Integrated Wastewater Treatment for Bioresource and Bioenergy Recovery

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INTRODUCTION*Canadian policies are driving the demand for the application of environmentally sound and sustainable practices in managing of our renewable resources. Environment Canada has proposed new Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) to monitor wastewater treatment facilities in Canada[1] and required upgrades to meet effluent discharge requirements are estimated at $10-13 billion, the majority of which will be borne by smaller municipalities[2]. The proposed research program aims to address these Canadian challenges using eco-engineered algal systems for municipal wastewater treatment. The research program will train 7 HQP (5 PhD and 2 MASc) who will acquire highly-desired technical skills in the area of applied environmental sustainability and assume leadership positions as wastewater treatment and bioresource management professionals.**PROPOSED RESEARCH PROGRAM*The long-term objective is to develop a new evidence-based approach to designing eco-engineered wastewater treatment systems for Canadian climates with a focus on integrated bioresource management. The research conducted will use field-scale monitoring, controlled laboratory investigations and advanced statistical analysis methods to build the knowledge-base to achieve this overarching goal. In the short term, the program aims to develop a better understanding of the dynamic interactions influencing wastewater treatment and disinfection functions in wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) leading to more robust design models and guidelines that follow an evidence-based method; and investigate the integration of microalgae co-cultivation to municipal wastewater treatment infrastructure, as a sustainable wastewater treatment strategy with the potential for the downstream recovery of algal biofuels. * *RESEARCH OUTCOMES *The research program will contribution to the state-of-the art in using passive systems to treat and polish wastewater in Canadian WSP systems. It is anticipated that the knowledge developed through the realization of these objectives can be transferred to industry so that future WSP design can follow an evidence-based method, leading to effective WSP systems. This will assist municipalities, faced with potentially costly wastewater infrastructure upgrade dilemmas for aging or inadequate WSP systems in meeting increasingly stringent federal wastewater effluent guidelines. and enable municipal with a focus on applied environmental sustainability. The research program will also address critical gaps that exist in the current state of knowledge with respect to the co-cultivation of algae using wastewater and the increase the potential for downstream recovery of biofuels in an integrated bioresource management approach.**HQP TRAINING*The workforce in Canadian municipalities is aging and stricter regulatory guidelines for wastewater treatment effluents and the focus on integrating sustainable approaches have made the management of wastewater systems more complex. This has created a large demand for highly trained professionals with advanced technical and professional skills in Canadian municipalities and across the industry. The proposed research program will benefit Canada by training 7 HQP who will acquire highly-desired technical skills in in the development of alternate wastewater and waste management technologies and sustainable environmental approaches with a focus on integrated bioresource management, as well as skills in professional management in engineering. HQP will be ready to assume leadership positions as wastewater professionals in municipalities, regulatory agencies, provincial ministries and federal departments, and consulting firms, enhancing Canada's capacity for influence in applied environmental sustainability.