THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 1
Preface 2
Missions Align 3
Treatment Technologies 4
Introduction to Nutrient Removal 5
Nitrogen Removal 5
Phosphorus Removal 6
Interrelationships 7
Products of Resource Recovery 8
Matrices 9
Supporting Nutrient Management 10
Understanding the Environment 11
Product Development 12
Evaluation of Alternatives 13
Risk Management 14
Airlie Meeting Participants 15
Appendix: References 16
Nutrient Roadmap Primer
2 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
I n October 2013, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Environmental Defense
Fund (EDF), and The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread sponsored a 1 5-day meeting in Airlie, Virginia — the “Airlie meeting ” At the meeting, participants discussed next steps for developing a roadmap to implement a nutrient management vision, primarily for nitrogen and phosphorus
The Airlie meeting brought together 28 diverse representatives from water utilities, regulatory agencies, academia, consultants, associations, and nongovernmental organizations These attendees built on results from a February 2013 meeting sponsored by the same three organizations at which a draft aspirational goal was developed
This aspirational goal, or 25-year challenge, is informing the development of the Nutrient Roadmap, which will serve a short-term need for achieving smarter nutrient removal and recovery at water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) The wastewater “utility of the future” is shifting toward recovering marketable resources rather than just treating wastewater The Nutrient Roadmap, like the Energy Roadmap before it, is
helping the sector actualize the term WRRF in place of wastewater treatment plant As such, the Nutrient Roadmap also will help WRRFs consider opportunities for reducing
energy and greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing public engagement, exploring regulatory opportunities, expanding resource recovery facility operator capabilities, and benchmarking current resource recovery facility performance Smarter nutrient management includes a cost-effectiveness component to help identify activities that optimize reductions on a unit-cost basis
The development of the Nutrient Roadmap will progress in two phases This report represents the first phase, the development of matrices for the major topics and subtopics identified by the Airlie meeting participants A larger group of subject-matter experts will further develop the matrices into a longer guidance document to be published in 2015 The publication will be supplemented with case studies and additional resources The Nutrient Roadmap also will inform future research, training, and advocacy programs to support the movement toward smarter nutrient management in WRRFs
Preface
“The next generation of wastewater
treatment has zero net impact with regard to energy
use, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient
discharge by 2040. Achieving this goal will
require a dedication to overcoming the technical barriers,
financial constraints, and regulatory
disincentives limiting nutrient removal, greenhouse gas
emission reduction, and energy neutrality
in the treatment of wastewater.”
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 3
Part of the SolutionNutrients — commonly nitrogen and phosphorus — are found in agricultural and home fertilizers and also are generated by livestock, industrial, and municipal systems Specific sources include confined animal feeding operations, row crop farming, industrial pre-treatment facilities, septic systems, municipal and industrial stormwater, and WRRFs According to the U S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 100,000 miles of rivers and streams, close to 2 5 million acres of lakes and ponds, and more than 800 square miles of bays and estuaries are affected by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
In excess, nutrients can be harmful water pollutants Excess nutrients can lead to algal blooms, which cost the tourism industry some $1 billion annually, according to the EPA Algae also can result in hypoxic zones and can turn to harmful algal blooms (HAB), which produce toxins HABs received national attention in summer 2014 after a cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Erie caused Toledo, Ohio, to issue notices to nearly half a million people not to drink, cook, or bathe with city water
However, WRRFs also are part of the solution With advanced biological and chemical methods, facilities already can achieve significant nutrient reductions This roadmap lays out a strategy for facilities to achieve zero net impacts from nutrient discharges by 2040 WRRFs also can reclaim nutrients Biosolids are one such supply of nitrogen and phosphorus Fertilizers can be energy-intensive to manufacture, and the supply of some nutrients, such as phosphorus, is limited Recovery not only prevents nutrients from entering waterbodies as point source discharges but provides a supply of these essential resources
Missions AlignWEF’s mission is to “provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide ” Two of WEF’s three critical objectives are to drive innovation in the water sector and enrich the expertise of global water professionals The development of the Nutrient Roadmap supports WEF’s mission and those objectives for the specific topic of nutrient management via point source discharges from WRRFs
