Ulrich Zeidler and Shelley Mc MillanRegional Conference on Integrated Nutrient Reduction

Management in the Danube - Black Sea Basin

October 23-25, 2007, Ankara, Turkey

Wastewater Treatment and Nutrient Reduction

• Conventional wastewater treatment – and its contribution to nutrient reduction

Session Overview and Context

1. Special Focus: Tertiary Treatment

Wastewater treatment in all parts of Europe has improved significantly since the 1980s

Tertiary Wastewater Treatment in Europe

• In central Europe – > 60% of population connected

1. In southern Europe and New Member Countries – still somewhat limited level of tertiary level wastewater treatment (< 50%)

• In north-western Europe – a marked increase in the population connection to tertiary wastewater treatment in the 1990s resulting in significant reduction in phosphorus and nitrogen discharges (> 80%)

Tertiary Wastewater Treatment in Europe

• Development in North-Western Europe Countries

• Compliance to national and EU legislation (e.g. Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD).

Challenges

• Tertiary treatment obligatory for discharge into sensitive water bodies

• For large cities > 150,000 inhabitants tertiary treatment is also obligatory for discharge into normal waters

• Increase in the quantities of sewage sludge

• Urban-to-rural continuum

• Investment and O&M costs

• Agriculture

Project Objectives:

Case Study – Hungary GEF Nutrient Reduction Project

(i) Reduce Budapest’s discharge of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) into the Danube River, and consequently into the Black Sea;

• Enhance the nutrient trapping capacity of Gemenc and Beda-Karapancsa wetlands situated in the lower Hungarian part of the Danube River; and

• Serve as a model for similar nutrient reduction initiatives in Hungary and other Danube basin countries.

NOTE: Very interesting project with a unique opportunity to study and compare both approaches to nutrient reduction!

Thank you for your attention and the nice and clean water

!!!