Environmental Engineering
R. Abdallat; A.N. Bdour; A. Abu Haifa; F.F. Al-Rawash; L. Almakhadmeh; S. Hazaimeh
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Jordan's limited water resources have reduced daily water consumption, leading to a highly concentrated greywater production rate of 54 million cubic meters per year. The presence of nitrate ions, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and biological ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Jordan's limited water resources have reduced daily water consumption, leading to a highly concentrated greywater production rate of 54 million cubic meters per year. The presence of nitrate ions, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and biological oxygen demand in greywater poses excellent environmental and health risks when disposed untreated. Water scarcity directly impacts water and food security and is expected to intensify at the current resources management practices. The significance of the current and predictable water shortage in the context of sustainable development and the presence of new technologies brought further attention to utilizing non-conventional water sources. Reclamation of treated wastewater, greywater, brackish, and seawater desalination is Jordan's water budget's only non-conventional water resource. This study aims to address Jordan's water scarcity crisis by developing a low-energy, solar-powered greywater filtration system using natural materials while ensuring compliance with Jordanian standards for safe agricultural applications.METHODS: Several treatment methods have been proposed; however, most of these systems require high to medium energy levels for treatment purposes. Hence, the running cost of the system is relatively high. To address this issue, a four-stage, low-energy, green, and decentralized solar filtration system for greywater treatment has been developed, which uses natural materials available in Jordan and activated carbon to reduce organic and solids content and remove pathogens. The system also uses hot water generated by a Photovoltaic solar system to sanitize the greywater, a novel concept of approach for sanitization. This innovative system is powered entirely by solar energy and can be installed in individual homes.FINDINGS: The results of the developed solar filtration system were very efficient in reducing turbidity, chemical oxygen demand, and Escherichia coli removal: 92, 95, and 100 percent, respectively. Furthermore, the system showed a high potential for total coliforms and Escherichia coli inactivation, reaching 4.64 and 3.15 log units, respectively. Product water meets Jordan standards, ensuring safe reuse for irrigation applications. The findings of this study highlight the satisfactory performance of the developed greywater solar filtration setup. The economic feasibility analysis demonstrates that the proposed system is economically viable and financially sound. The system’s reliance on solar energy and the absence of consumables contribute to its sustainability. They are addressing sustainable practices in greywater treatment in addition to water scarcity concerns.CONCLUSION: The treated greywater, obtained through the series of treatment steps, including solar disinfection, successfully met the Jordanian standards for safe reuse. The substantial reduction of Escherichia coli and total coliforms to acceptable levels demonstrates the treatment system's effectiveness in generating pathogen-free greywater, suitable for a wide range of applications. The study concludes that the solar filtration setup consistently delivers high-quality, pathogen-free greywater, meeting stringent regulatory requirements. This innovative, sustainable system offers a viable solution to Jordan’s water scarcity, introducing a new non-conventional water resource that requires no consumables (non-chemical, non-hazardous materials), thereby addressing sustainability concerns in greywater treatment.
Environmental Engineering
A. Bdour; A. Hejab; L. Almakhadmeh; M. Hawa
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Energy efficiency plays a crucial role in the success and sustainability of desalination technologies. Energy considerations are intricately linked with every aspect of planning, management, and operation in water desalination. This study aims to evaluate and enhance energy ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Energy efficiency plays a crucial role in the success and sustainability of desalination technologies. Energy considerations are intricately linked with every aspect of planning, management, and operation in water desalination. This study aims to evaluate and enhance energy requirements, energy efficiency, and the economic feasibility of the Hashemite University photovoltaic brackish water reverse osmosis desalination plant at Hashemite University.METHODS: This study’s aims were achieved by conducting an energy audit and detailed assessment to identify the energy efficiency considerations that should be integrated into the facility’s planning, management, and operation strategies. To ensure accurate and reliable data collection and enable a comprehensive analysis of the plant’s energy performance, portable energy analyzers and loggers were employed to measure energy consumption, and measurements and verification techniques were recommended and implemented to establish the required baseline. A regression model was utilized to determine the potential energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures. This involved determining the expected savings by calculating the area between two curves: the new actual consumption of the brackish water reverse osmosis plant after implementing energy conservation measures and the curve generated by the model representing the usual consumption in the absence of energy conservation measures.FINDINGS: This study underscores the challenges faced by desalination, particularly regarding intensive energy consumption. It also presents innovative ways to achieve sustainability by emphasizing energy efficiency, integrating renewable energy, and advocating for a holistic water management approach. It was determined that the maximum specific energy consumption of the Hashemite University photovoltaic brackish water reverse osmosis plant was 0.625 kilowatts per cubic meter. This reflects the actual consumption and energy performance of the plant, which was found to be 192 percent more efficient than the estimated specific energy and 144 percent more efficient than the calculated specific energy. No energy conservation measures were implemented at this stage, as the plant was already operating efficiently. The measured data shall be considered as a baseline for future investigations and monitoring and evaluation of the plant. Many challenges were identified during the current work, including the low quality of raw water and minimal demand for freshwater, which resulted in lower operation hours outside of sun peak hours, while the direct utilization of photovoltaic energy is recommended.CONCLUSION: Renewable energy and energy recovery were recognized as potential sources for energy savings to achieve sustainable and long-term feasible operation and cost recovery at the Hashemite University photovoltaic brackish water reverse osmosis plant. The feasibility of the plant showed a fast payback period of up to 1.1 years. Utilizing clean solar photovoltaic energy to power the brackish water reverse osmosis plant led to a considerable reduction of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide). The estimated amount of carbon dioxide reduction during the project’s lifetime was 1,289,600 kilograms. The integration of solar energy showed promise for further enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability. This study contributes to making the desalination sector more environmentally friendly and economically viable, which is of paramount importance in addressing global water scarcity concerns.