EDF’s mission is to “preserve the natural systems on which all life depends Guided by science and economics, EDF finds practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems ” Among these problems is the rapid increase in reactive nitrogen in the environment resulting from the advent of industrial nitrogen fixation — largely for fertilizer production — along with fossil fuel combustion EDF has set a goal of cutting nitrogen pollution in half over
the coming decades EDF is engaged in a large effort to help farmers become more efficient in their use of nitrogen fertilizers The organization also is helping to reduce fossil fuel combustion through increased energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy Finally, through the project with WEF and The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, EDF also is working to decrease nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment
The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread’s mission is to “be a catalyst for positive and lasting change leading to healthier environments and communities ” Its Charting New Waters multi-year program engages a network of organizations dedicated to catalyzing new solutions to U S water challenges The ultimate goal is to identify elements of a new paradigm for water infrastructure and the steps needed to transition This document is a significant step in assisting the shift toward smarter nutrient management
This image, taken in 2011, shows one of Lake Erie’s worst algae blooms in decades. Image by NASA
4 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
A number of treatment technologies are available for both mainstream and sidestream treatment for nitrogen and phosphorus The details of these can be found in WEF manuals of practice
8, 11, and 34 or Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, Operation of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, and Nutrient Removal, respectively Below is a chart of some of the most common nutrient removal and recovery technologies
Treatment Technologies
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 5
Introduction to Nutrient Removal WRRFs can achieve very low nutrient discharges through a variety of processes, primarily biological nutrient removal (BNR), physical separation, and chemical methods However, economic and environmental trade-offs exist, such as greenhouse gas production in the form of nitrous oxide (N2O) and increased energy demands due to aeration in BNR Nutrient removal techniques also can affect biogas production and dewatering
Most technologies capable of removing both nitrogen and phosphorus utilize BNR, which relies on bacteria to transform nutrients present in wastewater Select species of bacteria can accumulate phosphorus, others can transform nitrogen, and a few can do both Achieving significant reductions in both nitrogen and phosphorus requires careful design, analysis, and process control to optimize the environment of nutrient-removing organisms The uptake of nutrients and growth of microorganisms could be inhibited by a limiting nutrient, available carbon, or other factors, including oxygen levels The selection of a BNR process should be based on influent flow and loadings, such as biological oxygen demand, nutrient concentrations, and other constituents as well as target effluent requirements
Some nutrient removal systems rely on two separate processes for nitrogen and phosphorus In some cases BNR is used to remove the majority of nitrogen and phosphorus, and then chemical methods are used to further reduce
phosphorus concentrations Mainstream nutrient treatment takes place within the typical process flow However, sidestream treatment refers to liquid resulting from biosolids processing that is intercepted with the additional goal of removing nutrients from a concentrated stream Like mainstream nutrient treatment processes, sidestream treatment also can vary from biological to physical and chemical removal methods
Nitrogen RemovalNitrogen can be removed from wastewater through physiochemical methods, such as air-stripping at high pH, but it is more cost efficient to use BNR Conventionally, this method utilizes the natural nitrogen cycle, which relies on ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to transform ammonia into nitrites (NO2
–) after which nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) form nitrates (NO3
–) — a process called nitrification Other species of bacteria can transform these compounds into nitrogen gas (N2) — a process called denitrification Biological nitrogen removal requires anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions in the proper sequence as both nitrification reactions require aerobic conditions while denitrification requires anaerobic conditions Though optimal conditions differ for nitrification and denitrification, both can be carried out simultaneously in the same unit if anaerobic zones exist Most processes combine nitrification and denitrification, either in one basin or as two separate stages, and can be broken down into two categories based on whether
6 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
bacteria are suspended within the waste stream or fixed to a film or filter As denitrification occurs, nitrogen gas is produced and released safely into the atmosphere, where nitrogen gas is more abundant than oxygen
When performing biological nitrogen removal, it is important that the activated sludge has enough available carbon, which bacteria use to build new cells The nitrogen removal rate also dependents on the amount of time sludge spends in the reactor (solids retention time), the reactor temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and inhibitory compounds
