Dual Water SystemDual Water System

• Create a cycle of reuse to diminish total water demand; minimize advanced drinking water treatment flow

• Grey water produced from showers, washing machines, dishwashers, cooking, etc.

• Underground cisterns store grey water

UV

Micro-Filtratio

n

• Grey water treated with microfiltration and UV disinfection

• Reused in toilets, landscaping, other outdoor uses

• Rooftop planted beds absorb rainwater– Reduce pollutants in water– Decrease stormwater runoff– Diminish water in treatment systems

• Decrease urban heat island effect by increasing albedo of the urban landscape

• Reduce air pollutants• Increase energy efficiency of building• Lengthen lifespan of the roof

Green RoofsGreen Roofs

Micro

0.1μ

Coarse

1.0μ

Ultra

0.01μ

Nano

0.001μ

UV

Wastewater Treatment: Wastewater Treatment: MFCsMFCs

• Pretreatment = physically remove solids

• Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) replace anoxic & aerobic reactors

• Anode– Anaerobic bacteria in anode– Wastewater feeds the bacteria – Oxidize organic material e-

flow to electrode • Cathode

– O2, e-, & H+ combine clean water

– Power generated as current flows

• Clarifier or membrane separates and returns biomass

CathodeAir

Anode

Anode

R

Wastewater

Effluent

+

- i

ClarifierMFCsPretreatment

Based on design of Dr. Bruce Logan

Wastewater Treatment: Wastewater Treatment: MFCsMFCs

• Remove up to 80% of organic matter • Self-sufficient wastewater treatment plant• Likely there will be a surplus of energy

Three Power Projections for the City of Chicago Based on Different Parameters

of MFCs

Dr. Bruce Logan's goal of 1W/m2 434 MW

Naval Research Lab estimate of 500W/m3 145 MW

Wastewater influent estimate of 0.5 kJ/g COD 251 MW

ClarifierMFCsPretreatment

Wastewater Treatment: Wastewater Treatment: HydroponicsHydroponics

• UV disinfection prior to entering

• Plants grow suspended on nets with roots directly in water

• Plant, invertebrate, and aerobic bacterial communities perform nutrient uptake

• Located inside greenhouses for winter operation near the head of each eco-boulevard

• Provides additional green space for city

• Produces valuable crops (vegetables, cut flowers, etc.)

ClarifierMFCsPretreatment

Wastewater Treatment: Wastewater Treatment: WetlandsWetlands

• Located along UrbanLab’s Eco-Boulevards

• Constructed wetland, surface flow, benthic net*

• Polish discharge from hydroponics

• Pedestrian access provided on raised nature walkways through 20 Eco-Boulevards

• Designed for worst-case scenario: 100-yr storm event (1hr)

• Runoff drains directly to wetlands

• Water level in wetlands rise from baseline level (0.3m) to 1 meter

• Decrease concentration of nutrients, metals, and particles

• Wetlands act as an environmental buffer during storms

*Source: Ishida, et. al., “Microbial Ecology”, 2008, 56:140-152.”

UV Hydroponics

Benthic Net

Fuzhou, China

Combined Sewer

Overflow Map of

Chicago

After three decades, we’re still DUMPING IN THE LAKE

By Michael Hawthorne, Tribune reporter4:19 p.m. CDT, March 19, 2011

• Billed as an engineering marvel and national model, Chicago's Deep Tunnel was designed to protect Lake Michigan from sewage overflows and put an end to the once-frequent practice of dumping human and industrial waste into local rivers – 1970 - 2029.

• Nearly 4 decades after one of the nation's most expensive public works projects (>$3.5B), billions of gallons of bacteria-laden sewage and storm runoff still routinely pour into the Chicago River and suburban waterways during and after storms

• Between 2007 and 2010, records show, the agency in charge of Deep Tunnel dumped nearly 19 billion gallons of storm water teeming with disease-causing and fish-killing waste into the Great Lake, the source of drinking water for 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs. By contrast, 12 billion gallons poured out between 1985 and 2006.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-0320-deep-tunnel-problems-20110319,0,1283119.story