1. Environmental Assessment Introductory Project
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Client : Finnish Green Building
Council
Students- researchers : Liva Bruvere (Latvia)
Payman Fathi (Iran)
Raju Gautam (Nepal)
Lauri Ilmonen (Finland)
Helsinki, 2012

2. Content of Presentation
• Objective of the project
• House as a system. Perfect example
• Water consumption in households
• Novel approaches to minimize the production of wastewater
• Urban and grey water reuse
• Energy and nutrient recovery of domestic
waste waters
• Conclusions
• References

3. Objective of the Project
• To provide client (FIGBC) with novel and extensive research report in
the field of water and wastewater systems
• Discover new technologies and ways of thinking about water and
wastewater sustainability in the urban environment
• Review collected information and try to criticize findings by the
……….view of new perspectives.
• To immerse ourselves in the professional water
management field and present it to an audience

4. House as a System. Sustainable building example.
Photo: proxima.com.ua/otoplenie

6. Found applications
• Eco Shower meter
• AQUS sink-water reuse system
• Filters for kitchen sink fixtures
• Dry toilet returning
• Eco smart© Shower heads
• Shower heads that are based on the Venturi Principle
• Waterless urinals for public (office, restaurant, club) toilets

7. ECO Showerdrop water meter
• Man-shaped icon displays the volume of water recommended for a
shower. Sensor indicating that 35 of water are used will buzzer
sounds for five seconds.
• Family of four person could save over 220 Euros on water and energy
bills per year
• There is no ‘hidden science’ in this product
• Costs approximately 13-15 Euros
Photo:
inhabitant.com

8. AQUS® water reuse system
• Easy to install
• Saves 22700 liters of fresh
water in a normal two-person
bathroom
• Reused water is filtered and
treated
• Fresh water is used to
supplement fill cycle
• Only annual maintenance is
required
• 2010 Top 10 Green Building
Products Award by
Photo: AQUS Sustainable Industries, etc.

9. Conclusions
• A lot of extras and innovations for (more information in report)
• Zone where to start reduce use of water is used showers and toilets.
• Most of Europe and North America countries have enough water
resources.
• ‘Water saving’ popularization could make system work better; at first,
save drinkable water that is flushed away, live environmentally
friendly, and, in addition, save families money.
• To ‘be green’ not always cost a lot

10. Urban water reuse
• Very useful in present and future situation of drought in
many nations
• Report is divided into two parts;
1. Grey water reuse and
2. Rain water harvesting

11. Grey water reuse
• Recycle in centralized way generally
• Conventional methods used all over the world most
• But lack of sustainability.
• Preliminary, primary, secondary including disinfection
process included
• Can be used as potable water and various other usages
• Need of awareness about the use into potable

12. Rain water harvesting
• Easy, efficient and very natural
• Process begins with;
1. collection from roofs
2. storage
3. purification
4. disinfection
5. ready to reuse for various purposes
• Ph level 6,5-7

13. A model of domestic reuse of grey water
Photo: lowenergyhouse.com

14. Drain water heat recovery (DWHR)
• Approximately 350 Billion KWh of energy is sent down
the drain annually in the United States alone.
• This accounts for 17% of residential site energy used.
• Drain water heat recovery (DWHR) three types
1. Storage
2. On-demand
3. Heat pump

15. DWHR how it works
Flow
configuration Heat Energy Savings
Balanced ~50%
Unbalanced 30-45%
Cooperman, A, et al Photo: Van Decker, G

16. Storage DWHR
Photo: homeenegy.org

17. On-Demand DWHR
Photo: Energysavers.gov Photo: Van Decker, G

18. Low temperature-lift heat pump
DWHR
Photo: Meanderhr Heat Recovery

19. DWHR 32 home pilot in Sneek, NL
• Pilot project started in 2006.
• 1.0 l/flush vacuum toilet
collection, kitchen waste energy
utilized, anaerobic treatment
(UASB), MAP, OLAND,
• Biogas production
Photo: Meulman, B

