Characterization of optimal running parameters for the inactivation of enteric bacteria by electrocoagulation in a novel wastewater treatment unit

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Treatment of wastewater is a significant challenge in remote areas, or those that lack the necessary infrastructure to safely manage waste. Chemical treatment or removal of wastewater by transport can be prohibitively expensive. In such areas, waste is often simply left untreated or dumped into open pits. These dump sites, if incorrectly chosen, pose a risk to groundwater contamination. Fecal microorganisms, specifically bacteria, are the primary contaminant of concern as they can easily migrate into groundwater. Consumption of fecal bacteria is a health risk as it can cause mild to severe, and even fatal, illness. A solution to the problem of remote, or emergency, wastewater treatment is to use a mobile treatment unit that can be deployed on-site. To significantly remove or destroy the large numbers of fecal microorganisms found in human waste, Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. has designed a mobile wastewater treatment unit based on electrocoagulation technology. Electrocoagulation has a demonstrated history of successful use in wastewater treatment. Swift Environmental Equipment has introduced novel proprietary design elements that allow this system to be portable, yet still treat substantial volumes of wastewater. Dr. Ania Ulrich (University of Alberta) has established a partnership with Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. to assess the ability of this wastewater treatment unit to inactivate fecal bacteria. The objectives of this collaboration are to determine the optimal electrocoagulation parameters for inactivation of fecal bacteria in a model system, and to compare this to the performance of the unit when actual wastewater conditions are applied. Successful identification of optimal processing parameters will allow Swift Environmental Equipment Ltd. to construct a database of inactivation kinetics, which will be used to optimize and troubleshoot wastewater treatment performance of the portable unit.