Abstract
Pressures on water resources, which have increased significantly nowadays mainly due to rapid urbanization, population growth and climate change impacts, necessitate the development of innovative wastewater treatment and reuse technologies. In this context, a mid-scale decentralized technology concerning wastewater reuse is that of sewer mining. It is based on extracting wastewater from a wastewater system, treating it on-site and producing recycled water applicable for non-potable uses. Despite the technology’s considerable benefits, several challenges hinder its implementation. Sewer mining disturbs biochemical processes inside sewers and affects hydrogen sulfide build-up, resulting in odor, corrosion and health-related problems. In this study, a tool for optimal sewer mining unit placement aiming to minimize hydrogen sulfide production is presented. The Monte-Carlo method coupled with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is used to conduct multiple simulations of the network. The network’s response when sewage is extracted from it is also examined. Additionally, the study deals with optimal pumping scheduling. The overall methodology is applied in a sewer network in Greece providing useful results. It can therefore assist in selecting appropriate locations for sewer mining implementation, with the focus on eliminating hydrogen sulfide-associated problems while simultaneously ensuring that higher water needs are satisfied.
Highlights
Water scarcity problems have intensified considerably over the last decades
Optimal areas for sewer mining recycled (SM) unit placement are depicted in a Pareto front obtained through the optimization (Figure 7)
The results presented in these figures regard steady-rate pumping for a twenty-four-hour four-hour period in the case of two different pumping approaches and are compared to the period in the case of two different pumping approaches and are compared to the corresponding results corresponding results when no pumping takes place—in other words, when sewer mining is not when no pumping takes place—in other words, when sewer mining is not applied in the network
Summary
Water scarcity problems have intensified considerably over the last decades. Rapid urbanization and population increase [1,2], water pollution and poor water management [3], as well as supply-side impacts of climatic changes [4,5], are the main causes of this problem. As existing technologies are often proven inadequate, a need for developing innovative water and wastewater collection, treatment and disposal practices emerges. In this direction, water reuse and reclamation approaches are constantly gaining ground. Reclaimed water is applicable for agricultural, urban and industrial uses and can supplement existing water resources. Water reclamation helps alleviate the pressures on water resources and preserves environmental water quality. It reduces the costs associated with the development of new infrastructure and water transfer and treatment systems, as well as serves the need for a more sustainable use of water [6,7]
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