20. DeSaR concept demonstrated for 32 houses
in Sneek
Photo: Zeeman, G

21. Benefits of DeSaR

22. Biogas production in Sneek pilot
Photo: Meulman, B

23. Algae biomass harvesting
• Dutch Institute of Ecology (NIOO) in Wageningen
Photo: DeSaH

24. Algae production from digested separete
collected BW and urine
N:P *Algal biomass
P
Case N gN/p/d (atomic produced (g/p/d)
gP/p/d
ratio) acoording to P
Sneek* 6,2 0,46 29,84 46
*CH1,78O0,36N0,12P0,0075 (Duboc et.al., 1999):Redfield ratio N:P of 16:1
P is the limiting nutrient
Photo: Zeeman, G

25. Conclusion DWHR and DeSaH
• On-site treatment of waste waters more sustainable.
• Recovery of biogas ~ 1.0 l/p/d.
• DeSaR saves 11-15 m3 drinking water/p/y
• Lower cost of piping infrastructure/ waste transport.
• DeSaR found more sustainable by LCA [Remy, C].
• DWHR saves water heating energy by up to 50%.
• DWHR low cost tech for green building program
certification(e.g. LEED).
• Increased effective hot water capacity (reduce
primary size) and/or
• Increased life of water heater(s).

26. Final conclusions
• Minimize domestic waste waters production.
– Recycling of grey water to toilets (Eg. Aqus).
– Aerating fixtures.
– Low-flow shower heads.
– Increasing environmental awareness (Eg. Shower
meter).
– Waterless urinals and low flush toilets.
• Urban water reuse and rain water harvesting save
non-potable/ potable water.
• DWHR saves water heating energy by up to 50% and
increases hot water capacity.
– Saves energy by having less hot water in hot water system.
• DeSaR saves 11-15 m3 drinking water/p/y.
– Recovery of biogas ~ 1.0 l/p/d.
– New DeSaR systems maximize biogas yield with algae
biomass harvesting in UASB.

27. References
1. Maryland Department of the Environment Water Supply
Program, (2010)
http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/resaudit.pdf
2. AQUS® commercial information, (2012)
http://www.iwantaqus.com/index.html
3. RSmart brochure for water savers, (2011)
http://issuu.com/resourcesmart/docs/brochure_start_1_/6#dow
nload
4. John Hinton, water use brochure (2009).
5. Cooperman, A., Dieckmann, J., and Brodrick, J. Ph.D. (2011).
Drain water heat recovery. ASHRAE Journal, November 2011,
pages 58-61.
5. Van Decker, G. (2011). Drain Water Heat Recovery: On the
Road to Becoming a Mainstream Supplemental Water Heating
Technology. RenewABILITY Energy Inc. Presentation.
6. http://www.homeenergy.org/show/article/id/747
7. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heatin
g/index.cfm/mytopic=13040References

28. References
8. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heatin
g/index.cfm/mytopic=13040References
9. Meanderhr Heat Recovery.
http://www.meanderhr.com/technical/types-of-dwhr-
system/heat
9. Zeeman, G., Kujawa-Roeleveld, K., Meulman, B.,
Hernandez, L. Present sanitation in ‘North’ and ‘South’
presentation.
10. Meulman, B. DeSaH presentation.

29. Thank you for attention!

30. Acknowledgements
• Thanks Finnish Green Building Council for given
opportunity to make this project.
• Project Report and Presentation can be found in groups
account – ‘ Group 4 Water and Wastewater
Systems’ or by link:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&srcid=
0B4oyQT5H6TB0RDIkSvbgz18YDwC
• You are welcome to ask questions!

31. Contact information
• Liva Bruvere
liva.bruvere@gmail.com,
• Lauri Ilmonen
lauri.ilmonen@metropila.fi ,
• Raju Gautam
raju.gautam@metropolia.fi ,
• Payman Fathi
payman.fathi@metropolia.fi ,