Abstract
Rural water treatment is generally more challenging than urban water treatment. This study proposed a novel rural water treatment system effectively harnessing solar energy and gravitational hydropower. Influent was initially fed to a solar-driven electrocoagulation unit, in which UV254 level was reduced (by almost 60%) and large flocs (averaging up to 66.2 μm in diameter) were formed. The effluent was then introduced to a gravity-driven ceramic membrane bioreactor (GDCMBR) at different water head differences (ΔH = 0.5 or 1.0 m). Generally, applying the greater water head difference (ΔH = 1.0 m) did not enhance removal of turbidity and organic matter, but it led to a reasonably high flux (25.9 L/m2/h). The GDCMBR enriched various useful microorganisms such as nitrifiers (Nitrospira bacteria), and denitrifiers (Diaphorobacter bacteria), enabling almost complete elimination of NH3-N and NO2–-N. Overall, the findings of this study suggest the possibility of sustainable operation during rural water treatment.
Published Version
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