Pilot Plant Operation Research Articles

Production of low-sulphur tailings by hydrocycloning

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is an environmental problem in gold mines containing sulphur minerals. The potential for acid drainage in tailings facilities must be considered when studying their dry closure. Therefore, controlling the sulphur content in the final layer of tailings deposition has the potential to prevent AMD after closure. In this context, the rougher flotation tailings were hydrocycloning in a pilot plant in a gold mining company to assess the potential for generating modified tailings with low-sulphur content. A total of 10 samples were composited over one hour of pilot plant operation. The hydrocyclone overflow showed an average reduction of 36.2% in sulphur content and an average metallurgical recovery of 20.0%. The underflow had an average increase in sulphur content of 16.8% and 80.0% metallurgical recovery. These results demonstrated the possibility of generating modified tailings with reduced sulphur content through hydrocycloning.

An Entrained Flow Biomass Gasification Technology with the Fluidized Bed Concept for Low-carbon Fuel Production

For accomplishing the vision of building of a net-emission zero society, low-carbon fuels such as e-fuel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and chemical products generation, plays a significant role. Especially, among the low carbon fuels, SAF is the most crucial. Ammonia and electric aircraft are under way as alternatives to fossil-derived jet fuel (kerosene). However, none of these have yet found their way to commercialization. Among the SAF production technology, biomass gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis technology are one of the lowest CO2 emission processes, according to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis. However, at present there are some issues about biomass grinding, tar, ash treatment, gas purification and wastewater. We, at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) R&D laboratory have developed entrained bed gasification, adopting the fluidized bed concept in which biomass particles are recirculated in the gasifier without fluidizer. Principally desired outcomes of this development was to reduce the grinding power, simplify the structure by using atmospheric pressure process, and lower tar concentration while maintain suitable temperature to prevent ash from melting inside gasifier. Empirical and actual results showed that the developed gasifier can obtain high carbon conversion ratio and low tar as compared to the traditional gasification processes for low-carbon fuel production and produce reliably stable syngas for low-carbon fuel synthesis with single gasifier. Based on the pilot plant operation results, effectiveness of moderate (1223 – 1323 K) temperature gasification with this concept has been demonstrated too. As a conclusion, development needs and expectation of gasification technology for contributing to carbon neutral society are mentioned.

Purification of Steel Mill Gases under Changing Feed Stock Conditions

AbstractThis paper focuses on the operation and results of the gas treatment pilot plant for the purification and conditioning of steel mill gases, a key element of the Carbon2Chem® Technical Center in Duisburg, Germany. Using highly sensitive analytics, it is demonstrated that steel mill gas impurities which are detrimental to downstream catalytic conversion are reduced to single‐digit ppb levels. Strategies for adapting the gas purification process to take account of the transformation of steelmaking towards direct reduction are also discussed.

Dual electron donor sites assist rapid migration of carriers for organic elimination under sunlight: From batch experiment to pilot-plant operation

The novel perovskite-type photocatalyst Y2Ba4O7 (YBaO) was designed based on the high temperature superconductor YBCO, utilizing first-principles calculations. The catalytic degradation and mineralization ability of YBaO material towards ciprofloxacin (CIP) were analyzed under visible light for the first time. The successfully prepared YBaO consists of Y2O3: BaO = 32.519: 59.901% by performing EDS and XRF analysis. The band gap of YBaO is estimated to be 2.47 eV by UV–vis, indicating the visible-light absorption ability. Based on DFT calculations, the formation energy of YBaO is −3.3 eV, indicating this crystal structure is relatively stable. Ba and Y act as electron donors at the same time, while O acts as electron acceptor, which means the dual electron donor sites exist. In addition, calculated by state density, the valence band maximum (VBM) is mostly attributed to the O-p orbital. For conductive band minimum (CBM) on spin-up part, the total DOS is the attribution of Ba, Y and O, as well as the contribution degree is Ba > Y > O in turn. Fukui index indicates the N34 and N37 (f0 = 0.0347 and 0.0494) on the piperazine ring, F atoms on benzene ring (f0 = 0.0431), C1 (f0 = 0.0345) and C2 (f0 = 0.0388) in quinolone structures are the active sites attacked by free superoxide radical due to saturated bonds and steric hindrance effects. In addition, a solar photocatalytic reaction device was developed, which effectively amplified the light flux by 80 times. The reaction rate constants under concentrated day conditions are 9.39 times and 18.86 times of those under unconcentrated day conditions, respectively, suggesting its potential to address a pressing environmental issue by offering a cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient solution for organic contaminants removal in water matrices.

