ACT Wastewater Treatment Cuts Operating Costs, Recycles Waste

Applied CleanTech’s sewage recycling technology for wastewater has helped a UK wastewater treatment plant lower its carbon footprint and emissions and is expected to reduce operating costs between 20 percent and 30 percent.

ACT announced the results of a pilot project conducted with Scottish Water — the first installation of ACT’s sewage recycling system (SRS) in the UK — to test whether value can be recovered from sewage while reducing maintenance and power costs.

The SRS technology includes a fine filter that captures all the cellulose and some of the fats, oils and grease coming into the wastewater treatment facility. The solids are then pasteurized producing a pellet material called Recyllose, which can be used as a raw material in paper, plastic, construction, energy and other industries.

The pilot found using Recyllose can reduce the amount of sludge produced, which means that plant can run using less power, reduce sludge tankering frequency and cut plant maintenance requirements, says Scottish Water’s George Ponton. The technology also uses less power and resources, increasing the lifespan of the wastewater treatment equipment.

Applied CleanTech’s SRS reduced the Dutch Waterschap Aa en Maas’ daily operational costs by about $2,700 in addition to reducing sludge by up to 30 percent, according to a report published earlier this month that examined the commercial potential of sewage mining.