Intensifying wastewater treatment via an acidic activated-sludge process

Project Description: This project aims to increase the capacity of existing wastewater treatment systems via a novel acidic activated-sludge process. Urban population will increase by 2.5 billion in the next 3 decades which will add 50–80% to wastewater production, forecasting a capacity crisis in wastewater management. The current solutions involve either major infrastructures upgrading or physical space expansion, requiring intensive capital/space investments. This project seeks a space/cost-effective solution via a novel acidic activated-sludge process which requires only marginal retrofits. This novel process is expected to exhibit a better sludge settleability and a lower sludge yield. These two improvements will lead to > 50% increase of existing wastewater treatment capacity, thereby bringing direct economic benefits (by deferring plants upgrading) and strengthening the resilience of wastewater infrastructures in response to population growth.

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