Phosphorus RemovalUnlike nitrogen, phosphorus cannot be removed from wastewater as a gas Instead, it must be removed in particulate form through chemical, biological, hybrid chemical–biological processes, or nano processes Nano methods involve membranes and include reverse osmosis, nanofiltration and electrodialysis reversal Chemical methods (chem-P) typically involve metal ions, such as alum or ferric chloride These compounds bind with the phosphorus and
cause it to precipitate It can then be removed by sedimentation and filtration Chemical methods are influenced by a number of factors including the phosphorus species, choice of chemical, chemical to phosphorus ratio, the location and number of feed points, mixing, and pH
Biological phosphorus removal (bio-P) is a two-step process First, phosphorus is converted to a soluble form, and secondly, it is assimilated by phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) Many biological nitrogen removal processes can be modified to remove phosphorus as well Similar to biological nitrogen removal, bio-P also requires the proper sequence of anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions Additionally, as with biological nitrogen removal, oxygen levels, solids retention time, and temperature play an important role in bio-P The ability of PAOs to uptake phosphorus is highly dependent on the availability of volatile fatty acids, which serve as a carbon source for the bacteria Further, nitrates in return streams can negatively affect bio-P — an important factor to consider in combined nutrient removal systems
Definitions
Nitrification-Denitrification: A biological nitrogen removal process where ammonia is oxidized to nitrate through biological nitrification The process of denitrification follows where nitrate is reduced to nitrogen gas
Nitritation-Denitritation: Another biological nitrogen removal process Here ammonia is oxidized to nitrite and then biologically reduced to nitrogen gas The term nitrite shunt is often used to describe this process
Partial Nitritation-Anammox: Often referred to as “deammonification,” it is a two-step process that includes partial nitration Aerobic ammonia oxidation to nitrite occurs in the first phase then nitrogen gas is produced by anaerobic ammonia oxidation Anammox refers to anaerobic ammonia oxidation, a biological process carried out by specialized bacteria in which ammonia is oxidized using nitrite as an electron acceptor under anaerobic conditions
Struvite Precipitation and Recovery: By this method, both phosphorus and ammonium can be simultaneously recovered and used as a fertilizer
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 7
I n upgrading facilities for better nutrient management, WRRFs must make decisions
about the amount of carbon used for nutrient recovery and removal and carbon used for energy generation The following graphic gives a high-level overview of the interrelationships to consider when planning for nutrient management The WRRF exemplified here must remove nutrients but also wants to generate energy “Energy Generation” and “Nutrient
Removal” are destinations or goals in the roadmap allegory There are various “routes” WRRFs can take to reach these two outcomes using various carbon sources Carbon can come from wastewater and other supplemental sources to achieve nutrient removal and energy generation goals The WRRF also should consider new products — energy and fertilizer — that are generated as a result of nutrient removal and energy generation
Interrelationships
8 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
N utrient management begins with nutrient removal to meet permit requirements
However, “utilities of the future” are using the removal process to produce marketable products It should be noted that there are other products that can be recovered that are not nutrient related, such as metals, heat, water, and more, which may bring financial rewards and benefits to help offset costs for the WRRF Below are some nutrient-based resources that can be recovered
• Solid fertilizer from biosolids • Land application of biosolids recycles nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and other macronutrients • Soil blends and composts are potential phosphorus recovery products • Incinerator ash can be a source of phosphorus for recovery
• Solid fertilizer from the treatment process • Struvite provides high quality fertilizer from some sidestream systems
• Water reuse • Irrigation with reclaimed water can have some nitrogen and phosphorus benefits
• Chemical recovery • Structural materials can be obtained from carbonates and phosphorus compounds • Proteins and other chemicals, such as ammonia, can be recovered • Solids can be stored for future mining
Products of Resource Recovery
Greenlighting Nutrient Recovery
Phosphorus is a finite resource, with some estimating that demand will outpace supply within the next century For this and other reasons, interest in recovering nutrients from wastewater has increased over the last decade The “utility of the future” is shifting toward recovering nutrients and other marketable resources, including energy, electricity, and vehicle fuels However, the maturity of nutrient recovery technologies varies and each has its advantages and disadvantages
EPA estimates that the approximately 16,000 WRRFs in the U S generate about 7 million tons of biosolids About 60% of these biosolids are beneficially applied to agricultural land, with only 1% of crops actually fertilized with biosolids However, generating solid fertilizer from biosolids is the most common method of nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment
Currently some WRRFs are having success with struvite recovery, which allows for the precipitation and recovery of both nitrogen and phosphorus Other methods of phosphate precipitation also are becoming more common Sidestream treatment of sludge and sludge liquor, where the nutrients are more concentrated, is generally the preferable target for nutrient recovery
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 9
The matrices are broken into five topics: • Supporting nutrient management • Understanding the environment • Product development • Evaluation of alternatives • Risk management
The matrices provide a high-level overview of the roadmap to net-zero nutrient discharges Under each topic, objectives are outlined following three phases, from planning to implementation to evaluation and improvement
SuperMatrices
Want more information about the Nutrient Roadmap and matrices?
Contact Barry Liner at the Water Environment Federation by email at bliner@wef org or by phone at 703-684-2435
10 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
TOP
IC 1
: S
UP
PO
RTI
NG
NU
TRIE
NT
MA
NA
GE
ME
NT
PLA
NP
RE
PA
RE
& I
MP
LEM
EN
TE
VA
LUA
TE &
IM
PR
OV
E
Nut
rient
Vis
ion
Dev
elop
Vis
ion
• Eva
luat
e go
als
and
curre
nt d
river
s
• R
egul
ator
y re
quire
men
ts
• W
ater
shed
wat
er q
ualit
y an
d to
tal m
axim
um d
aily
lo
ads
• E
ffect
s of
nut
rient
man
agem
ent b
eyon
d th
e w
ater
shed
(lon
g di
stan
ce a
quat
ic c
onne
ctio
ns,
atm
osph
eric
)
• Est
ablis
h as
pira
tiona
l goa
ls a
nd s
ub-g
oals
• N
itrog
en a
nd p
hosp
horu
s re
cove
ry
• E
nerg
y an
d w
ater
reco
very
• Bec
ome
clim
ate-
read
y
• R
educ
e di
rect
and
indi
rect
em
issi
ons
Com
mun
icat
e In
tern
ally
• Det
erm
ine
leve
l of t
reat
men
t req
uire
d to
m
eet g
oals
• WR
RF
lead
ersh
ip/m
anag
ers
link
the
nutri
ent m
anag
emen
t vis
ion
to s
taff
perfo
rman
ce p
lans
• WR
RF
lead
ersh
ip/m
anag
ers
inco
rpor
ate
nutri
ent g
oals
and
key
pe
rform
ance
indi
cato
rs in
to s
trate
gic
plan
Com
mun
icat
e Ex
tern
ally
• WR
RF
shar
es n
utrie
nt v
isio
n w
ith e
xter
nal
stak
ehol
ders
and
the
sect
or
• Pla
ns a
re in
pla
ce to
em
brac
e ex
tern
al
mar
ket c
hang
es
• Rev
iew
per
form
ance
aga
inst
goa
ls
• Rea
sses
s lo
ng-te
rm g
oals
Sta
ff D
evel
opm
ent
and
Alig
nmen
t
Set
Tra
inin
g P
lan
• Sta
ff pe
rform
ance
pla
ns in
clud
e re
late
d tra
inin
g an
d pr
ofes
sion
al d
evel
opm
ent t
o su
ppor
t WR
RF’
s vis
ion
for
nutri
ent m
anag
emen
t
• WR
RF
fulfi
lls tr
aini
ng n
eeds
for a
ll re
leva
nt p
ositi
ons:
m
anag
emen
t, en
gine
erin
g, a
nd o
pera
tions
Trai
n an
d S
uppo
rt S
taff
• WR
RF
staf
f are
trai
ned
in o
pera
tions
• WR
RF
staf
f mai
ntai
n/in
crea
se
know
ledg
e of
em
ergi
ng te
chno
logi
es
thro
ugh
info
rmat
ion
shar
ing
even
ts
Empo
wer
Sta
ff• W
RR
F le
ader
ship
/man
ager
s es
tabl
ish
ince
ntive
s fo
r nut
rient
resu
lts
• WR
RF
lead
ersh
ip/m
anag
ers
empo
wer
st
aff t
o m
ake
chan
ges
tow
ard
nutri
ent
goal
s
• WR
RFs
men
tor a
nd g
uide
oth
er lo
cal a
nd
regi
onal
util
ities
to a
dvan
ce n
utrie
nt g
oals
Fina
ncia
l Via
bilit
y Id
entif
y Fu
ndin
g O
ptio
ns• I
dent
ify e
cono
mic
ince
ntive
s an
d co
sts
for n
utrie
nt
rem
oval
and
/or r
ecov
ery
• Ide
ntify
size
of W
RR
F w
here
reco
very
is c
ost-e
ffect
ive
(Am
I bi
g en
ough
or t
oo b
ig?)
• Dev
elop
fina
ncia
l stra
tegy
to s
uppo
rt nu
trien
t pro
ject
s
• Con
side
r alte
rnat
e fin
anci
ng m
etho
ds
• P
rivat
e vs
pub
lic fi
nanc
e an
d op
erat
ions
• A
ltern
ative
pro
ject
del
ivery
(des
ign-
build
-ope
rate
, bu
ild-o
wn-
oper
ate-
trans
fer,
etc
)
• S
ale
of g
reen
hous
e ga
s cr
edits
for N
2O-e
mis
sion
re
duct
ion
and
rene
wab
le e
nerg
y ge
nera
tion
Bud
get f
or S
ucce
ss• U
se li
fecy
cle
anal
ysis
for p
roje
ct
deci
sion
-mak
ing
• Nut
rient
man
agem
ent/r
ecov
ery
is
cons
ider
ed o
n al
l cap
ital p
roje
ct
desi
gns,
in o
pera
ting
budg
et d
ecis
ions
, an
d st
anda
rd o
pera
ting
prac
tices
Inve
st in
the
Futu
re• W
RR
F’s
reco
vere
d re
sour
ce re
venu
es
gene
rate
suf
ficie
nt fu
ndin
g to
inve
st
in o
ther
prio
ritie
s an
d re
duce
upw
ard
pres
sure
on
rate
s
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 11
TOP
IC 2
: U
ND
ER
STA
ND
ING
TH
E E
NV
IRO
NM
EN
TP
LAN
PR
EP
AR
E &
IM
PLE
ME
NT
EV
ALU
ATE
& I
MP
RO
VE
Dat
a an
d C
hara
cter
izat
ion
Col
lect
Info
rmat
ion
• Par
amet
er m
onito
ring
for
deci
sion
-mak
ing
(nitr
ogen
sp
ecie
s, c
arbo
n, g
reen
hous
e ga
s em
issi
ons,
etc
), p
oten
tially
in
clud
es:
•
Ups
trea
m
• C
olle
ctio
n sy
stem
• In
dust
rial d
isch
arge
rs
•
At f
acili
ty
• In
fluen
t
• In
-faci
lity
• E
fflue
nt
•
Env
ironm
ent
• R
ecei
ving
bod
y
• W
RR
F co
nsid
ers
frequ
ency
of
sam
plin
g
Ana
lyze
Dat
a
• P
roce
ss in
form
atio
n to
und
erst
and
optio
ns,
exam
ples
incl
ude:
•
Car
bon
to n
itrog
en r
atio
•
Car
bon
to p
hosp
horu
s ra
tio
• A
sses
s cu
rren
t fac
ility
per
form
ance
for
nutr
ient
re
mov
al
• U
nder
stan
d cu
rren
t rem
oval
of n
itrog
en
spec
ies
(inci
dent
al/in
tent
iona
l)
• A
sses
s re
ceiv
ing-
wat
er im
pact
s/ne
eds
•
Wat
er q
ualit
y de
grad
atio
n be
caus
e of
nu
trie
nt d
isch
arge
s
•
Und
erst
and
gree
nhou
se g
as e
mis
sion
s
Pro
activ
ely
Use
Dat
a
• U
se d
ata
to im
prov
e:
•
Faci
lity
oper
atio
ns
•
Trad
ing
prog
ram
s
•
Sou
rce
cont
rol
•
Nex
t des
ign
upgr
ade
Mod
elin
gS
elec
t Mod
el
• Ens
ure
that
dat
a ga
ther
ed is
us
eful
for
mod
elin
g ef
fort
s
Mod
elin
g fo
r D
esig
n
• U
se w
ater
qua
lity
mod
elin
g to
iden
tify/
quan
tify
rece
ivin
g w
ater
res
pons
e to
nut
rient
s
•
How
do
nutr
ient
effl
uent
con
cent
ratio
ns
chan
ge a
nd a
ffect
rec
eivi
ng w
ater
s?