Carbon footprint reduction by coupling intermittent aeration with submerged MBR: A pilot plant study

To find a possible trade-off between effluent quality, sludge production, energy consumption and GHG emissions, this study monitored the carbon and nutrient removal and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant with intermittent aeration (IA). The pilot plant was operated by alternating aerobic and anoxic conditions inside the biological reactor. Up to 98.2 % of carbon and 76.4 % of nitrogen were respectively remove through this MBR pilot plant with IA. The carbon footprint was equal to 2.4 kgCO2eq m−3. Indirect emissions contributed the most to the carbon footprint (55.3 %), mainly due to energy consumption, despite the alterations in aeration during the pilot plant operation. The result of this study provides theoretical guidance for building the wastewater treatment plant in a sustainable way.

Advancing towards electro-bioremediation scaling-up: On-site pilot plant for successful nitrate-contaminated groundwater treatment

The potential of nitrate electro-bioremediation has been fully demonstrated at the laboratory scale, although it has not yet been fully implemented due to the challenges associated with scaling-up bioelectrochemical reactors and their on-site operation. This study describes the initial start-up and subsequent stable operation of an electro-bioremediation pilot plant for the treatment of nitrate-contaminated groundwater on-site (Navata site, Spain). The pilot plant was operated under continuous flow mode for 3 months, producing an effluent suitable for drinking water in terms of nitrates and nitrites (<50 mg NO3- L-1; 0 mg NO2- L-1). A maximum nitrate removal rate of 0.9 ± 0.1 kg NO3- m-3 d-1 (efficiency 82 ± 18 %) was achieved at a cathodic hydraulic retention time (HRTcat) of 2.0 h with a competitive energy consumption of 4.3 ± 0.4 kWh kg-1 NO3-. Under these conditions, the techno-economic analysis estimated an operational cost of 0.40 € m-3. Simultaneously, microbiological analyses revealed structural heterogeneity in the reactor, with denitrification functionality concentrated predominantly from the centre to the upper section of the reactor. The most abundant groups were Pseudomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Gallionellaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae. In conclusion, this pilot plant represents a significant advancement in implementing this technology on a larger scale, validating its effectiveness in terms of nitrate removal and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, the results validate the electro-bioremediation in a real environment and encourage further investigation of its potential as a water treatment.

A comparison of life cycle assessment (LCA) of Andungsari Arabica coffee processing technologies towards lower environmental impact.

Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world, with most of the production managed by smallholders. Analyzing the current environmental impacts of coffee production processes and moving the sector towards lower impact systems, including options for industrial ecology (IE) is critical. The aim of IE for Sustainable Coffee Production (SCP) is primarily toward Zero Waste (ZW), while producing high-quality coffee products that could potentially access new environmentally-oriented markets. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied in this study to evaluate the environmental impacts of coffee production, from the farm through to various coffee products, focusing on Global Warming Potential (GWP). Data was obtained from a pilot plant operation at Andungsari Coffee Group – Bondowoso, Indonesia, for coffee production using Semi-wash (SW) and Full-wash (FW) processes, from Coffee Cherry Beans (CB) to Green Beans (GB), and Coffee Powder (CP). The novelty of this work was the assessment of the impact of SW and FW, which are not often distinguished by previous studies, and which offer possibilities for improving the grade of coffee products. Observation and experimental data were used to obtain data from production operations to identify the environmental impact and also the potential feedstocks for the production of biogas and other industrial ecology strategies for developing by-products. For both SW and FW the input of 3 tonnes of CB produced 512 kg CP. The LCA indicated that the GWP for 1 kg CP (CB to CP) from SW was 0.765 kg CO2-eq, and for FW was 0.741 kg CO2-eq. In the future, further consideration of alternative by-products will be undertaken in order to produce a more effective IE system towards SCP.

Refinement of the "Candidatus Accumulibacter" genus based on metagenomic analysis of biological nutrient removal (BNR) pilot-scale plants operated with reduced aeration.

