Context specific upscaling of a hybridized-submerged aerated filter (HySAF) wastewater treatment system in developing countries

Abstract

As part of Project Saraswati, an EU-Indo collaboration developed to tackle real water issues faced by modern India, the HySAF bioreactor was trialled as a candidate EU-proven technology for the treatment of wastewater. This technology was chosen for its advantage in areas of limited land availability due to its increased throughput potential. The HySAF, which is based on Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) technology, demonstrated promising results during trials treating actual municipal wastewater in Rishikesh, India. Average removal efficiencies of key parameters detrimental to water quality were reported to be between 88-92%, although the removal of phosphorus was observed to be inadequate at only 50%. Further work will now investigate potential design and operation enhancements that may reduce the high energy demand associated with this technology, improve treatment performance of all key parameters and improve resilience to environmental change such as toxic or quantitative shock loading that may otherwise lead to system failure. These objectives will be achieved through a combination of kinetic modelling, computational optimization, and rigorous testing of alternative design and operational values at bench-scale. Enhanced features are then to be translated at pilot-scale in India as a means of further validation.