•
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g su
ppor
t for
app
ropr
iate
te
chno
logy
for
vario
us p
erfo
rman
ce
leve
ls
• M
odel
the
trea
tmen
t pro
cess
to u
nder
stan
d its
co
nstr
aint
s an
d op
port
uniti
es
•
Red
unda
ncy
in d
esig
n
• D
eter
min
e w
heth
er n
itrog
en r
emov
al
tech
nolo
gy w
ill r
equi
re m
ajor
cap
ital
inve
stm
ent
• U
nder
stan
d ef
fect
s on
gre
enho
use
gas
emis
sion
s
Mod
elin
g fo
r O
pera
tions
• U
tiliz
e m
olec
ular
tool
s
• U
se m
odel
ing
in d
ecis
ion-
mak
ing
•
Det
erm
ine
carb
on tr
adeo
ffs w
ith n
itrog
en
rem
oval
•
Nitr
ogen
rem
oval
req
uire
s m
ore
supp
lem
enta
l car
bon
if us
ing
bio-
P
•
Max
den
itrify
ing
PAO
s
• D
evel
op d
iges
ter
phos
phor
us p
reci
pita
tion
mod
els
focu
sing
on
criti
cal c
hem
istr
y
• U
nder
stan
d se
ttlin
g ch
arac
teris
tics
–mus
t not
co
mpr
omis
e se
ttlea
bilit
y or
dew
ater
abili
ty
• M
odel
to u
nder
stan
d di
ffusi
on a
nd m
ass
tran
sfer
to fa
cilit
ate
cont
rol s
chem
es
• Im
plem
ent o
nlin
e co
ntro
l
• C
ontr
ol N
2O
12 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
TOP
IC 3
: P
RO
DU
CT
DE
VE
LOP
ME
NT
PLA
NP
RE
PA
RE
& I
MP
LEM
EN
TE
VA
LUA
TE &
IM
PR
OV
E
Mar
ketin
gD
ata
Col
lect
ion
• C
olle
ct d
ata
to u
nder
stan
d th
e m
arke
t
•
Iden
tify
stak
ehol
ders
and
cu
stom
ers
in th
e m
arke
t for
nu
trie
nts
and
othe
r re
cove
red
reso
urce
s
•
Ass
ess
com
petit
ion
for
prod
uct
•
Trac
k ec
onom
ic p
roje
ctio
ns o
n fu
ture
sup
ply
of p
hosp
horu
s to
ke
ep u
p w
ith c
urre
nt th
inki
ng
abou
t pot
entia
l sho
rtag
es o
f m
ined
pho
spho
rus
•
Use
mar
ket-d
riven
sta
ndar
ds (
ex
U S
Dep
artm
ent o
f Agr
icul
ture
pa
rtne
rshi
p fo
r ph
osph
orus
pr
oduc
ts)
•
Eva
luat
e po
tent
ial f
or g
reen
hous
e ga
s re
duct
ion
cred
its
Dev
elop
Mar
ketin
g S
trate
gy
• C
reat
e a
valu
e-co
st p
ropo
sitio
n
•
Iden
tify
valu
e of
rec
over
ed r
esou
rce
•
Eva
luat
e re
cove
ry c
osts
• D
evel
op m
arke
ting,
sal
es, a
nd b
rand
ing
stra
tegy
• C
omm
unic
ate
bene
fits
and
adva
ntag
es o
f nu
trie
nt r
ecov
ery
Sel
l Rec
over
ed R
esou
rces
• B
rand
and
sel
l nut
rient
s an
d ot
her
reco
vere
d re
sour
ces
• S
ell g
reen
hous
e ga
s of
fset
cre
dits
Pro
duct
Pro
duct
ion
and
Con
trol
Pro
duct
Dev
elop
men
t
• D
evel
op a
qua
lity
assu
ranc
e pr
ogra
m
and
proc
ess
for
prod
ucts
Pro
duct
Pro
duct
ion
• P
rodu
ce p
rodu
ct fo
r m
arke
t
Pub
lic C
omm
unic
atio
nsId
entif
y S
take
hold
er V
alue
s
• Id
entif
y va
lues
of c
omm
unity
and
util
ity
boar
d of
trus
tees
• S
hift
cultu
ral m
inds
et fr
om “
mee
ting
the
perm
it” to
rec
over
ing
reso
urce
s
• Id
entif
y en
viro
nmen
tal i
ncen
tives
for
nutr
ient
rec
over
y
Pub
lic O
utre
ach
• D
evel
op p
ublic
und
erst
andi
ng o
f the
new
pu
rpos
e of
a W
RR
F
• C
ondu
ct p
ublic
rel
atio
ns fo
r nu
trie
nt
reco
very
Sha
re E
xper
ienc
e
• S
hare
bes
t pra
ctic
es w
ith o
ther
ut
ilitie
s an
d th
e se
ctor
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 13
TOP
IC 4
: E
VA
LUA
TIO
N O
F A
LTE
RN
ATI
VE
SP
LAN
PR
EP
AR
E &
IM
PLE
ME
NT
EV
ALU
ATE
& I
MP
RO
VE
Gen
eral
Ev
alua
tion
Iden
tify
Trea
tmen
t Lev
els
• Det
erm
ine
leve
l of t
reat
men
t ava
ilabl
e
• Det
erm
ine
leve
l of t
reat
men
t req
uire
d or
des
ired
• Defi
ne o
pera
tiona
l/pro
cess
cha
nges
requ
ired
to
reco
ver n
utrie
nts
Iden
tify
Opp
ortu
nitie
s• I
dent
ify a
dditi
onal
opp
ortu
nitie
s re
quiri
ng
mor
e tim
e or
cap
ital t
o im
plem
ent,
and
deve
lop
a pl
an to
fina
nce/
impl
emen
t
