World trial to reduce environmental impacts in waste water treatment

Sydney based clean technology company BiOWiSH Technologies has been participating in a world first trial with Bathurst Regional Council, in the Australian state of New South Wales, with a revolutionary enzyme based approach to waste water treatment.
The new technology promises to offer significant improvements in energy consumption and the production of bio-solids from sewage treatment and help reduce greenhouse emissions from waste water treatment operations globally.
Using very high speed enzymes that were discovered in natural mangrove environments, the technology promises to reduce the reliance on bacteria and other micro-organisms to breakdown sewage and reduce nutrient levels prior to discharge into the environment.
BiOWiSH Technologies Chief Executive Officer Rod Vautier explained that the technology can assist the environment, waste water treatment industry and governments in many ways.
“Any contribution today to reduce energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions is highly valuable and the adoption of this technology offers the potential for reductions in electricity for aeration of up to 50%”, he said.
“The BiOWiSH™ enzymes rapidly breakdown waste matter and therefore less bio-solid material is theoretically produced in the plant, which is also great for the environment”, he added.
According to Mr Vautier, the new technology can be applied to any existing biological treatment plant at very low cost, and in the developing world, it could offer the potential to meet growing capacity needs without increasing capital expenditure. This means public health outcomes can be improved as untreated sewage is a major cause of disease in the developing world.
“It is interesting to note that when the first collection and treatment works were constructed at Bathurst in the late 19th century, the levels of infectious disease and infant mortality dropped by approximately 90%. It is exciting to think we could help developing countries that struggle to meet the growing demand for sewage treatment in this way,” said Mr Vautier.
The Bathurst Regional Council has offered its sewage treatment plant over several decades to participate in trials that have assisted the waste water industry to develop new plant designs and technologies.
Bathurst Regional Council Manager - Water & Waste Authority David Swan explained that the work done at the Bathurst plant over the years has given rise to a design of sewage treatment plant known as the “Bathurst Box”, which is now widely adopted in Australia and overseas.
Mr Swan said that the adoption of this new technology, which could reduce energy cost and therefore greenhouse gas emissions as well as bio-solids, would be an extremely good innovation for the waste water industry, regional councils and the environment.
Mr Swan added that early indications have proven very encouraging with the strength of the sewage being reduced by up to 83% and the solids by up to 90% prior to entering the aeration chamber for traditional biological treatment. This should translate to substantial energy reductions and potential plant capacity increases without the requirement for significant capital equipment.
Further trial work is to be considered for later this year to verify the actual reductions in aeration energy and final bio-solids production.