1. Food for Thought -
A Paradigm Shift in
Resource Recovery
Clean Water America Alliance
Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference
October 3-5, 2011
Milwaukee, WI
Michael Keleman, Lead Environmental Engineer

2. The Evolution of Wastewater Treatment
600 BC  Early History of Public
The Cloaca Maxima Safety & Health
Sewers/Broad Street Pump - Cholera, Dysentery,
The Sanitation Plant Typhoid
The Sewage Treatment Plant  Clean Water Act of
1972
The Wastewater Treatment
Plant - Secondary Treatment
The Water Pollution Control - Eutrophication
Plant  Desire for a Cleaner
The Water Reclamation Plant Environment
Resource Recovery - EDCs, PCPs
- Clean Water, Energy &  Energy Independence
Fertilizer  “Peak Phosphorus”
2000  Climate Change
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3. The Food Waste Disposer
- Feedstock Preparation Device for R2
Food Waste
 At Least 70% Water
 Same Specific Gravity as
Human Waste
 Efficiently Transported in
Sewers
 95% of Particles <3mm
 Improves Biogas Production
Synergistically with Sewage Concerns/Issues?
Sludge  Water & Energy Use
 High Carbon to Nitrogen  Sewer Impacts
Ratio – Biological Nutrient
Removal  FOG
 Organic Overload of WWTPs
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4. Body of Knowledge
 Decades of Existing Research
 Widespread Consumer Acceptance & Use ~60% of US Households
 Contemporary Studies
- LCA of Food Waste Management Options
Climate Change
- Settleability of Food Waste
60% of BOD and 90% of TSS removed during primary clarification
 Knowledge Gaps & Pending Studies
- Degradation in Sewers
Surahammar, Sweden
- Value of Food Waste Carbon to WWTP for BNR
Optimum WW Treatment – 100:5:1 (BOD:TN:P)
Typical WW – 20:6:1 (TOC:TN:P)
Food Waste – 22:1:0
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5. Questions/Comments?
Michael Keleman, Lead Environmental Engineer
InSinkErator
262-598-5219
michael.keleman@emerson.com