SUSTAINABLE TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER FROM SOURCES WITH SEASONAL VARIATION

Abstract

Compliance with EU environmental regulations and directives regarding effluent water quality discharged is seen as the main driver for the development of wastewater treatment technologies. The Water Framework Directive, the UWWT Directive, and the Nitrates Directive require the reduction of eutrophication caused by nitrogen and phosphorus emissions. In Romania, only approx. 54% of the population is connected to centralized sewage and wastewater treatment systems, meaning that approximately 8 million inhabitants are not connected to centralized sewage and wastewater treatment systems. However, while larger municipalities are getting closer to meeting EU standards and the sustainable development goal of Sanitation for all (SDG6), smaller communities especially in rural areas are lagging behind considerably. The discrepancy is explained by the high proportion and very low density of the rural population compared to the rest of the European countries (in Romania connecting a household from the rural area costs much more due to the large distances between properties). This does not necessarily mean that the rural population has no access to sanitation services as they switched to individual wastewater management solutions such as septic tanks or open pits, meaning that there is an urgent need for adequate solutions for wastewater treatment. Moreover, for the touristic accommodation facilities in regions with seasonal variability of occupancy (e.g. seaside/Danube Delta area) built in remote location, proper wastewater treatment solutions capable of dealing with peak flows and long rest period needs to be developed. The paper emphasizes on the design of a vermifiltration system installed for the treatment of the wastewater generated by a touristic building in Romania and the adequate treatment performances achieved in terms of organic and nutrient loads