Urine nitrification and sewer discharge to realize in-sewer denitrification to simplify sewage treatment in Hong Kong

Water Sci Technol. 2011;64(3):618-26. doi: 10.2166/wst.2011.491.

Abstract

The chemically enhanced primary treatment works in Hong Kong will be upgraded for biological nitrogen removal. This study proposed a novel approach to waive the upgrading by urine source-separation, onsite nitrification and discharge of nitrified urine into sewers to achieve in-sewer denitrification. Human urine was collected and a lab-scale experiment for full urine nitrification was conducted. The results showed that full nitrification was achieved with alkaline addition. Simulation of nitrified urine discharge into an 8-km pressure main in Hong Kong was conducted with a quasi-2D dynamic sewer model developed from a previously calibrated sewer biofilm model. It was assumed that 70% of the residents' urine was collected and fully nitrified on-site. The simulation results revealed that the proposed approach is effective in removal of nitrogen within the sewer, which decreases ammonia-N at the sewer outlet to a level required for secondary effluent discharge in Hong Kong.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calibration
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Nitrification*
  • Sewage*
  • Urinalysis*
  • Urine*

Substances

  • Sewage