• Ass
ess
liqui
d vs
sol
id re
cove
ry (w
ater
reus
e vs
lan
d ap
plic
atio
n/st
ruvit
e re
cove
ry)
• Ens
ure
bios
olid
s nu
trien
ts a
re c
onsi
dere
d a
reso
urce
Eval
uate
Nut
rient
Rec
over
y• I
dent
ify re
sear
ch a
nd d
evel
opm
ent n
eeds
to
drive
inno
vatio
ns
• Eva
luat
e ho
w s
imul
tane
ous
nitri
ficat
ion
and
deni
trific
atio
n ca
n lo
wer
car
bon
requ
irem
ents
• Eva
luat
e w
hole
faci
lity
nutri
ent r
ecov
ery
• Ide
ntify
wat
er q
ualit
y tra
ding
and
gr
eenh
ouse
gas
offs
et c
redi
t opp
ortu
nitie
s
Nitr
ogen
R
emov
al
Eval
uatio
n
Iden
tify
Low
-Cos
t Opt
ions
• Det
erm
ine
whe
ther
the
faci
lity
curre
ntly
has
capa
city
(tan
kage
, blo
wer
s, e
tc )
for n
itrifi
catio
n an
d de
nitri
ficat
ion
• Eva
luat
e th
e en
ergy
cos
t of v
ario
us te
chno
logi
es
and
sust
aina
ble
nitro
gen
rem
oval
for v
ario
us e
fflue
nt
conc
entra
tions
• Eva
luat
e op
portu
nitie
s fo
r hig
h-ni
troge
n si
dest
ream
s
Opt
imiz
e Fa
cilit
y• R
euse
exis
ting
tank
age
to g
et im
med
iate
ni
troge
n re
mov
al to
~10
-15
mg/
L at
low
co
st
• Con
side
r N2O
em
issi
ons
from
nitr
ifica
tion
and
deni
trific
atio
n w
hen
desi
gnin
g th
e sy
stem
Eval
uate
Lon
g-Te
rm Im
prov
emen
ts• S
tudy
impa
ct o
f low
dis
solve
d ox
ygen
and
am
mon
ia-b
ased
aer
atio
n co
ntro
l on:
• P
AO
upt
ake
of p
hosp
horu
s
• C
ompe
titio
n be
twee
n PA
Os
and
glyc
ogen
-acc
umul
atin
g or
gani
sms
(GA
Os)
• I
ncre
ases
in N
2O e
mis
sion
s
Pho
spho
rus
Rem
oval
Ev
alua
tion
Eval
uate
Sho
rt-Te
rm Im
prov
emen
ts• M
odify
ing
exis
ting
faci
litie
s to
get
low
-han
ging
frui
t
• P
hosp
horu
s to
~1
mg/
L at
no/
low
cos
t
• S
witc
h of
f mixe
rs fo
r low
-tech
pho
spho
rus
rem
oval
• M
ore
carb
on fo
r fer
men
tatio
n of
mixe
d liq
uor
• Rec
ogni
ze e
mer
ging
info
rmat
ion
to m
inim
ize c
ost o
f ch
em-P
• G
ood
mixi
ng a
t the
poi
nt o
f app
licat
ion
• F
erric
/Mag
nesi
um a
dditi
on
Opt
imiz
e Fa
cilit
y• R
ecog
nize
pho
spho
rus-
rem
oval
tech
niqu
es
vary
for m
eetin
g di
ffere
nt o
bjec
tives
, suc
h as
dev
elop
ing
a pr
oduc
t vs
min
imizi
ng
nega
tive
impa
cts
on re
ceivi
ng w
ater
bodi
es
Obs
erve
Reg
ulat
ory
Land
scap
e• A
sses
s ph
osph
orus
lim
itatio
ns o
n la
nd
appl
icat
ion
of b
ioso
lids
in a
reas
with
ph
osph
orus
sat
urat
ed s
oils
• Bas
ed o
n N
atur
al R
esou
rces
Con
serv
atio
n S
ervic
e co
de 5
90, l
and
appl
icat
ion
may
no
t be
appl
icab
le fo
r pho
spho
rus
reco
very
/re
use,
dep
endi
ng o
n lo
cal c
ondi
tions
Car
bon
Iden
tify
Low
-Cos
t Opt
ions
• Det
erm
ine
if fa
cilit
y ca
n de
nitri
fy s
impl
y an
d at
low
co
st (e
xces
s ca
paci
ty, s
uffic
ient
car
bon)
, and
wha
t ef
fluen
t con
cent
ratio
ns/m
ass
coul
d be
ach
ieve
d
Inve
stig
ate
Pot
entia
l Pro
blem
s• E
xplo
re s
uppl
emen
tal c
arbo
n is
sues
• P
rocu
rem
ent p
olic
y an
d pr
icin
g
• D
emon
stra
tion
and
test
ing
• W
aste
pro
duct
s
14 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
TOP
IC 5
: R
ISK
MA
NA
GE
ME
NT
PLA
NP
RE
PA
RE
& I
MP
LEM
EN
TE
VA
LUA
TE &
IM
PR
OV
E
Reg
ulat
ory
Ris
k M
anag
emen
t Id
entif
y an
d P
riorit
ize
Ris
ks• E
valu
ate
lega
l/reg
ulat
ory
impl
icat
ions
of
volu
ntar
y ac
tion
• Ide
ntify
ear
ly te
chno
logy
ado
ptio
n ris
ks
• S
tate
-of-t
he-a
rt te
chno
logy
vs
new
te
chno
logy
(ana
mm
ox, d
emon
, etc
)
Miti
gate
Ris
ks• D
evel
op s
trate
gy fo
r ris
k m
itiga
tion
and/
or s
harin
g
• “
Cre
atin
g th
e S
pace
for I
nnov
atio
n”
• “
Saf
e H
arbo
r”
Leve
rage
Inno
vatio
n• O
rgan
izatio
n su
cces
sful