Members of the "Candidatus Accumulibacter" genus are widely studied as key polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) in biological nutrient removal (BNR) facilities performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). This diverse lineage includes 18 "Ca. Accumulibacter" species, which have been proposed based on the phylogenetic divergence of the polyphosphate kinase 1 (ppk1) gene and genome-scale comparisons of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Phylogenetic classification based on the 16S rRNA genetic marker has been difficult to attain because most "Ca. Accumulibacter" MAGs are incomplete and often do not include the rRNA operon. Here, we investigate the "Ca. Accumulibacter" diversity in pilot-scale treatment trains performing BNR under low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions using genome-resolved metagenomics. Using long-read sequencing, we recovered medium- and high-quality MAGs for 5 of the 18 "Ca. Accumulibacter" species, all with rRNA operons assembled, which allowed a reassessment of the 16S rRNA-based phylogeny of this genus and an analysis of phylogeny based on the 23S rRNA gene. In addition, we recovered a cluster of MAGs that based on 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, ppk1, and genome-scale phylogenetic analyses do not belong to any of the currently recognized "Ca. Accumulibacter" species for which we propose the new species designation "Ca. Accumulibacter jenkinsii" sp. nov. Relative abundance evaluations of the genus across all pilot plant operations revealed that regardless of the operational mode, "Ca. A. necessarius" and "Ca. A. propinquus" accounted for more than 40% of the "Ca. Accumulibacter" community, whereas the newly proposed "Ca. A. jenkinsii" accounted for about 5% of the "Ca. Accumulibacter" community.IMPORTANCEOne of the main drivers of energy use and operational costs in activated sludge processes is the amount of oxygen provided to enable biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal. Wastewater treatment facilities are increasingly considering reduced aeration to decrease energy consumption, and whereas successful BNR has been demonstrated in systems with minimal aeration, an adequate understanding of the microbial communities that facilitate nutrient removal under these conditions is still lacking. In this study, we used genome-resolved metagenomics to evaluate the diversity of the "Candidatus Accumulibacter" genus in pilot-scale plants operating with minimal aeration. We identified the "Ca. Accumulibacter" species enriched under these conditions, including one novel species for which we propose "Ca. Accumulibacter jenkinsii" sp. nov. as its designation. Furthermore, the MAGs obtained for five additional "Ca. Accumulibacter" species further refine the phylogeny of the "Ca. Accumulibacter" genus and provide new insight into its diversity within unconventional biological nutrient removal systems.

Wet anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste: experience with long-term pilot plant operation and industrial scale-up

This paper presents the analysis of a pilot anaerobic digestion plant that operates with organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) from a wholesale market and can treat up to 500 kg d−1. The process was monitored for a period of 524 days during which the residue was characterized and the biogas production and methane content were recorded. The organic load rate (OLR) of volatile solids (VS) was 0.89 kg m−3 d−1 and the Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) was 25 d during the process. The yield was 82 Nm3 tons OFMSW−1 biogas, equivalent to 586 Nm3 tons CH4 VS−1. The results obtained in the pilot plant were used to carry out a technical–economic evaluation of a plant that treats 50 tons of OFMSW from wholesale markets. A production of 3769 Nm3 d−1 of biogas and 2080 Nm3 d−1 of methane is estimated, generating 35.1 MWh d−1 when converted to electricity.

Pilot-scale study of sorption-enhanced gasification of sewage sludge

Sustainable management and disposal alternatives for sewage sludge (SS) should be pursued due to the substantial increment in its global production, as well as due to the raising interest in the renewable energy and synthetic fuels deployment. Since SS present high moisture (>95 % wt.), drying would play an essential role in SS management. In this work, SS pre-treated in a solar-drying facility has been successfully used as feedstock in a 30 kWth bubbling fluidised-bed (BFB) gasification pilot plant operating under Sorption Enhanced Gasification (SEG) conditions, i.e. using CaO as bed material and steam as gasifying agent. The influence of key operating SEG parameters (such as temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio and sorbent-to biomass proportion) in the syngas yield and composition (H2, CO, CO2, CH4, CxHy, H2S, COS, NH3 and tars) has been carefully assessed. As a matter of comparison, steam-oxygen gasification conditions have been also tested in the facility using solar-dried SS as feedstock. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of producing a syngas with high H2 contents of 70–73 vol% and relatively low CO and CO2 contents (i.e. 2–3 vol% and 8 vol% respectively).

