Is it possible? Waste water treatment without an aerobic treatment meeting USCG / Alaskan standards

[K R Olsen]

Good day

I have been involved in a shipboard pilot plant advanced waste water treatment system for a few months. Nearly 5 million USD spent and 3 years later, this company is once again reevaluating the system. As a marine engineer I can only research information not having a formal eduction in waste water treatment processes

Cruise ship has highly concentrated black water and grey water. The current system flow is through Salsness screen, additional filters, ozone tank, UF filtration and than RO plant (nano)... significant bio film / cellulose found through out system causing great difficulties.

In researching waste water treatment plants,I have yet to find any technical reference or white paper that describes black water treatment with ozone without an aerobic pre treatment. I have read about ozone post treatment but this is mainly for micro foulants..

My simple point of view is this. With these existing technologies (UF / RO / Ozone) being over 30 years old or more IF it was possible to fully treat black and grey water, with out an aerobic pretreatment it would have been already done!

Any and all comments welcome!!!

Regards

Keith

 

[ashtree]

The way you have described the process, it looks as though that apart from the ozone treatment the system is only intended to remove solids and them ultimately some mineral salts through the RO. That is unless some of the "addittional filters" are some sort of bio treatment.

Whilst the ozone will break down some of the organic matter present it may actually make some of it more easy to assimilate and be used as a food source for bacteria , hence the biofilms and fouling.
Concentrated black water is going to be difficult to treat to a high standard without some form of anaerobic treatment step.

Can you provide a sketch of the process flow path.

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[bimr]

The treatment scheme you are describing will only provide partial treatment as the RO will function to concentrate the pollutants rather than provide "treatment". The concentrated stream (RO reject) will have to be stored and treated.

The treatment scheme does not appear to be a workable long term option.