4.

7 Greywater treatment
Greywater
(shower, washing,
Learning objectives: Get familiar with cleaning, etc.)
various treatment options and with the
application of various processes
constructed
wetland, gardening,
wastewater pond, biol.
treatment, membrane-
l l t he
v e a y
technology
m o e a v
e r e nd h
a n w s a
C ge n
o irrigation,
path ls? l ud ge ?
groundwater
t a s
me in t he recharge or
a t i s
Wh direct reuse
 Application of processes

al Bi
ic ni ol
m u s, l s tr og
e o r ta og O B ic
Ch
G
s p h , me en D al
o
ph gens , ,
pa
ho t ho
a t g
p en
F B s
A

D
E

C
BOD,
suspended solids
Physical
Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden
 Overview of possible technical options
Treatment: Possible technical solutions for greywater:

Physical Screen, grease trap, septic tank, sedimentation

(SS and BOD-levels) pond

Biological I ABR, anaerobic filter, UASB, soil filters, reactive

(BOD-level reduction) filters, trickling/bio-filter, stabilisation pond, sub-
surface wetlands, irrigation

Biological II Nitrification-denitrification in wetland or sandfilter,

(N & pathogen reduction) maturation pond, crop production, mulch beds,
overland flow

Chemical soil filters, reactive filters, precipitation pond,

(P, pathogen, metal removal) irrigation

Sludge management Thickeners, centrifuge, sieve, fermentation, lime,

drainage bed, reed beds, composting, lime
stabilisation Karin Tonderski, Linköping univeristy, Sweden
 Screens and grease traps
screen

Organics from kitchen pipe

Over- sorted out in a plastic screen
flow
Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden
Sedimentation pond

Karin Tonderski, Linköping university, Sweden

 Simple septic tank

Scum
layer

Bird’s eye
view

Sediment
Sediment

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden

Anaerobic pond

CH4, CO2 scum

layer

sludge

Karin Tonderski, Linköping university, Sweden

 Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR)
Off-plot system

Anaerobic baffled reactor

Pedro Kraemer, BORDA, India

Anaerobic Filter (off-plot biogas system)

Courtesy of Pedro Kraemer, BORDA, India

UASB Reactor

biogas

Air pump

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university

 Horizontal subsurface flow wetlands

o2
o2 o2 o2
Internal water level

Influent
Outlet shaft

Cross distribution trench Main filter filled with graded Cross collection trench
gravel and sand

Collection and drainage pipe

Effluent

Courtesy of Roshan Shrestha, UN-Habitat, Nepal

 Construction of horizontal flow wetlands

Karin Tonderski, Linköping university, Sweden

 Soil filters –
leachfield or mound systems

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden

 Trickling filter

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden

 Vertical flow subsurface wetland

o2
o2 o2 o2

Influent

Main filter filled with graded gravel and sand

Collection and drainage pipe

Effluent

Courtesy of Roshan Shrestha, UN-Habitat, Nepal (revised)

Biofilter and wetland for greywater treatment

Biofilter
with nozzle distribution

Wetland

Total area 100 m2

Courtesy of Thor-Axel Stenström, SMI, Sweden

 Common problems in soil filters

1. Overloading (suspended solids, high BOD,

water)
2. Uneven distribution (over surface, over clay)
3. Failure in drainage (waterlogging, roots)
4. Wrong choice of sand and gravel (texture,
1
mineral particle shape)
2
3
4

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linkoping university, Sweden

 Improved distribution using controlled clogging
Geotextile
unit Pre- treatment in
sedimentation tank

10 m

0.6 m
in sand

3 m in silt Courtesy of Peter Ridderstolpe, WRS. Sweden

 Bird´s eye view of a mulch bed system
for a single house

Registro de
Distribution
división de flujos
boxes Bath kitchen

Mulch
Cajete beds
de acolchado Wash
room

Courtesy of Kim Andersson, Colombia

 Mulch bed filter

Greywater
pipe from
household

Mulch from
A colchadode
A guas grises de cocina, garden
hojarasca, paja o Isla de tierra
lavamanos, regadera o viruta de madera Cajete
lavadero

