Sewage Water Treatment Plants Research Articles

SEWAGE WATER TREATMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CLEANLINESS OF WATER: A REVIEW FROM ISLAMIC AND SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE

Due to the water combining with feces, sewage water found in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is classified as mutanajjis. However, the wastewater cleaned with current technology in STP has created concerns, particularly among Muslims, over whether it can be classified as muṭlaq water or not. The purpose of this study is to compare the cleaning mechanism from an Islamic perspective with the sewage water treatment technique in Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Malaysia. Next, to examine the treated sewage water and its impact on the law of ṭahārah in Islam. This study uses a qualitative approach using data collection techniques by document analysis, observations at the Regional Sewage Water Treatment Plant (RSTP) KL-Titiwangsa 2 owned by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Malaysia, interviews with Shariah and water experts, and laboratory analysis. The results of the study revealed that the wastewater treatment technology at RSTP Serantau KL-Titiwangsa 2 can change the status of water from mutanajjis to muṭlaq because it meets all the criteria for muṭlaq water set by the fuqaha. Through the results of laboratory analysis, the treated sewage water is categorized in the same category as muṭlaq water. Therefore, the water can be used for ṭahārah purposes. It also sheds light on the aspects of environmental sustainability from an Islamic perspective.

Efficient Nimesulide degradation via chlorination and sun-simulated radiation: Kinetic insights, reactive species formation, and application to real wastewater

Hypochlorite mediated oxidation had been established as an efficient process for degrading organic pollutants in water. In this research work, it was evaluated the synergistic potential of solar light irradiation combined with hypochlorite on a emerging contaminant model such as Nimesulide (NIM), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These experiments shown that at pH 3.0, where only hypochlorous acid (HOCl) prevails, the degradation constant of NIM exhibited an increase from 2.50 × 10−4 s−1 (under dark conditions) to 1.53 × 10−3 s−1 (sun-simulated radiation), signifying an approximately six-fold acceleration in degradation. Moreover, under approximately neutral pH value (7.5) wherein both HOCl and hypochlorite ion (ClO−) coexist, the enhancement observed was approximately twofold, in particular a mineralization up to 32 % was observed. This investigation also included quenching experiments conducted at varying pH levels, shedding light on the role of specific reactive species and their contributions to the degradation mechanism. The impact of synergistic effect between solar-simulated irradiation and hypochlorite systems on NIM degradation showcases a remarkable kinetic enhancement, particularly evident at lower pH values. The degradation byproducts have been identified via high resolution HPLC-MS and the main ion formed during the reaction have been monitored by IC-MS. Experiments in real sewage treatment plant waters using sun radiation revealed the promising potential and efficiency of this alternative method, despite a comparatively lower degradation rates when compared with UV lamp application. This approach offers a sustainable and economically advantageous solution for wastewater treatment.

Influence of the TiO2 crystalline phase on the performance of UVA/brookite/persulfate and UVA/anatase/persulfate systems for the degradation of isothiazolinones in aqueous matrices

The activation of persulfate (PS) under UVA irradiation by two TiO2 polymorphs (brookite and anatase) and titanate photocatalysts was evaluated for the simultaneous removal of the biocides methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), in ultrapure water and real sewage treatment plant water (SW). Titania and titanate samples were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and UV-Vis DR. The reactions were performed in individual (brookite, anatase, titanate and PS) and hybrid (titania/PS and titanate/PS) systems and compared to those with TiO2-P25 as reference. In ultrapure water, the combined brookite/PS system showed a higher performance for MIT and CMIT abatement and a stronger synergistic effect between titania and PS than found in anatase/PS and titanate/PS systems, indicating the higher effectiveness of the brookite phase for PS activation under UVA. The use of SW water revealed the strong inhibitory effect of matrix constituents in the individual brookite, anatase and PS systems, which exhibited a low performance. However, the kinetics of MIT/CMIT in SW were greatly enhanced in the hybrid TiO2/PS systems, especially with brookite, leading to an efficient degradation of both pollutants and the decrease of total organic carbon (TOC). The addition of chemical scavengers showed a similar reactivity of HO• towards both isothiazolinones whereas a preferential attack of SO4•− to MIT was observed, demonstrating the selective nature of SO4•−.