ly tri
es to
im
plem
ent i
nnov
ative
pro
ject
s an
d is
ad
apta
ble
to e
mer
ging
opp
ortu
nitie
s
Ups
tream
M
anag
emen
tU
nder
stan
d U
pstre
am• R
educ
e in
flow
and
infil
tratio
n
• Eva
luat
e w
ater
effi
cien
cy a
nd c
onse
rvat
ion
• Eva
luat
e w
ater
effi
cien
cy a
nd c
onse
rvat
ion
• Sep
arat
e co
mbi
ned
syst
ems
• Pre
treat
to m
inim
ize n
itrifi
catio
n in
hibi
tion
• Ide
ntify
sew
er s
calp
ing
and
stre
am s
epar
atio
n op
portu
nitie
s
• Int
egra
te re
sour
ce m
anag
emen
t – in
clud
e ou
tsid
e w
aste
s an
d br
oade
n m
arke
ts
Cre
ate
Bal
ance
d Fr
amew
ork
• Pre
treat
men
t pol
icy
• C
harg
e fo
r Tot
al K
jeld
ahl N
itrog
en (T
KN
), to
tal p
hosp
horu
s, a
nd lo
w a
lkal
inity
• R
ewar
d fo
r rea
dily
biod
egra
dabl
e ch
emic
al
oxyg
en d
eman
d an
d hi
gh a
lkal
inity
• Put
a w
ater
effi
cien
cy p
rogr
am in
pla
ce
• Dec
entra
lize
infra
stru
ctur
e to
opt
imize
reco
very
• T
reat
men
t (se
wer
sca
lpin
g)
• Stre
am s
epar
atio
n
Bal
ance
Sou
rce
Con
trol w
ith R
esou
rce
Rec
over
y• S
eek
partn
ersh
ips
for a
nim
al w
aste
and
ot
her w
aste
stre
ams
• Im
plem
ent s
ewer
sca
lpin
g an
d ur
ine
dive
rsio
n
• Rec
over
pro
tein
s, a
nd re
mov
e ni
troge
n an
d ph
osph
orus
bef
ore
treat
men
t (in
dust
rial w
aste
)
• Sep
arat
e ec
olog
ical
san
itatio
n st
ream
s
Inno
vatio
nR
ewar
d In
nova
tion
• Red
uce
risk
thro
ugh
colla
bora
tive
rese
arch
and
in
form
atio
n sh
arin
g
• Hav
e W
RR
F le
ader
ship
/man
ager
s re
cogn
ize
and
rew
ard
inno
vativ
e ap
proa
ches
• Cha
ract
erize
dis
char
ge im
pact
s by
con
duct
ing
rese
arch
on
how
rece
iving
wat
ers
reac
t to
diffe
rent
effl
uent
con
cent
ratio
ns
Impr
ove
Mod
els
• Dev
elop
bet
ter m
odel
ing
tool
s
• M
ultip
le p
opul
atio
ns o
f AO
B a
nd N
OB
• K
inet
ics
for a
nam
mox
bac
teria
(AM
X)
• B
ioau
gmen
tatio
n sp
eed
• B
iofil
ms
and
gran
ules
• Dev
elop
bet
ter s
toic
hiom
etry
and
kin
etic
s fo
r ch
em-P
mod
els
• Im
prov
e si
mul
atio
n m
odel
s fo
r GA
Os
and
the
bene
fit to
bio
-P fr
om in
tern
al c
arbo
n fe
rmen
tatio
n
• Mod
el th
e di
gest
er fo
r sid
estre
am re
turn
s
Pilo
t Tes
t• T
est m
odel
reco
mm
enda
tions
• Obt
ain
pate
nts
to p
rote
ct th
e W
RR
F an
d w
ater
sec
tor
Infra
stru
ctur
e R
isk
Man
agem
ent
Pla
n fo
r the
Fut
ure
• Ide
ntify
uni
t ope
ratio
ns/b
asin
s fo
r use
in fu
ture
ite
ratio
ns o
f nut
rient
redu
ctio
n
• Lea
ve s
pace
in th
e fa
cilit
y hy
drau
lic p
rofil
e to
ac
com
mod
ate
futu
re p
roce
sses
Miti
gate
Ris
ks• E
valu
ate
futu
re re
duct
ion
targ
ets
• Des
ign
for c
urre
nt re
quire
men
ts w
ith a
n ey
e to
war
d fu
ture
requ
irem
ents
Eval
uate
Opt
ions
• Ass
ess
reso
urce
reco
very
ver
sus
treat
men
t/red
uctio
n
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 15
UtilitiesBarbara BiggsGovernmental Affairs OfficerEnvironmental ServicesMetro Wastewater Reclamation District
Charles BottChief of Research and DevelopmentHampton Roads Sanitation District
Nick MenningaGeneral ManagerDowners Grove Sanitary District
Sudhir MurthyInnovations Chief DC Water
Paul SteinbrecherDirector of Environmental PermittingEnvironmental ServicesJEA
GovernmentMichael TateDirectorBureau of WaterKansas Department of Health and Environment
Jeffrey LapeDeputy DirectorOffice of Science and TechnologyU S Environmental Protection Agency
Jason TurgeonEnvironmental ScientistEnergy and Climate UnitU S Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
UniversitiesJeanette BrownProfessor of PracticeCivil and Environmental EngineeringManhattan College
