jochen scheerer

Recycling grey water in green façades

October 20 th, 2011 – LISBON

Dr. Jochen Scheerer

COBERTURAS E FACHADAS MEDITERRANICAS VIVAS E PRODUCTIVAS II

Recycling grey water in green façades

Company Presentation

� ASEPMA is an engineering company specialized in water management, treatment andreuse of non potable water.

� Since its beginning in 2003, ASEPMA has offered its services to a great number of clientscoming from the field of public administrations all kind of industries as well as privatecustomers. Those services include the whole range of tasks related to the management ofwater cycle beginning with consultancy, project design, installation and maintenance andcontrol of treatment facilities for non potable water.

� Besides standard compact treatments, ASEPMA offers alternative solutions for waste watertreatment using constructed wetlands, both horizontal and vertical. The later based on ainnovative technology patented by ASEPMA.

� Since January 2009, ASEPMA has become a business unit of the ABM Group dedicated toconsultancy, service and technical solutions related to industrial waste water, urban sewage,grey water and rain water management.

What kind of water restrictions exists in the Mediterranean area?

Periodic scarcity

Increasing costs

Legislation

Recycling grey water in green façades

Episodes of drought and advancing of

desertification

Water prices are expected to

continue increasing faster than in the

past.

(Since 2005, water prices in Spain increased 28 % in average)

There is a growing number of legal

requirements on national, regional

and local levels fostering water

saving.

Local requirements

Aim Fostering of water saving measures and sustainable use

of water.

Field of application

�New buildings and constructions.

�Rehabilitation and reforms of existing buildings.

�Public buildings

Rain water Grey water Pool water

Recycling grey water in green façades

Current water management concept

Recycling grey water in green façades

Drinking water

Usage

Waste water

Alternative water management concept

Recycling grey water in green façades

Drinking water

Reclaimed water

Grey Water

Black water

Use Waste water

Treatment and regeneration

Waste water treatment is the sum of different

individual operations which we can distinguish intomechanical, physical and biological operations. The

aim of such treatment is to reduce or eliminate

certain undesirable characteristics of the waste

water.

Recycling grey water in green façades

How works waste water treatment?

Pre- Treatment: Elimination of solids and grease by mechanical, physical and chemicalmeans.

Secondary Treatment: Elimination of organic substances and nutrients by biologicmeans.

Tertiary Treatment: Advanced elimination of nutrients and hygienization by physical,chemical and biological means.

Recycling grey water in green façades

Main steps of waste water treatment

Pre-

Treatment

Secondary

Treatment

Tertiary

Treatment

Main steps of waste water treatment

Pre- Treatment:

�Mechanical sieves

�Grease separators

�Septic tanks

�Decanters, anaerobic digesters

�Physic chemical treatments

•Elimination of solids and grease by physical, chemical and mechanical

means

•Reduction of 20% BOD i 50% Solids

Recycling grey water in green façades

Main steps of waste water treatment

Secondary Treatment:

�Activated sludge

�Percolator

�Total oxidation

�Bio filters and or wetlands

•Elimination of organic substances.

•BOD: <25 mg/L O2

•Solids : <60 mg/L

Recycling grey water in green façades

Main steps of waste water treatment

Tertiary Treatment:

�Adsorption

�Ozone

�Membrane filtration

�Wetlands

•Elimination of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous

•Elimination of microorganisms

Recycling grey water in green façades

Recycling grey water in green façades

Classical concept of urban water reuse

Main problem

Distance

Treatment and regeneration of grey water or waste waterclose to the point of reuse.

Concept of IN SITU treatment and reuse

Recycling grey water in green façades

Applications of water which do not require drinking water quality :

�Irrigation of public parks and gardens .

�WC.

�Cleaning of external surfaces .

Bio Treatments: WETLANDS

Recycling grey water in green façades

The use of artificial wetlands in waste water treatment permit to benefitfrom natural processes which eliminate or reduce non desired substancesfrom the water:

�Creation of an active substrate (roots, gravel), which permits the growth and

metabolic activity of microorganisms.

�Reduction of the contamination -up to 90%- thanks to the activity of

microorganisms, which under aerobic conditions metabolize organic

contaminants into carbon dioxide and other nutrients for the plants.