Exploring the Potential of Green Microalgae-Based Phycoremediation Treated Wastewater for Sustainable Concrete Production

Wastewater pollution from domestic, industrial, and agricultural sources threatens the environment and human health. Traditional wastewater treatment methods are energy intensive, generate significant sludge, and may not remove all contaminants. This study explores the use of microalgae, Chlorella sorokinianana, to treat wastewater and evaluates its impact on concrete properties. The research aims to optimize microalgae growth conditions, set up nutrient-rich growth chambers, develop biomass separation methods, and assess the effects of microalgae-treated wastewater on concrete. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze concrete structures produced with microalgae-treated wastewater, freshwater, and sewage treatment plant (STP) water. Concrete from microalgae-treated wastewater exhibited euhedral crystals with pronounced gaps, while freshwater concrete had denser subhedral to anhedral crystals. STP water concrete consistently had lower strength values, possibly due to impurities affecting cement hydration. Microalgae-treated water concrete showed intermediate strength levels, suggesting organic or biological factors may influence hydration, but it still gained strength with time. This study underscores the potential of microalgae-treated wastewater for sustainable concrete production, highlighting the importance of further research to optimize conditions and promote environmentally friendly construction practices.

Unravelling the activation mechanism of oxidants using copper ferrite nanopowder and its application in the treatment of real waters contaminated by phenolic compounds

Copper ferrites (CuFe2O4) nanopowder was prepared via hydrothermal method followed by annealing at 500 °C, and XRD, SEM, XPS and UPS were employed for its characterization. CuFe2O4 was tested for the catalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in the dark and under UVA light, both in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) or peroxydisulfate (PDS) as radical precursor under natural pH of 6.2. While the individual photo-induced processes i.e., photocatalysis (using CuFe2O4 alone) and photolysis of either PMS or PDS, exhibited limited efficiencies in BPA degradation, a significant increase of performance was observed by combining CuFe2O4 and UVA light with either PMS or PDS with a synergy effect of 3.8 and 34.1, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, employing 0.5 g/L of nanopowder, the degradation constant of 25 µM BPA was 0.211 min−1 with 2 mM of PMS and 0.018 min−1 with 2 mM of PDS, and resulted in the complete degradation of BPA within less than 20 min. The activation mechanism of PMS and PDS using CuFe2O4 was elucidated, revealing sulfate radicals as the primary reactive species in PMS-containing systems, whereas a predominantly non-radical pathway was observed in the presence of PDS. Indeed, advanced spectroscopic techniques indicated that surface copper played an important role in the non-radical pathway. Furthermore, the CuFe2O4/PMS/UVA system exhibited high performance in the degradation of different phenolic compounds including BPA, phenol and p-nitrophenol in real water matrices. These achievements were observed across different real water matrices with a particular emphasis on sewage treatment plant water.

Carbon Neutral Fuels and Chemicals from Standalone Biomass Refineries

The urgency to eliminate man-made greenhouse gas emissions and achieve energy security/independence by all countries justifies an energy policy that considers the major role of renewable biomass as a source of organic feedstock for producing adequate organic chemicals and biofuels on a sustainable basis and economically. This paper investigates a three-stage thermochemical process to convert wet biomass into a tailored mix of syngas for producing green methanol, hydrogen, and Fischer-Tropsch products. The three-stage thermochemical process involves the torrefaction of wet biomass using hot carbon monoxide gas, pyrolysis of torrefied biomass to produce biochar, and final gasification of the pyrolysis gases by auto thermal reforming up to 1400o C temperature. The proposed process is suitable to utilize a wide variety of biomass materials such as freshly harvested biomass without field drying, agro waste, forest/plantation litter, organic municipal solid wastes, sludge from sewage water treatment plants, solid biomass rejects from anaerobic digesters, bagasse from sugar or first-generation ethanol plants, organic solid rejects from second-generation ethanol plants, waste glycerides from biodiesel plants, industrial organic waste, etc. The proposed process offers valorization of biomass so that the net income of farmers is enhanced a fewfold by selling freshly harvested biomass. The economic analysis found that carbon-neutral hydrogen, methanol, etc can be produced below the prevailing costs of such products derived from fossil crude oil or natural gas without considering carbon credits. It is feasible in a standalone biomass refinery to use any biomass as only one bulk raw material/feedstock without any harmful emissions to water bodies or the atmosphere except carbon neutral carbon dioxide gas if not sequestrated.

