Project Page Views: [ 754 ]
| Project Metadata Element | Details |
| Project Title | Optimal design and operation of small-scale wastewater treatment plants: the Irish case |
| Research Area | Water |
| Project Acronym | |
| Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Lorna Fitzsimons |
| Lead Institution or Organisation | Dublin City University (DCU) |
| Lead Country | Ireland |
| Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 53.38526, -6.25714 |
| Lead Funding Entity | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Approximate Project Start Date | 01/04/2015 |
| Approximate Project Finishing Date | 31/03/2016 |
| Project Website (if any) | |
| Links to other Web-based resources | |
| Project Keywords | Desk study; Wastewater treatment plants; Lifecycle model; Decision support toolkit; Resource efficiency |
| Project Abstract | The focus of this proposed research (year-long, desk study) is small-scale, Irish Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). One important output will be the development of whole life-cycle models and a decision support toolkit for WWTP stakeholders that ultimately places the environment at the centre of decision making. Building on existing research (2012-W-MS-10), which focuses on benchmarking the resource efficiency of WWTP, the objectives of this study are: 1) Conduct and collate detailed research into the state-of-the-art of sustainable, holistic, low energy, solutions for the wastewater treatment industry, including the specific technologies that address the challenges of indigenous, smaller wastewater treatment plants. 2) Based on the state-of-the-art and current, ongoing research, assess operational efficiency and effectiveness opportunities and solutions for existing plants. 3) Assess the solutions (novel design technologies and novel solutions for existing plants) from the Irish perspective (size and spatial distribution of plants, climate and seasonal fluctuations, legacy under-investment, influent variations etc.). 4) Based on these findings, develop life-cycle models for pilot testing and demonstration. 5) Develop toolkit for model selection, implementation, life-cycle costing and environmental impact. |