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Severn Trent (SVT) has trialled what it describes as a cost-effective and space-saving technique at a wastewater treatment plant in Gloucester.
The company is considering wider use of small sponge-like plastic discs in the treatment process that strip more ammonia from water.
The discs are full of holes that bacteria-eating bugs attach themselves to. This gives the bugs a greater surface area to be exposed to the wastewater thus speeding up the treatment process.
Project engineer, Lewis McGregor, said the discs could make the process more cost effective and reduce the size of treatment works in the future. He said: “We introduced these sponge-like discs around three months ago and the results have been fantastic. The discs give our bugs a greater chance to react with the wastewater, which means more can be treated in a shorter time, using less space.”
Following the trial at its site near Gloucester SVT is considering using the discs at other treatment works.
Last year the company opened an innovation centre for wastewater treatment processes in Spernal, outside of Birmingham that acts as a testbed for ideas to improve resource recovery methods.
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