Potential for district heating networks from waste heat: an assessment tool and its application to sewage treatment plants in the Canton of Zurich

Industrial waste heat is a valuable heat source to provide a decarbonized supply to district heating networks. In particular, sewage water treatment plants are a widely-available source of waste water, which can be used as part of low-temperature district heating networks.In this paper, we present an assessment framework to estimate the potential from existing heat sources to supply a new district network, in terms of heat supplied consumers (number, location and heat coverage) and plausible network layout.The case-study application is an evaluation of the waste-water potential in the canton of Zurich. Considering 61 waste-water treatment plants for a total unexploited potential of 607 GWh, we show that 13,077 buildings could be connected to a district heating network originating from such plants. This value represents about 6% of the building stock in the canton of Zurich and 6% of the current estimated heating demand. By considering decentralized water-water heat pumps for each building connected to the network, we find that a 14% electricity saving could be obtained compared to standalone air-water heat pumps.By clustering substations according to the potential net revenue for the network operator and automating the tracing of the shortest-path network layout, we estimate the pipework length and the related investment costs.

Structural Health Monitoring of Large-Scale Geomembrane Floating Covers Using Solar Energy

High-density polyphenylene geomembranes are utilized as large-scale floating covers in anaerobic water treatment plants for the purpose of collecting renewable biogas energy and preventing the emission of odorous by-products. During degradation, the accumulation of scum, the presence of biogas pockets and sewage can negatively impact the structural integrity of the covers and hinder degradation efficiency. Traditional methods are insufficient in identifying the substances under the covers. In this study, a thermography technique was developed and tested in lab-scale experiments using ambient weather information to inspect the geomembranes. The technique was then applied to a remote monitoring investigation of large-scale floating covers located at a sewage treatment plant. Long-term monitoring of two regions on the covers was conducted using a thermal camera, with ambient weather information recorded to help analyze temperature changes. The acquired thermal image sequences were analyzed, resulting in the creation of a segmented cover map indicating the profiles of substances. The results of the on-site thermal imaging field trials verify the effectiveness of the developed remote sensing thermography technique, which has the potential to assist in future asset maintenance, remove scum efficiently and enhance anaerobic degradation efficiency at sewage water treatment plants.

Improved production and quality of peppers irrigated with regenerated water by the application of 24-epibrassinolide

Water shortage for crop irrigation is reducing agricultural production worldwide and the use of sewage treatment plant (STP) water to irrigate horticultural fields is a solution to avoid the use of drinkable water in agriculture. In this study, two different genotypes of pepper (Red Cherry Small and Italian green) were irrigated with STP water, as an alternative to potable water. Moreover, the foliar application of a molecule with biostimulant properties (24-epibrassinolide; EBR) was tested as a strategy to ameliorate the production and quality of fruits. Both genotypes differed on their tolerance to the suffered oxidative stress due to their different salinity tolerance, but fruit commercial weight was reduced by 49% on the salt sensitive and by 37% on the salt tolerant. Moreover, ascorbic acid was also decreased by 37% after STP water irrigation in the Red Cherry Small peppers. However, EBR applications alleviated STP watering stress effects improving pepper plants fruit production and quality parameters, such as ascorbic acid and capsaicinoids. These results have important economic and environmental relevance to overcome present and future water deficiencies in the agricultural sector derived from climate change, guaranteeing the maintenance of production in peppers irrigated with STP water for a more sustainable agriculture following relevant circular economy actions.

Theoretical and simulation analysis of the measurement of polarized fluid flow in a circular pipe with electric field excitation

Measurement of conductive fluid flow velocity is essential in applications such as measuring the velocity of water flow in the agriculture sector, sewage water treatment plants, and metal refining industries. This paper proposes a contactless flow measurement device for computing the flow velocity of conductive fluids based on movement of polarized fluid flow. The proposed simulation model of the flow meter can also determine the conductivity of the fluid for varying flow velocity. The obtained simulated results concur with the earlier theoretical studies. Based on the interpretations in the underlying assumptions and physics of a fluid flow under a source of an electric field, it reveals that it is possible to measure a flow velocity of 0.01–10 m s−1 for conductive fluids of 0.1–10 S m−1.

Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria Carriage in Rodents According to Habitat Anthropization.

It is increasingly suggested that the dynamics of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the wild are mostly anthropogenically driven, but the spatial and temporal scales at which these phenomena occur in landscapes are only partially understood. Here, we explore this topic by studying antimicrobial resistance in the commensal bacteria from micromammals sampled at 12 sites from a large heterogenous landscape (the Carmargue area, Rhone Delta) along a gradient of anthropization: natural reserves, rural areas, towns, and sewage-water treatment plants. There was a positive relationship between the frequency of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and the level of habitat anthropization. Although low, antimicrobial resistance was also present in natural reserves, even in the oldest one, founded in 1954. This study is one of the first to support the idea that rodents in human-altered habitats are important components of the environmental pool of resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials and also that a "One Health" approach is required to assess issues related to antimicrobial resistance dynamics in anthropized landscapes.

Odour impact assessment using kinetics and optimization: case studies on removal of multiple volatile organo-sulphur compounds from sewage wastewater using porous functional materials.

Expanding industries and booming population have led to the increase in the installation of wastewater and sewer systems, even in close proximity to residential areas. Emissions from these installations particularly volatile organo-sulphur compounds (VOSCs) such as methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), ethyl mercaptan (C2H5SH), dimethyl sulphide (CH3SCH3) and carbon disulphide (CS2) are a nuisance to people even when present in small concentration. Strategies for removal involve addition of chemicals or other chemical processes which are generally expensive. Biofilters, on the other hand, consume large amount of energy and wash waters. Hence keeping commercialization in mind, it is important to develop a strategy which would be cost-effective and at the same time be effective to remove most of the odorous compounds present in these systems. In the present research work, granular activated carbons (GAC) are functionalized with alkali solution to improve the adsorption capacity. Liquid phase batch adsorption is performed with GAC and various functionalized activated carbons (FACs) with the help of raw sewage water from a local sewage water treatment plant. Concentration of odour was evaluated by two methods-olfactometry-based analysis for sensory measurement and GCMS-based analysis for analytical estimation of a specific odorous compound. The adsorption capacities of the functionalized GACs are higher primarily because of complex formation at the surface of modified GACs. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model agreed well with experimental results with the rate constant being 0.0191mg/l min and 0.0153mg/l min for methyl and ethyl mercaptan adsorption onto FAC-NH3. Boyd's film diffusion along with rate kinetic model supported that chemical adsorption forms the rate-limiting step. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the removal of VOSCs with respect to different process parameters like adsorbent amount and time. The olfactometry removal of overall odour was also optimized taking 6 factors in the Box Behnken design. Variance of analysis results indicated that all the models displayed considerable goodness of fit with R2 values close to 1. Methyl mercaptan turned out to be the highest contributor to the overall odour as confirmed both from experimental and optimization study. The optimized olfactometry odour removal (77.4%) along with CH3SH removal (80.34%), C2H5SH removal (59.16%), CH3SCH3 removal (63.21%) and CS2 removal (71.95%) was found at optimum process conditions, with amount of adsorbent of 10.29g, adsorption time of 2.92h. This result indicates that methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) is the highest odour contributing component out of the studied VOSCs. The results show promising potential for the use of activated carbon as an adsorbent for removal of odorous compounds from STPs.

Nitrogen removal characteristics of wet–dry alternative constructed wetlands

Abstract Dry–wet alternate constructed wetland is an effective method to remove nitrogen elements in the tail water of sewage treatment plant. According to the reaeration mechanism of wet–dry alternative constructed wetland, the denitrification effect and influence characteristics of the dry–wet alternate constructed wetland on the tail water of sewage treatment plant were studied under low temperature. The results showed that the removal rates of each nitrogen element in the constructed wetland reached 20–40% with the dry–wet alternate time at 10°C. Under the influence of dry–wet alternation of constructed wetland, dissolved oxygen (DO) was significantly correlated with the dry–wet alternation time (p < 0.05), and DO was correlated with each nitrogen element removal rate (p < 0.05), which means constructed wetlands use alternate dry and wet operation, which can significantly affect the content of DO and nitrogen removal efficiency in constructed wetlands, providing a technical basis for regulating the operation effect of constructed wetland ecosystems.

