SYMBIOTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT & REUSE TECHNOLOGY:

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SYMPOSIUM

ROYAL COMMISSION IN JUBAIL
Jubail, 5 June 2016 For Discussion Purposes Only
Private and Confidential
Contents

Slide No.

1 Introduction: Water sector in KSA 3

2 Symbiotic Wastewater Treatment 9
3 Examples/Case study 17
4 Main Advantages & Applications 23

2
Introduction: Wastewater situation in KSA
• Total volume of generated WW (SWW+IWW) in KSA: 4.5-5 Million m³/d (*)
• Kingdom’s sewage collection total coverage: over 50%
• Sewage systems including WWTP are only available in large urban centers
• WW disposal is limited only to cesspits in small towns and rural areas
• At least 35% of the total WW produced is discharged in the untreated form
• Majority of WWTPs in KSA have secondary levels of treatment. Main
technologies used are:
 Activated sludge or trickling filters
 Extended aeration
 Aerated lagoons
 Carousel systems

• Tertiary treatment facilities do exist, mainly around larger cities

(*) Produced water not included 3
Introduction-Wastewater reuse situation in KSA
• Currently 2.75 million m³/d of treated wastewater (TSE) is reused
• Majority of TSE is being provided for free on a non-commercial basis
• NWC’s TSE initiative is ongoing since 2012: promising results
• TSE is estimated that could rise to @ 5.75 million m³/d by 2035

Current and projected levels of treated wastewater reuse

4 in Saudi Arabia. Source: KAUST/MOWE (2011)
Introduction-Wastewater treatment and reuse goals in KSA

Ninth Development Plan 2010-2014

Wastewater targets
• Increase the proportion of treated wastewater to about 50% of consumption
for municipal purposes
• Increase the rate of reuse of treated wastewater to about 50%
• Add 700,000 new wastewater connections and 12,000 kilometers of
wastewater networks, bringing service coverage to 60%

MOWE Infrastructure Goals

for cities with more than 5,000 inhabitants
• By 2025, cities will be nearly 100% served with water supply and sewage collection
systems
• Nearly all sewage collection systems will be connected to WWTPs by 2025
• All reuse quality treated sewage effluent (RQTSE) will be beneficially reused
• By 2030 TSE usage in six major cities is expected to be around 4.0 million m³/day
5
Introduction-Wastewater treatment and reuse initiatives in KSA

“We will also promote

the optimal use of our
water resources by
reducing consumption
and utilizing treated
and renewable water¨

Regulations and Initiatives to promote Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in KSA. Source: Marafiq, 2015

National Water Strategy: “To develop and introduce new technological and institutional innovations”
6
Introduction-Wastewater treatment and reuse potential in KSA

1200
1000
800
Volume [1000 m3/day]

600
400
200
0

STP Capacity Treated Sewage TSE Reuse

Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Potential in KSA. Source: Ministry of Water and Electricity, 2010

7
Introduction-Water related key challenges in KSA
• Saudi Arabia is listed under “absolutely water scarcity category” country
• KSA lacks sufficient water and WWT capacity to meet future demand
• Domestic water demand is increasing at an annual growth rate of 6%: it is
projected to increase by 3.8 million m³/day during the period 2010 – 2035
• Industrial water demand is growing 7.5%/y & will grow 50% in the next 15 years
• WW production will also increase accordingly: @ 7.5 million m³/day by 2035

8
SYMWATECH: Definition & Concept
• SYMWATECH© = SYMBIOTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY
• Innovative, simple and reliable technology to treat sanitary/industrial WW
• Combines WWT and IRR techniques to create urban green areas in same place
• SYMWATECH © is registered in 30 countries under different patent numbers

9
SYMWATECH: Description of the technology
• SYMWATECH© is an aerobic WWT process that consists essentially in a trickling filter
or fixed bed biological reactor (BBR)
• Its successful performance is based on the following technical aspects:
1) Two differentiated areas: treatment (purification) area and cultivation area
2) The use of a rings’ filters as an essential pre-treatment system;
3) An underground drip irrigation system to distribute homogeneously the
wastewater into the aerobic BBR;
4) The design of an interior structure linking purification and cultivation areas;
5) Horizontal/vertical device which allows deep natural oxygenation of BBR

10
SYMWATECH: Description of the technology

Drainage/ventilation

11
SYMWATECH: Vertical vs Horizontal configuration

12
SYMWATECH: Vertical vs Horizontal configuration

13
SYMWATECH: Construction process details
Earthworks

Waterproofing with polyethylene sheet

Drip pipelines system

750 habitantes

14
SYMWATECH: Construction process details

Gravel bed placement

Drip pipelines and cultivation sand placement

Pipelines network system

15
SYMWATECH: operation and maintenance details

WATER VALVES BOX

Guide tubes

750 habitantes
Pumping station
Detachable connections
16
SYMWATECH: Examples of horizontal symbiotic plants

Tertiary treatment plant in Quart-Benager (Valencia) : 780 m3/d

WWTP at Cenajo hotel (Murcia): 60 m3/d (500 eq. inhabitants)

Camping
WWTP at the University of Murcia: 500 m3/dMoratalla
(5,000 eq.(Murcia): 750 people
inhabitants)
17
SYMWATECH: Examples of vertical symbiotic plants

Wastewater can be pre-treated and treated even in

the town center; any herbaceous crop or shrub can
be grown, as desired.

