Grantee Research Project Results
Sustainable Nutrient Removal Opportunities for Small Communities with Lagoon Wastewater Systems
EPA Grant Number: R840468Title: Sustainable Nutrient Removal Opportunities for Small Communities with Lagoon Wastewater Systems
Investigators: Orner, Kevin , Lin, Lance , Cornejo, Pablo K , Leverenz, Harold
Current Investigators: Orner, Kevin , Leverenz, Harold , Lin, Lance , Cornejo, Pablo K
Institution: West Virginia University , California State University - Chico , University of California Davis
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025
Project Amount: $1,000,000
RFA: Innovative Water Technologies for Lagoon Wastewater Systems in Small Communities Request for Applications (RFA) (2022) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water Quality , Water
Objective:
(1) Identify the various technology options currently implemented at lagoon facilities serving less than 10,000 people that consistently remove ammonia, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus to low levels, (2) Determine the nutrient removal performance and contextual challenges of technologies that can efficiently and consistently remove nutrients in different types of lagoon systems in different climates, (3) Determine the economic performance of technologies that can efficiently and consistently remove nutrients in different types of lagoon systems in different climates, and (4) Determine the life-cycle environmental impacts of technologies that can efficiently and consistently remove nutrients in different types of lagoon systems in different climates.
Approach:
The technology options to remove nutrients at lagoon facilities in different climates will be identified via literature review and industry/regulatory outreach and disseminated via an ArcGIS geospatial database. The nutrient removal performance data will be collected via literature review, utility data, on-site sampling, and laboratory data analysis. Data will be analyzed using probability distributions and integrated into a lagoon modeling procedure for the current version of BioWin. The economic performance of each lagoon system will be determined by quantifying costs associated with capital infrastructure, operation and maintenance, and replacement. The life cycle environmental impacts will be calculated for at least three of the most commonly used lagoons and one mechanical upgrade technology using SimaPro.
Expected Results:
Accessible technical, economic, and environmental data will be communicated via case studies, spatial database, modeling procedures, and a decision-support tool to promote contextual, cost-effective technology options to improve nutrient removal in lagoon systems in small communities.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 6 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Life-Cycle AnalysisProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.