Photoinduced degradation of three azole compounds from 3rd EU watchlist monitored by high-resolution higher-order mass spectrometry – Part I: A mechanistic study

• Nine new degradation and transformation products of azoles were identified. • HR-MS and HR-MS/MS revealed structures from hydroxyl radical and photo-absorption induced reactions. • Direct and indirect mechanism of degradation could be discerned. Pesticides are found in water bodies worldwide. Among them, there are azoles which are used as fungizides. Hence, tebuconazole, imazalil and penconazole have been included into the 3 rd EU watchlist to survey their presence in water bodies. Pesticides mostly enter the aquatic environment through leaching from agriculture, fruit washing or via conventional sewage water treatment plants, which are often not able to completely eliminate these pesticides. Advanced purification processes have become intensely researched. The advanced oxidation process, UVC and UVA irradiation and addition of the radical scavenger tert -butanol, was investigated using high-resolution higher-order mass spectrometry to gain kinetic and mechanistic insight. Structure elucidation of degradation and transformation products revealed fragments and also multiple hydroxylated intermediates depending on the UV source and the presence of radical scavenger. Hydroxyl radical-induced indirect degradation was found to dominate a direct photoreaction pathway induced by photo-absorption by the initial substance. The indirect mechanism did not occur during UVA irradiation due to the lack of hydroxyl radicals. The radical scavenger decelerated or prevented degradation. In total, nine new degradation and transformation products were identified. Mass spectrometry revealed product structures of the pesticides substituted with one or more hydroxyl radical groups, cyclization and substitution of chlorine by a hydroxyl radical.

Investigation of the Effectiveness of Aquatic Plants in Filtering Contaminated Water

Population increase and rapid urbanization are two major factors for the scarcity of clean water in 21st century societies across the world. Modern sewage water treatment plants and filtration systems require a lot of economic and land resources which many “lesser developed countries” do not have. As a result, large amounts of raw sewage water are released into the environment, and millions of people do not have access to clean water. To fulfill such water demand, the use of aquatic plants, also known as macrophytes, have been used in a constructed wetland which allows for the filtration of contaminated water using natural processes involving wetland vegetation, soils, and their associated microbial assemblages. In the present study, Typha (cattail) and Pontederia crassipes (water hyacinth) have been tested in a simulated constructed wetland to study their effect on pollutants removal efficiency (nitrates, ammonium, pH, and Dissolved oxygen). Results show that both the Typha and Pontederia crassipes were effective in filtering out the aforementioned contaminants and improving water quality through the process of phytoaccumulation. However, there was no clear correlation between dissolved oxygen levels and time in contact with the macrophyte roots possibly due to environmental factors. A better quantitative understanding of the phytoaccumulation process, such as the limits and plateau points of contaminant uptake is needed to optimize the usage and application of Typha and Pontederia crassipes in practical constructed wetlands.

Features of operation of ultra-small sewage water treatment plants of northern design with membrane technology

The conditions of operation of ultrasmall sewage treatment plants SWTP - 30 with membrane technology located at a warehouse production facility in the Arctic of Russia with coordinates 67.4973, 86.3261 are considered. The parameters of the SWTP operation are explained after the modernization to supplement the cleaning scheme with a secondary clarifier.

GIS-based approach to identifying potential heat sources for heat pumps and chillers providing district heating and cooling

Geographic information system (GIS) software has been essential for visualising and determining heating and cooling requirements, sources of industrial excess heat, natural bodies of water, and municipalities. Policymakers highly encourage the use of GIS software at all administrative levels. It is expected that the heating and cooling demand will continue to increase. For a reliable heat and cooling supply, we must identify heat sources that can be used to provide heat or for removing surplus heat. We propose a method for identifying possible heat sources for large heat pumps and chillers that combines geospatial data from administrative units, industrial facilities, and natural bodies of water. Temperatures, capacities, heat source availability, as well as their proximity to areas with high demand density for heating and cooling were considered. This method was used for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Excess heat from heat generation plants and industries, sewage water treatment plants, and natural heat sources such as rivers, lakes and seawater were included. The study’s findings provide an overview of possible industrial and natural heat sources, as well as their characteristics. The potential of the heat sources was analysed, quantified, and then compared to the areas of heating and cooling demand.