Depth
max.
Entrance
Puntode efluente 40 cm
with stones
cubiertocon piedras

3-10 litres of greywater per m2 per day

Courtesy of Kim Andersson, Colombia
Wetland irrigation and overland flow

Karin Tonderski, Linköping university, Sweden

 Aerobic biofilters and energy

Extensive Intensive

Sorption and Rapid infiltration Biofilter reactors

irrigation systems systems
- Drain mulch basin Soil filters: - Trickling filter
- Swales & resorption - Bio-rotors
- Infiltration (open,
trenches covered submerged
- Wetland irrigation - Sandfilters
(overland flow & sub-
Artificial filter media:
surface flow, and
- Indrän, infiltra etc.
Revised from P. Ridderstolpe, WRS, Uppsala
 Removal rate of microorganisms in various
wastewater treatments (log units)
Process Bacteria Helminths Viruses Cysts
Primary sedimentation:
Plain 0-1 0-2 0-1 0-1
Chemically assisted 1-2 1-3 0-1 0-1
UASB 1-2
Activated sludge 0-2 0-2 0-1 0-1
Sub-surface flow wetland 1-2 2-6 2-3 0-2
Aerated lagoon 1-2 1-3 1-2 0-1
Slow sand filtration/infiltration 2-3 3-6 2-3 3-6
Disinfection 2-6 0-1 0-4 0-3
Waste stabilization pond 3-6 1-3 2-4 1-4

Large variations in practice due to quality of management

Sources: WHO, 2006 and Jimenez et al., 2010
 E: Treatment of sludge
Limits Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb Zn
Old 20-40 - 1,100- 16-25 300-400 750- 2,500-
1,750 1,200 4,000
New 5 150 400 5 50 250 600
New limits on organics proposed
under Option 3 from EU (2008) - All treatment processes
PAH 6 mg/kg dry matter produce sludge, be it much
or little
PCB 0.8 mg/kg dry matter
-Choice of treatment
PCDD/F 100 ng ITEQ/kg dry matter according to kind of reuse
LAS 5 g/kg dry matter - We need to de-toxify our
chemical society
NPE 450 mg/kg dry matter Source: EU, 2008
 Start from the end ! (centralised example)

Our thinking is now on global challenges as well

as on local wishes for system performance and
status
Sludge

CO2 & methane

gases
drying bed
We decide what quality we
would like the final products
to have.

r ie d s l ud g e itself
D

percolating
effluent water
Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden
 Pathogen reductions achieved by selected
health-protection measures
Control Reduction Comments
measure (log units)

Wastewater 1-4 Usually achieved reduction but depends on type and

treatment functionality of the treatment system
Drip irrigation: Root crops and crops such as lettuce that grow just
- low-growing 2 above but partially in contact with soil.
- high-growing 4 Crops such as tomatoes and fruit trees not in contact.
Pathogen die-off 0.5-2 Die-off on crop surfaces between last irrigation and
per day consumption, depends on sunshine, crop type etc.
Crop-washing: Washing salad crops, vegetables and fruit with:
- with water 1 clean water.
- disinfection 2-3 Weak disinfectant and rinsing in clean water.
Produce peeling 1-2 Fruits, cabbage, root crops.
Produce cooking 6-7 Immersion in boiling or close-to-boiling water.
Source: Bos, R., Carr, R. and Keraita, B. 2010.
 Environmental and Human health hazards
Pathogenic microorganisms Chemical compounds
Num- A few hundreds: handfull 100,000 man-made; Hundreds
bers unknown added each year new man-made added each year
Expo- In food, by skin penetration, In food, by skin penetration, on
sure insect bites, in aerosols. skin, in aerosols.
- Water bodies, soil accumulation
Dose- One up to millions; a few to Nano- to microgrammes; small
response millions needed for infection amounts that may accumulate.
Vulne- Humans but not environment. Both humans and environment.
rable Mainly children & elderly All, but particularly babies
Barriers Wash hands & veggies, no Only biodegradable, caution
finger in mouth, heat food, etc with medicines, effluents to soil
Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping university, Sweden
 Summary of strategies to improve
wastewater treatment and nutrient use in
agriculture and energy production

Principle:

• Organic ≠ other solid waste

• Stormwater ≠ sewage
• Industrial ≠ household wastewater
• Black toilet water ≠ greywater
• Faeces ≠ urine

Jan-Olof Drangert, Linköping University, Sweden