On the comparative analysis of approaches to the definition and classification of pilot testing infrastructure at the state level

Aim. To compare the current research approaches to the functioning and development of pilot testing infrastructure in the contour of innovation and technological activity in Russia and abroad.Objectives. To identify the role and functions of experimental-industrial testing in the system of research, development and technological works (R&amp;D) of the country; to identify and compare international approaches to the classification of the infrastructure of experimental-industrial testing; to analyze the current domestic legislative and regulatory framework regulating the activities in the field of experimental-industrial testing.Methods. The research applied general scientific methods (system approach, decomposition, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction), private methods (structural-logical and subjectobject), methods of graphical structuring and data interpretation.Results. The authors described the evolution of approaches to the definition of the term “pilot testing” on the example of studies of domestic and foreign scientists, substantiated the need to distinguish the terms “pilot testing” and “pilot infrastructure”, highlighted and schematically characterized their relationship. The comparison of international and domestic scientific and regulatory approaches has revealed diversity both in the terminology used and their interpretation, and in the types of classification of this type of activity. The article presents three most common approaches to the definition and classification of the material and technical base of pilot tests.Conclusions. Pilot testing is an important stage in the process of implementation and scaling of technological innovations, which allows successful technology transfer from laboratory to industrial environment. Despite the positive experience of the Soviet Union in the aspect of design, construction and operation of pilot plants, the modern innovation and technology policy of the country does not prioritize the development of this area, and the activity has low dynamics of development. Insufficient attention to the improvement of measures and tools to support the development of pilot testing infrastructure may become a constraint for solving the state tasks of import substitution and import substitution. Despite the unambiguous general conclusion of all studies about the exceptional importance of the stage of pilot testing for the process of implementation and scaling of technological innovations in general, in many countries of the world there are limitations for the full development of this area of activity. This determines the relevance of continuing research work, including in the context of analyzing the barriers, public and private initiatives for the development of pilot industrial infrastructure.

Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Microalgae and Primary Sludge Co-Digestion at Pilot Scale: Instrumentation, Control and Automation Implementation, and Performance Assessment

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology is gaining interest for circular economy integration in the water sector. However, its complexity, arising from the integration of anaerobic processes with membrane technology, poses a key challenge. Developing an appropriate instrumentation, control, and automation (ICA) system is essential for its reliable long-term operation. In this study, an ICA system was developed to successfully manage an AnMBR pilot plant co-digesting two waste streams (microalgae and primary sludge). The ICA implementation enabled its stable long-term operation for 576 days, ensuring the proper performance of biological and filtration processes and yielding 215 NmLCH4·gCODinf−1 at 35 °C. Variables such as temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, permeate flux and biogas flow were identified as key parameters and controlled. This included a 23% reduction in the integral of absolute error compared to a PID controller for permeate flow and the maintenance of a 0.5% standard deviation for digester temperature. These controls enabled AnMBR performance optimization, the rapid detection of process issues, and early corrective actions. As a start-up strategy to ensure proper filtration performance in the long term, critical flux tests were conducted, guaranteeing a competitive total annualized equivalent cost of 0.0016 EUR/m3 for optimal conditions. The study also calculated greenhouse gas emissions in different scenarios, proposing optimal and more sustainable pilot plant operations, mesophilic conditions, biogas upgrading through microalgae cultivation, and grid injection, reducing emissions by 423 kgCO2e·tCOD−1. To ensure the viability of emerging technologies such as AnMBR, proper start-up protocols are crucial, including favorable filtration and biological process operating conditions, ICA implementation, and key parameter control for technical, economic and environmental success.

