Grant: Alliance Grants

Water is the most important resource on earth. However, as water use increases globally, the quantity of wastewater and its overall pollution load are also increasing. Currently, the wastewater treatment industries face increasing energy costs, finite resources, water conservation, and more stringent regulations. Management methods are also required to handle and dispose of the residuals generated by wastewater treatment components. Additionally, discharges to natural waterways from cities, agriculture, and industry affect the aquatic ecosystem and downstream water users. These wastewater-related problems affect Alberta, along with the rest of Canada and the world. Therefore, a wastewater management system that can respond to the needs of different communities is urgently needed. To address these concerns, the goal of the proposed research program in Community-Based Wastewater Management Towards a Circular Economy is to develop effective, integrated, and low-energy treatment strategies for better managing municipal and industrial wastewaters for their safe discharge or reuse. The application of circular economy strategies will be a driver to reduce the pressure on natural resources and minimize waste. The proposed research program will center on the development of cutting-edge materials from waste; the development of integrated low-energy systems to target a wide range of contaminants, and the recovery of resources such as cellulose and energy from the wastewater, biomass, and sludge. Because water systems in the province of Alberta are impacted not only by municipal sewage effluents, but also by the oil and gas developments, this program aims to provide reliable and sustainable wastewater treatment systems for these affected communities by targeting both municipal and industrial wastewater. A community-based treatment approach will be used to evaluate each wastewater stream to create sustainable and locally appropriate treatment and reuse solutions. This research will establish the basis of new wastewater treatment approaches by combining different technologies and developing innovative materials that will replace existing practices and help to transition to a circular economy strategy.