In recent newsletters, the Emerging Technologies Committee has highlighted topics to be covered in the upcoming CEU-eligible webinar, “Advances in Collection to Recovery: Tech Highlights from the 2021 PNCWA Annual Conference.” The final two topics are summarized below, and the committee encourages PNCWA members and non-members alike to grab a lunch or midday coffee and join this innovation-packed webinar at 12 p.m. PST on Wednesday, March 2.

First up, Nuvoda will present an abridged version of their talk from the 2021 annual conference, which introduced their Mobile Organic Biofilm (MOB) process. Ideal for retrofit installation, this hybrid aerobic granular sludge and fixed film technology is designed to provide simultaneous nutrient removal and settling to minimize chemicals and other nutrient controls. Nuvoda’s presentation will share results from a full-scale pilot installation at the City of Edmonds WWTP in the Puget Sound region. The City is exploring alternatives to meet stricter nitrogen limits without the footprint of traditional upgrades.

The fourth and final technology to be featured during the webinar addresses the role of wastewater treatment facilities in the urgent race to replace energy demands traditionally met with fossil fuels. Wastewater from homes and businesses is a significant source of energy, providing a viable source of low-grade heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. Thermal energy systems utilizing exchange with raw wastewater, while not yet common, have been installed in Europe, Asia, and North America, with more than 550 installations of wastewater-derived thermal energy recovery systems worldwide. This presentation from Tetra Tech’s leading expert on the topic will provide an overview of energy systems, their evolution, and the adoption of sewer heat recovery as a low-carbon source of thermal energy.