of our academic disciplines and government agencies. It suggests that the way forward can be found only if we broaden our view and learn how the natural or social phenomena can provoke a response in a society, or a social group, which in turn can trigger the technical developments, and so on, again and again, in what has the potential to become a network of interactions and relationships through positive feedback (or coevolving) cycles. The holistic perspective however may raise the following question: If everything is connected to everything else, how can we ever hope to understand anything? Our response draws from the understandings brought by complexity theory where individual elements coevolve together both in development and application. This recognition opens a new analysis which goes beyond the direct objects or actors of concern (risk forecasting, early warning, land-use planning technology and systems for example), and into the relationships between them. The book suggests that our initial response to this and many other challenges is to change our perception from a disciplinary and defensive one to a progressive (or transcendental) and transdiciplinary, i.e., the one that turns challenges into the possibilities that can re-shape our future.The book is structured in eight chapters. Chapter 1 provides exposure to the complexity of flood-related issues and illustrates diversity of multiple points of view. Chapter 2 elaborates on the history of holistic thinking with connection to the flood resilience process. Chapter 3 discusses the holistic risk governance approach which progresses beyond the integrated urban flood management. Chapter 4 describes the Green Cities Initiative, an initiative which is essentially holistic in its nature as it aims to improve transport, energy efficiency, industrial metabolism including water supply and distribution as well as drainage and sewerage services through the holistic lens of interactions between different sectors. Chapter 5 discusses various risk assessment practices and it concludes that any practice that omits social, ethical and wider ecological points of view will be severely restricted in its scope and its reach. Chapter 6 describes the root causes of floods in the Pasig-Marikina River Basin in Metro Manila, Philippines. Chapter 7 reflects upon the key issues and challenges from 2011 Thailand floods. Finally, Chapter 8 presents some of the key aspects concerning urban stormwater management practice in Beijing, China.

Sewage Treatment Plants: Economic Evaluation of Innovative Technologies for Energy Efficiency aims to show how cost saving can be achieved in sewage treatment plants through implementation of novel, energy efficient technologies or modification of the conventional, energy demanding treatment facilities towards the concept of energy streamlining.

Assists in making use of information technology (IT) resources to address business needs, and covers the diversity and complexity of decision support system applications. This report describes how investments into IT are leveraged to improve the management of wastewater agencies; and reviews practices related to decision support in this industry.

In a series of bench-scale tests carried out at the Seattle West Point wastewater treatment facility and the University of Washington environmental engineering laboratories the presence and mechanism of COD loss (and subsequent less biomass production) in the anaerobic zone of EBPR processes was investigated.

The results of this project should enhance our ability to proactively improve the protection of public health. Equating the presence of pathogens to broad land use categories may help mitigate risks. As millions of dollars are spent on pathogen and storm event monitoring, a better understanding of the pathogen contributions from specific origins will improve watershed management approaches and help mitigate public health risks. This project may also advance sampling procedures needed for effective monitoring, and enhance the ability of wastewater treatment facilities to evaluate priorities for long term control planning and compliance. Available Online Only

"Principles of Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes" is the second book in the "Water and Wastewater Process Technologies Series". The book outlines the principle unit operations that are involved in the separation, degradation and utilisation of organic and inorganic matter during water and wastewater treatment.