OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UK WATER INDUSTRY IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

How to turn residuals (‘waste’) into resources? Can we create value from water treatment sludges, a side stream of potable water treatment? Supported by the UK water industry and the UK research organization UKWIR, Isle Utilities and Allied Waters have teamed up and dived into this challenge. And the final answer is positive: yes we can!

The potential of water treatment sludges

Typically potable water is produced from groundwater or surface water sources. Next to the final product (potable water) the purification process ends up with sludges containing impurities removed and a high fraction of ferric or aluminum salts. The total volume in the UK amounts to over 115 thousand metric tons of dry solids, an impressive amount. Yet, the dominant destination of these sludges is landfilling or disposal.

However, as a result of the study circular solutions are at the horizon! E.g. the direct use of ferric sludges for biogas cleaning is already applicable at full scale. Further, acid treated sludges can be used for phosphate removal at wastewater plants.

What’s next?

The project results are a source of inspiration for follow up activities. These include development of a road map, stakeholder engagement at different levels, liaising with regulators and determining a suitable organization for this type of ‘circular business’.

Interested? Please have a read in Project Summary for Circular economy – water treatment sludges or look for the full report at Water Industry Research reports.