Environmental Waves – Wastewater Treatment with a Nature-based solution
Development Area: Water / Operational Equipment
NatureWaves® – based solution to treat wastewater in Loulé – Portugal.
Nature-based Solutions use nature and known natural processes to help provide viable solutions to protect the environment, in areas such as wastewater treatment or ecosystem recovery. NatureWaves® is an ideal solution that uses knowledge of nature and its processes for the natural treatment of wastewater and the restoration of ecosystems.
The growing popularity of NatureWaves® is due to it being a solution with a double benefit. On the one hand, it provides a natural solution for the decontamination of water, and on the other hand it captures greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Plant roots play a key role in wastewater treatment processes. The contact between roots and water leads to the development of biofilms containing communities of microorganisms responsible for several very important treatment processes. This symbiosis allows the removal of BOD5, Total Suspended Solids, Nutrients, Pathogens and others.
Graphic NTotal
Graphic Nitrates
Graphic BOD5
Testimony
“In 2013, with a disruption in the treatment process of our WWTP, manifested by an increased concentration in the parameters of total nitrogen and nitrates in the final effluent, above the emission limit values, it triggered a corrective action, within the scope of our Environmental Management System.
Thus, in 2014 NatureWaves® was installed with macrophytes in the maturation pond of the WWTP. In addition to the plants’ absorption of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and the simultaneous release of oxygen (O2), this action allowed the effective treatment of the wastewater, to values below 5 mg/L in both parameters and the elimination of the unpleasant odours associated with wastewater treatment.
NatureWaves® continues to work today and has the advantage of providing a decontamination solution with passive, natural, low maintenance and a very simple operating process.”
Vanda Silva | SGI Local Coordinator
Loulé Production Centre – PORTUGAL