Experimentation and configuring continuous ultrasound assisted extraction pilot plant operation

Experimentation and configuring continuous ultrasound assisted extraction pilot plant operation

Biogas Production from Residues of Industrial Insect Protein Production from Black Soldier Fly Larvae Hermetia illucens (L.): An Evaluation of Different Insect Frass Samples

Insect biomass shows promise as an alternative animal feedstuff with a low climate effect. Industrial insect rearing generates residual materials, such as feed remains and insect excrements, so-called insect frass, which exhibits a high organic content. Commonly, these residues are utilized as soil amendment. Information on the suitability of these residues for biogas production is rather scarce. The energetic utilization of insect frass as feedstock for anaerobic digestion (AD) would allow for the simultaneous residue material reduction and bioenergy production. Additionally, synergies in heat management could arise using the exhaust heat of the biogas plant in the insect farming process. In laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion trials, the specific methane yield (SMY) of six different insect frass samples from black soldier fly (Hermetia) rearing were tested in batch biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. Further, semi continuous anaerobic digestion trials on a lab scale using continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) were carried out with Hermetia insect frass from a pilot plant operation in order to determine the digestibility and process stability of the AD process. The BMP results showed SMY values of the different insect frass samples ranging from 201 ± 9 to 287 ± 37 mL/gVS that are similar to those of other animal excrements, such as cow or pig manure already been used as feedstock in agricultural biogas plants. Results of the semi-continuous digestion of insect frass from the pilot plant operation showed a SMY value of 167 ± 15 mL/gVS, suggesting no process-inhibiting effect caused by the feed material. Although, the high nitrogen content must be taken into account for stable AD performance.

Vanadium extraction from V-bearing shale using oxidation roasting and acid leaching

Vanadium is an important rare metal element that is extensively used in various fields. Direct acid leaching with fluoride additives and salt roasting-acid leaching are common processes in vanadium production, but they have the disadvantage of high cost and serious pollution to vanadium-bearing shale ore. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient and environmentally friendly process for the development of vanadium-bearing shale resources. In this study, a combination of oxidation roasting (without salt) and acid leaching was used to extract vanadium from V-bearing shale. Pilot scale testwork established the appropriate conditions as a roasting temperature of 870–900 °C, an air atmosphere (O2 concentration of 21 %), a feed rate of 15 kg/h, and a gas flow rate of 34 Nm3/h. The roasted product was leached at an acid dosage of 100 kg of sulfuric acid per ton of roasted product, a temperature of 65 °C, leach time of 4 h, and a liquid/solid ratio of 1.5:1. The pilot plant operation achieved > 85 % vanadium extraction and a vanadium content of < 0.20 % for the leach residue. The phase transformation and microstructure evolution were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and surface area and pore size analyses. The results showed that V(III) transformed into V(IV) and V(V) during oxidation roasting, which were easily dissolved by acid leaching. In addition, the pore properties of the roasted products had significant effects on the subsequent leach process. This novel process of oxidation roasting and acid leaching provides an option for vanadium extraction from V-bearing shale.

Dynamic simulation of a compact sorption-enhanced water-gas shift reactor

This work presents the dynamic simulation of a novel sorption-enhanced water-gas shift reactor used for synthesis gas production from pure CO in an e-fuels synthesis process. Due to the intended decentralized plant installation associated with fluctuating feed, process intensification and a compact reactor system is required. An optimized operating procedure was obtained by simulation-driven process design to maximize the sorbent loading and operate the process as efficient as possible. The process simulation is based on a simplified heterogeneous packed bed reactor model. The model accounts for simultaneous water-gas shift (WGS) reaction on a Cu-based catalyst and CO2 adsorption on a K-impregnated hydrotalcite-derived mixed oxide as well as subsequent desorption. An empirical rate expression was chosen to describe the water-gas shift reaction according to experimental data at 250°C. Breakthrough experiments were performed and used to adapt kinetic adsorption (pressure: 8 bar) and desorption (pressure: 1 bar) parameters. The experimental CO2 sorption equilibrium isotherm was fitted with the Freundlich model. The reactor model was extended to a complex hybrid system scale model for the pilot plant reactor consisting of six individually accessible reaction chambers. Cyclic operation with automatized switching time adjustment was accomplished by a finite state machine. A case study exploited the benefits of a serial process configuration of reaction chambers. It could be shown that the sorbent loading can be remarkably increased through optimized operating strategies depending on the process conditions. Hence, the development of the hybrid model marks a crucial step towards the planned pilot plant operation and control.

Model-based identification and testing of appropriate strategies to minimize N2O emissions from biofilm deammonification.