Caffeine degradation using peroxydisulfate and peroxymonosulfate in the presence of Mn2O3. Efficiency, reactive species formation and application in sewage treatment plant water

The crucial role of manganese(III) species in the oxidative and catalytic reactivity of manganese oxides have been widely reported. However, the direct activation of radical precursors by Mn(III) oxides is still a matter of discussion. In this work, the ability of Mn(III)-bearing oxide (Mn2O3) for activation of peroxydisulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was evaluated and compared using caffeine (CAF) as a model pollutant. Complete CAF removal was achieved with 5 mM of PS or PMS after 8 h of reaction time, whereas 48% of mineralization was obtained after 70 h of reaction when PMS was used as oxidant. Electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping (EPR) and radical scavenging experiments showed that the sulfate radical (SO4•–) was the dominant radical in the Mn2O3/PMS system. In comparison, a non-radical mechanism such as Mn2O3 surface-activated PS promoted the removal of CAF in the system of Mn2O3/PS. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses enabled the detection of main degradation products and the proposition of the CAF degradation pathways. Investigations in the real sewage treatment plant water showed that the decrease of CAF removal observed in wastewater as compared to pure water can be alleviated by increasing the Mn2O3 dosage. These findings highlight the great ability of Mn-species in PS or PMS activation in different water matrices, which have important implications for the development of novel wastewater treatment technologies.

Improving Wastewater Quality By Using Ceratophyllum Demersum L.

The current study aims to improve the quality of wastewater collected from the secondary sedimentation tank of Hamdan sewage water treatment plant, Basrah, Iraq, using C. demersum L. for phytoremediation potential in the laboratory experiment. The experiments were also designed to establish some toxicological effects of wastewater on plant physiology as a response to wastewater stresses. The selected physio-chemical parameters of wastewater were conducted. Plant analyses were also measured before and after 21st day of exposure. The results showed the efficiency of the plant in improving the water quality in a different ratio. The dilution 1:3 (T3) was the most efficient with a significant difference (p<0.05) between treatment and control for most of the measured parameters. The result showed the efficiency of Ceratophyllum demersum in removing the Total hardness, Ca+2, Mg+2, BOD5, COD, NO3-2, PO4-2, Na+ and Cl- in 1:3 dilution (55.88, 13.27, 89.55, 90, 47.37, 50.65, 48.51, 16.28 and 40.24)% compared with (17.65, 5.42, 27.31, 50, 15.79, 16.30, 13.86, 6.73 and 15.77 )% in control respectively. The Ceratophyllum demersum plant has proven to be effective in improving the quality of wastewater, and therefore it can be considered an effective candidate in phytoremediation technology.

Sub-Part-Per-Billion Level Sensing of Fentanyl Residues from Wastewater Using Portable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensing.

Detection of illicit drug residues from wastewater provides a new route toward community-level assessment of drug abuse that is critical to public health. However, traditional chemistry analytical tools such as high-performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) cannot meet the large-scale testing requirement in terms of cost, promptness, and convenience of use. In this article, we demonstrated ultra-sensitive and portable surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensing (SERS) of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, from sewage water and achieved quantitative analysis through principal component analysis and partial least-squares regression. The SERS substrates adopted in this application were synthesized by in situ growth of silver nanoparticles on diatomaceous earth films, which show ultra-high sensitivity down to 10 parts per trillion in artificially contaminated tap water in the lab using a commercial portable Raman spectrometer. Based on training data from artificially contaminated tap water, we predicted the fentanyl concentration in the sewage water from a wastewater treatment plant to be 0.8 parts per billion (ppb). As a comparison, the HPLC-MS confirmed the fentanyl concentration was below 1 ppb but failed to provide a specific value of the concentration since the concentration was too low. In addition, we further proved the validity of our SERS sensing technique by comparing SERS results from multiple sewage water treatment plants, and the results are consistent with the public health data from our local health authority. Such SERS sensing technique with ultra-high sensitivity down to sub-ppb level proved its feasibility for point-of-care detection of illicit drugs from sewage water, which is crucial to assess public health.