WWTP with aviary and urban garden in Santomera city: 12 m3/d IWWTP in a food industry in Murcia: 15 m3/d

18
SYMWATECH - University of Murcia case study: 500 m3/d

Reduction of solids, oil & grease, up to optimal design parameters

Area = 395 m2
Regulation Area = 4,131 m2

Symbiotic reactor
(Stage 1 to 4)
Screening, sieving,
regulation tank, Tertiary treatment:
pumping Consumption of Consumption and TSE
organic matter, removal of organic Rings’ filters
oxygen, matter
denitrification and
disinfection

Sludge removal and final disposal

Water tanks &

Pumping station

19
SYMWATECH - University of Murcia case study: 500 m3/d

Reduction of solids, oil & grease, up to optimal design parameters

Area = 395 m2
Regulation Area = 4,131 m2

Symbiotic reactor
(Stage 1 to 4)
Screening, sieving,
regulation tank, Tertiary treatment:
pumping Consumption of Consumption and TSE
organic matter, removal of organic Rings’ filters
oxygen, matter
denitrification and
disinfection

Sludge removal and final disposal

Water tanks &

Pumping station

20
SYMWATECH - University of Murcia case study: results
Inlet effluent quality
Parameter Range Average
 pH (7.13 - 8.28) 7.66
 Dissolved oxygen (mg O2/L) (0.20 - 5.73) 2.49
 Conductivity (mS/cm) (1.64 - 3.55) 2.25
 TSS (mg/L) (265 - 976) 518
 COD (mg O2/L) (571 – 2,320) 1,012
 BOD 5 (mg O2/L) (300 -1,100) 536
 NTK (mg N/L) (23 - 60) 42
 N-NH4+ (mg N/L) (21 - 51) 35
 Nitrates (mg N/L) 0 0
 P Tot (mg P/L) (6 - 22) 11
 P-PO43 - (mg P/L) (2 - 17) 5

21
SYMWATECH - University of Murcia case study: results
Final effluent quality, performance and values indicated in the EU Directive
Parameter Range Average Performance Directive
(%) 91/271/EEC
 pH (7.47 - 8.30) 7.76

 Dissolved oxygen (mg O2/L) (4.15 - 18.5) 9.25

 Conductivity (mS/cm) (1.90 - 2.66) 2.34

 TSS (mg/L) (5 - 19) 11 96 35

 COD (mg O2/L) (21 - 51) 33 97 125
 BOD 5 (mg O2/L) (2 - 5) 3 25
 NTK (mg N/L) (0.3 - 3) 1 88
 N-NH 4 + (mg N/L) (0.1 - 3) 1 87
 Nitrates (mg N/L) (7.6 - 31.7) 15.9

 P Tot (mg P/L) (2.7 - 5) 4 60

 P-PO43 - (mg P/L) (1.7 - 4) 3
22
SYMWATECH: MAIN ADVANTAGES
1) Can treat any type of wastewater with high yields (up to 99.999%);
2) Design flexibility: scalable and adaptable to any specific requirement/condition;
3) No or little influence of the temperature in the process;
4) Significant reduction of civil works and electromechanical equipment;
5) Low energy requirements: from 0.24 to 0.8 kw.h/m3  Reduction of CO2 emissions
6) Low chemicals consumption;
7) Very low and easy O&M requirements: can be done by non-qualified personnel;
8) Long-lasting: natural ecosystems that can operate 24h/365d
9) Low sludge production and easy disposal as compost;
10) No negative impacts to the health & environment: very low noise, odour free;
11) No visual impact as the symbiotic treatment plants are integrated in the landscape;
12) Easy to build with local materials readily available in any location;
23
SYMWATECH: MAIN APLICATIONS
Any water consumer, from an individual user to big consumers (public or private) that
need to treat their wastewaters generated, such as:
- Single family houses / group of villas or a housing development;
- Compounds;
- Real estate companies;
- Construction companies;
- Town councils;
- NWC, MODON, ROYAL COMMISSION, MARAFIQ, SAUDI ARAMCO, SABIC, SEC,
MA’ADEN, SWCC;
- Golf courses, football stadiums or any other sports field;
- Leisure places: hotels and resorts, malls, shopping centers, public gardens, etc.;
- Airports;
- Petrol stations and/or any type of industry, especially food & beverage

24
 THANK YOU RAMADAN MUBARAK
‫شكرا‬ ‫رمضان مبارك‬
For further information:
Manuel Hidalgo
Phone: +966 (0) 597203761
Email: manuel.hidalgo.linkedin@gmail.com