Grantee Research Project Results
2021 Progress Report: Tertiary Wastewater Treatment through Aquaponics
EPA Grant Number: SU840154Title: Tertiary Wastewater Treatment through Aquaponics
Investigators: Murray, Kelsey , Mitchell, Bryan , Loverich, James , Eisenbraun, Kaden , Anderson, Todd , Denny, Kindra , Fisher, Michele , Ward, Jay , Gonzalez, Greg
Current Investigators: Murray, Kelsey , Mitchell, Bryan , Loverich, James , Eisenbraun, Kaden , Anderson, Todd
Institution: Western Dakota Technical Institute
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2023)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2020 through November 30,2021
Project Amount: $24,995
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
The objective of the current P3 design project is to develop an aquaponics system for use in tertiary wastewater treatment. The use of soilless agriculture platforms in integrated closed-loop wastewater systems has been shown to capture nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that are essential for plant growth, thereby preventing surface water contamination with nutrients. Given there is often a shortage of nearby arable land for crop production, hydroponic or aquaponic approaches using wastewater irrigation are a mutually beneficial relationship, in that it eliminates the need for agricultural land. The resulting systems would allow for year-round production using reclaimed wastewater in virtually any location across the globe. The design will ultimately link agricultural and sanitation technologies to simultaneously address 21st century challenges of food insecurity, nutrient-depletion in soils, pollution, and water reclamation.
In order to meet the challenges of sustainable waste management systems, sanitation technologies are innovatively being linked to agricultural systems. Issues related to water scarcity, nutrient-depletion in soils, and waste disposal are becoming increasingly common, largely due to an expanding global human population and climate change. Thus, there is a need for sustainable waste management systems that both protect the environment and benefit society. This can be accomplished through aquaponic systems, using reclaimed wastewater effluent as the water and nutrient source. Additionally, through aquaponics technology, total bacterial load in wastewater effluent may be lowered, thereby preventing contamination with fecal coliforms and potentially pathogenic bacteria.\
Western Dakota Technical College has formed an intradisciplinary team comprised of Environmental Engineering, Controlled Environment Agriculture, Electrical Trades, Computer-Aided Design, and Farm and Ranch Management students to design and build an aquaponics system to be used in tertiary treatment of wastewater effluent, where bacterial levels are lowered, and nutrients are recovered and re-used for crop production. The design will ultimately link agricultural and sanitation technologies to simultaneously address 21st century challenges of food insecurity, nutrient-depletion in soils, pollution, and water reclamation.
Progress Summary:
For this project, a mobile hydroponics trailer equipped an automated crop production system was designed, constructed, and is currently being tested for use in tertiary wastewater treatment. For the design work, we have completed a Creo assembly model of the design, rendered 3D images, created an augmented reality experience of the design, and provided dimensioned working drawings of the system. For construction, we have designed and engineered a NFT mounting system and trays were installed. A custom-made water distribution system, consisting of a continuous loop with two separate pumps was designed and installed. The water distribution system has ports for water quality monitoring equipment, a manifold system for control, and valves. An automated electrical control system (Micro PLC/panel view program) was designed and installed for control over full-spectrum LED and UV lights, pump timing, water flow rate (adjustable), and integration of water quality monitoring equipment and associated database for data capture. Upon completion of construction of this mobile tertiary treatment plant, data concerning its ability to deplete nutrients from tertiary wastewater using hydroponics will be analyzed.
Supplemental Keywords:
water, water treatment, tertiary water treatment, nutrient reduction, coliform reduction, water filtration, water reclamation, pathogen detection and removal, agriculture
Relevant Websites:
EPA P3: Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater Using Aquaponics Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.