Based on a one-year pilot plant operation of a two-step biofilm nitritation-anammox pilot plant, N2O mitigation strategies were identified by applying a newly developed biofilm modeling approach. Due to adapted plant operation, the N2O emission could be diminished by 75% (8.8% → 2.3% of NH4-Noxidized_AOB). The results (measurement and simulation) confirm the huge importance of denitrification as an N2O source or N2O sink, depending on the boundary conditions. A significant reduction of N2O emissions could only be achieved with a one-step deammonification system, which is related to low nitrite and HNO2 concentrations. Increased oxygen concentrations in the bulk phase are not related to decreased emissions. N2O formation by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) just shifts deeper into the biofilm; zones with low oxygen concentrations are not avoidable in biofilm systems. Low oxygen concentrations in the bulk phase, however, result in a reduction of the total net N2O formation due to increased activity of heterotrophic bacteria directly at the source of N2O formation (outer biofilm layer). For the model-based identification of mitigation strategies, the standard modeling approaches for biofilms were expanded by including the factor-based N2O formation and emission approach. The new model 'Biofilm/N2OISAH' was successfully validated using data from pilot-scale measurement campaigns. Altogether, the investigation confirms that the employed digital model can strongly support the development of N2O mitigation strategies without the need for specialized measurement inside the biofilm.

Design and operation of a fixed-bed pyrolysis-gasification-combustion pilot plant for rural solid waste disposal

This paper is to explore the use of rural solid waste (RSW) for pyrolysis-gasification-combustion in pilot plant scale aiming at sustainable management of rural waste in remote areas. Based on the experimental data obtained during pilot scale operation, the temperature in the furnace needs to be kept at least at 600 °C through analyzing the pyrolysis weight loss of the main combustibles in the RSW. Besides, the effects of the air supply method and ventilation rate on the pilot plant performance were explored. Results indicate that the active air supply method positively contributes to the performance of the pilot plant. The plant processed 10 t RSW/d, producing 12.82 g/Nm3 of tar with 1.75 % of ash. This study confirms the feasibility of the pilot plant for RSW disposal and provides theoretical support for the optimization of pilot plant operation.

Onboard CO2 Capture Process Design using Rigorous Rate-based Model

The IMO has decided to proceed with the early introduction of EEDI Phase 3, a CO2 emission regulation to prevent global warming. Measures to reduce CO2 emissions for ships that can be applied immediately are required to achieve CO2 reduction. We set six different CO2 emission scenarios according to the type of ship and fuel, and designed a monoethanolamine-based CO2 capture process for ships using a rate-based model of Aspen Plus v10. The simulation model using Aspen Plus was validated using pilot plant operation data. A ship inevitably tilts during operation, and the performance of a tilted column decreases as its height increases. When configuring the conventional CO2 capture process, we considered that the required column heights were so high that performance degradation was unavoidable when the process was implemented on a ship. We applied a parallel column concept to lower the column height and to enable easy installation and operation on a ship. Simulations of the parallel column confirmed that the required column height was lowered to less than 3 TEU (7.8 m).

From Domestic Sewage to Potable Water Quality: New Approach in Organic Matter Removal Using Natural Treatment Systems for Wastewater

Natural treatment systems for wastewater (NTSW) allow us to not only reduce environmental pollution with sewage, but also to facilitate the reuse of water. This study presents almost 2.5 years of operation of a NTSW pilot plant, where the purpose of which was to purify domestic sewage from the building of the Institute of Applied Ecology (with three permanent residents and up to five employees) to the quality of drinking water. The NTSW consists of a septic tank, compost beds, and denitrification, phosphorus, and active carbon beds. With an active area of 3 m2 per person and a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 6 days (excluding the HRT of the tank of 8 days), the NTSW allowed for a mean reduction of 99%, 95%, and 98% for the biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSSs), respectively. The renewed water was characterized by average concentrations of 2.2 mg O2/dm3, 17.8 mg O2/dm3, 2.1 mg/dm3, 4.9 mg O2/dm3, and 0.6 nephelometric turbidity units for BOD, COD, TSS, oxidation, and turbidity, respectively. Thus, it met Polish and European drinking water requirements in terms of oxidation and turbidity. This water can be reused for toilet flushing and irrigation.