Waste water treatments... a broad range of possibilities?

On the 2nd of March 2018, the kick off of the Flemish demonstration project SOSpuistroom was celebrated at the Research Station for Vegetable Production in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium. SOSpuistroom or translated S.O.S Wastewater focus on the demonstration of mobile and onsite technologies to purify the discharge nutrient wastewater. The 2-years project focusses on the removal of pesticide residues and nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus. Also, the possibilities for nutrient recovery are investigated and demonstrated.

Following the kick-off meeting, a half-day workshop was organised focussing on the availability of technologies to remove either nutrients or pesticide residues. The FERTINNOWA presentation set the scene by presenting the outcomes of the grower’s benchmark survey, focussing in more detail on the current practices related to discharge of nutrient wastewater in Flemish greenhouses. Also, some of the innovative technologies exchanged in the FERTINNOWA project were shortly presented like electrodialysis, photocatalytic oxidation, and advanced ion exchange. Charlotte Boeckaert, the coordinator of the Interreg project Nuredrain, presented the current demo sites set up in the different European Member States. Particular focus went to the removal and recovery of phosphorus. Milieu Verhoeve & Water presented the company's mobile service to remove pesticide residues from wastewater. Verhoeve as well presented the Zunurec project in which they develop an all-in solution for growers as both nutrients and residues will be removed.

Source: FERTINNOWA