�Very efficient elimination of carbon, nitrogen ad phosphorous.

�Possibility to eliminate even heavy metals by using the processes of

selective uptake and accumulation by plants (known as phytoremediation)

Recycling grey water in green façades

Bio Treatments : WETLANDS

ADVANTAGES

- IN SITU treatment.

- High efficient treatment.

- Energy consumption is verylow or nil.

- Increase of biodiversity.

- Environmental Improvementby CO2 fixing, and oxygenproduction)

- Positive landscaping.

DISADVANTATGES

- Space requirements.

Recycling grey water in green façades

Bio Treatments : WETLANDS

Difficult to use in urban

areas!

Recycling grey water in green façades

Bio Treatments : WETLANDS

In large cities there is no space

for a horizontal wetland !

But... Why it can not be done

vertically?

BABYLON

Bio Treatment: The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

A green façade where grey water

is circulated vertically usingmainly gravity force.

Obtaining treated and regenerated grey

water using approved wetland technology.

However vertically!

Bio Treatment: The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

All advantages known from wetlandtreatments.

Advantages:

In addition:

� A solution for the space problem.

�Improvement of thermo isolation of the

buildings due to known benefits of

ventilated façades and additionally due to

evaporation from the plants.

�Acoustic isolation.

�Attractive element in architecture with

additional function as IN SITU water

treatment .

�The hanging gardens of

Babylonia where constructed by Nebuchadnezzar 2nd around 600

b.C.

�Considered one of the 7 miraclesof the world, they were about 25

meters high.

�According to the descriptions of Ctesias, 400 b.C. there where

already plants of the Phragmites

species used in these installations.

Recycling grey water in green façades

Bio Treatment: The Babylon® System

Little history on green façades

Pre Treatment

Bio Treatment: The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

Elimination of solids before entering the

BABYLON® façade.

Water entry at the upper

part of the BABYLON®

façade

Recycling grey water in green façades

Bio Treatment: The Babylon® System

Outflow at the lower part of the

BABYLON® façade

The Babylon® System for grey water treatment

Recycling grey water in green façades

Separate piping for grey water

Buffer tank for grey water

Lifting Pump

Treatment

Storage tank

Supply for usage

Grey water

Treated grey water Babylon*

Quality criteria according to legal

requirements Spanish Legislation reference

Solids in suspension

27 mg/L 1.0 mg/L 10 mg/L

RD1620/2007, which establishes quality requirements for reclaimed waste waters for different applications. Quality 1.1: Residential.

Turbidity 45 NTU 0.84 NTU 2 NTU RD1620/2007 Quality 1.1: Residential

COD 210 mg/L 59 mg/L 160 mg/LRoyal Decree 849/1986 which establishes the quality requirements for spill of treated waste water

BOD - 5,0 mg/L 40 mg/L Royal Decree 849/1986; Table III

The Babylon® System for grey water treatment

Recycling grey water in green façades

Pre treatment Secondary Treatment Tertiary Treatment

Recycling grey water in green façades

The Babylon® System as one operation in waste water treatment

Primary

settlement

Total oxidation Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

Applications of The Babylon® System

Projecte Associació G.A.I.A

Applications of The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

�Reuse of treated grey water for WC of 60 parties.

Grey water treatment in buildings.

Applications of The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

�Reuse of reclaimed waste water for irrigation purposes (pilot plant).

Tertiary treatment for treated waste water of a camping site.

Babylon® Càmping

Applications of The Babylon® System

Recycling grey water in green façades

� Water reuse and cooling.

Hotel Radison

Grey water treatment at a hotel (Chile).

Recycling grey water in green façades

Tabacalera Tarragona

Applications of The Babylon® System

�Reuse of reclaimed water for sub surface irrigation of a public park.

Tertiary treatment step in an IN SITU treatment and reuse project of a public building.

Recycling grey water in green façades

Applications of The Babylon® System

Tabacalera Tarragona

Thank you for your attention!

COBERTURAS E FACHADAS MEDITERRANICAS VIVAS E PRODUCTIVAS II

Recycling grey water in green façades

October 20 th, 2011 – Lisbon

Dr. Jochen Scheerer