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Brongescheiden afvalwaterzuivering

Desah developed a local, decentralised, and circular wastewater treatment system that uses source separation to treat black and grey water separately. The main goal of the system is to reduce drinking water usage and enable the reuse of water, energy, and nutrients. Black water is collected through vacuum toilets and vacuum sewer systems (and, if necessary, also via kitchen shredders), while grey water is collected via gravity. The two streams are transported separately to a compact local wastewater treatment plant, located within the neighbourhood. There, the wastewater streams are treated in an energy-efficient way and can be reused or safely discharged into surface water.

Desah’s innovative sanitation concept won the Global Water Award in 2022 in the category “Wastewater Project of the Year.” The project demonstrated the greatest innovation in optimising the physical or ecological footprint. Thanks to its pioneering design, Desah previously won the Swedish Innovation Award in 2015 in the “Purification Plant” category of the Blackwater and Food Waste Challenge, which focused on recycling waste streams.
In the Oceanhamnen residential area, grey and black water from homes and buildings are collected and treated separately. Kitchens are also equipped with grinders to process food waste. The emphasis is entirely on recovering valuable raw materials such as fertilisers and biogas as well as heat recovery.

Benefits

Water savingUp to 30 %
Nutrients recoveryUsed as fertilizer
Energy recovery30 % of heating demand of houses
Effluent waterMulti-purpose reusable

detailed information

This source-separated wastewater consists of two streams:
– highly concentrated black water stream from vacuum toilets
– warm grey water stream

The resulting treatment system allows for a more sustainable approach to wastewater management. The Desah concept is suitable for newly built or renovated housing districts, high-rise buildings, remote areas and areas where the sewer capacity is full. The possibility of high-quality effluent makes the system suitable for cases where reclaimed water can be sold or reused.

More benefits:

  • relief of the existing sewer system and central wastewater treatment plant
  • reuse of water, for toilet flushing and irrigation
  • recovery of heat, to be returned to the environment
  • recovery and production of fertilisers, suitable for agricultural use

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