G. Tracy MehanAdjunct Professor George Mason University
Donald PryorBrown University
Consulting FirmsJames BarnardGlobal Practice and Technology LeaderBlack & Veatch
JB NeethlingTechnical Director for WastewaterHDR, Inc
NonprofitsJon DevineSenior AttorneyWater ProgramNatural Resources Defense Council
Chris HornbackSenior Director of Regulatory AffairsNational Association of Clean Water Agencies
Gregory KesterDirector of Renewable Resource ProgramsCalifornia Association of Sanitation Agencies
Amit PramanikSenior Program DirectorWater Environment Research Foundation
Partner StaffWendy ButlerMeeting and Special Events ManagerThe Johnson Foundation at Wingspread
Selena ElmerProject Associate and FellowMeridian InstituteMolly Mayo PartnerMeridian Institute
Lynn BroaddusDirector of Environment ProgramThe Johnson Foundation at Wingspread
Steven HamburgChief ScientistEnvironmental Defense Fund
Joe RudekLead Senior ScientistEnvironmental Defense Fund
Barry LinerDirectorWater Science and Engineering CenterWater Environment Federation
Christine RadkeProject ManagerWater Science and Engineering CenterWater Environment Federation
Matthew RiesChief Technical OfficerWater Environment Federation
Tim WilliamsSenior DirectorGovernment AffairsWater Environment Federation
Lorna ErnstTechnical Publications ManagerJournals & BooksWater Environment Federation
Airlie Meeting Participants
16 THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER
Online Resources“Phosphorus in Biosolids: How to Protect Water Quality While Advancing Biosolids Use,” WEF, May 2014 Web: http://bit ly/PBiosolids
“Enabling the Future: Advancing Resource Recovery from Biosolids,” WEF, 2013 Web: http://bit ly/EnablingtheFuture
“The Road Toward Smarter Nutrient Management in Municipal Water Treatment,” The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, March 2014 Web: http://bit ly/smarternutrient
BooksDesign of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (MOP 8), WEF, 2009
Operation of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (MOP 11), WEF, 2017
Nutrient Removal (MOP 34), WEF, 2010
Appendix: References
THE NUTRIENT ROADMAP PRIMER 17
The Nutrient RoadmapThe Nutrient Roadmap is a first step toward accelerating the transition to smarter nutrient management, facilitating the shift from removal to recovery, and anticipating future requirements to conserve energy and reuse resources Case studies explore the innovative, cost-effective solutions employed by pioneering wastewater resource recovery facilities
The Nutrient Roadmap acknowledges that each utility faces unique challenges and provides you with a variety of paths to follow and alternative destinations from which to choose as you embark on the road toward sustainability
184 pages Soft CoverList $105 | Member $84
The Energy RoadmapThe Energy Roadmap serves as a guide for utilities of all sizes on the path to sustainable energy management In it, you will explore innovative approaches to cost-effectively recover and reuse resources to transform “wastes” to valuable products The book outlines six stops on the path to resource recovery, presenting insights and models for1 strategic management,2 creating an organizational culture,3 effective communication and outreach,4 demand-side management,5 energy generation, and6 innovating for the future
148 pages | Order No P130001List: $55 00 |WEF Member: $44 00
To order: www.wef.org/ShopWEF
Resources