Arris Blog

SA Water in partnership with the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE) has launched a Small Business Innovation Research challenge to Recover Resource from the Wastewater Treatment Process. The challenge is to provide solutions for the recovery of phosphorous from water treatment processes.
http://www.dmitre.sa.gov.au/article/view/1323

Arris Water aims to address this SA Small Business Innovation Research Pilot Program challenge by developing a sustainable, economic and innovative solution for the recovery of phosphorus from high flow and low concentration sources such as Bolivar WWTP wastewater.

The aim is to recover phosphorus from treated effluent and to deliver it in a form where it can be successfully reused. Our project proposes to address the emerging concerns of the decreasing availability of phosphorus. By successfully removing phosphorus from a waste stream we offer a sustainable reuse mechanism for phosphorus while also producing a better environmental outcome.

The core concept is that the recovered phosphorus can be reused in a meaningful manner as part of the nutrition budget for agriculture.

We aim to develop a sequence of filter media that successfully reduces the phosphorus concentration in the water by a minimum of 90%. Arris Water intends to develop a regeneration solution that liberates the phosphorus from the filter media and enables it for reuse.We will also investigate the possibility of using the media (once fully loaded with phosphorus) as a slow release fertiliser in the agriculture industry. We will determine a high level capital and operational budget for this treatment and reuse option.

Arris Water will monitor selected other contaminants of concern such as boron, potassium, fluoride, sodium, and TSS and determine whether any synergistic treatment benefits were delivered by the filtration media. We also endeavour to undertake pot trials to asses the effectiveness of the phosphorus obtained from the extraction and regeneration process, develop a high level understanding of the form of phosphorus and soil chemistry associated with changeable and non-changeable pools associated with specific forms of phosphorus.

As an added benefit, the filter media may improve other water quality parameters and therefore increase the overall sustainability of the water. It can be used in standard water treatment infrastructure which already complies with workplace health and safety requirements. It is a relatively energy efficient technique and has low greenhouse gas emissions.

Arris Water is committed to research and development and using our skills to improve sustainability in industry.