Constructed wetlands and solar-driven disinfection technologies for sustainable wastewater treatment and reclamation in rural India: SWINGS project

Abstract

SWINGS was a cooperation project between the European Union and India, aiming at implementing state of the art low-cost technologies for the treatment and reuse of domestic wastewater in rural areas of India. The largest wastewater treatment plant consists of a high-rate anaerobic system, followed by vertical and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands with a treatment area of around 1,900 m and a final step consisting of solar-driven anodic oxidation (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection units allowing direct reuse of the treated water. The implementation and operation of two pilot plants in north (Aligarh Muslim University, AMU) and central India (Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, IGNTU) are shown in this study. The overall performance of AMU pilot plant during the first 7 months of operation showed organic matter removal efficiencies of 87% total suspended solids, 95% 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD) and 90% chemical oxygen demand, while Kjeldahl nitrogen removal reached 89%. The UV disinfection unit produces water for irrigation and toilet flushing with pathogenic indicator bacteria well below WHO guidelines. On the other hand, the AO disinfection unit implemented at IGNTU and operated for almost a year has been shown to produce an effluent of sufficient quality to be reused by the local population for agriculture and irrigation.

Effects of Partial Saturation on Nitrogen Removal and Bacterial Community in Vertical-Flow Constructed Wetlands

“…These include low construction and operating cost, easier maintenance and good integration into the landscape and promotion of biodiversity (Álvarez et al 2017;Paing et al 2015). However, the removal of nitrogen in constructed wetlands (CWs) exhibits large uctuations and is often unsatisfactory ).…”

Removal of organic carbon, nitrogen, emerging contaminants and fluorescing organic matter in different constructed wetland configurations

“…The use of this technology has developed rapidly over the last decades for the treatment of wastewater in decentralized areas both in industrialized and low-income countries due to their various advantages over conventional wastewater treatment systems. These include low to no energy consumption, ease of maintenance and operation, and good integration into the landscape and promotion of biodiversity, among others [2,3].…”

Avaliação De Ciclo De Vida E Econômica De Sistema De Tratamento E Reuso De Efluentes Integrando Reatores Anaeróbios, Wetlands Construídos E Ozonização

“…Vários pesquisadores investigaram diferentes configurações de WCs, desde sistemas muito simples até a combinação de WCs com sistemas mais complexos e sofisticados, como WCs aerados artificialmente (WU et al, 2014), WCs e microalgas (DE SOUZA CELENTE et al, 2019). Trabalhos com estas combinações podem também ser exemplificados com WCs e ozonização (TRIPATHI e TRIPATHI 2011;HORN et al, 2014); e unidade de WC associada à desinfecção UV (ÁLVAREZ et al, 2017).…”