Run4Life proposes an alternative strategy for improving nutrient recovery, based on the decentralised treatment of segregated domestic wastewater streams and organic kitchen waste.
The concept is demonstrated at four large scale sites in Europe, where proven and innovative technologies are implemented and further developed: Nieuwe Dokken (Gent, Belgium), Oceanhamnen (Helsingborg, Sweden), Porto do Molle (Vigo, Spain) and Lemmerweg-Oost (Sneek, the Netherlands). Each site features its own combination of different waste flows and innovative treatment and recovery technologies.
Click on the location markers to see more information about each of the sites, or use the menu drop-down buttons.
Sneek (NL)
In Sneek the Run4Life concept will be demonstrated in a neighbourhood of 32 houses and in the office building of DeSaH, the project partner in charge of this demo site. The sites' focus is on the production of hygienically safe solid and liquid fertiliser in a one-step process. The innovative technologies applied at the site are ultra-low flush vacuum toilets newly developed by project partner JETS and a hyper-thermophilic anaerobic digestion currently being optimised by project partner WUR.
Vigo (ES)
The Vigo demonstration site is located at the Porto do Molle Business Park, close to the city of Vigo. The Business Centre building, promoted by project partner Consorcio Zona Franca de Vigo, currently hosts around 40 small and medium sized enterprises. During working hours the number of users is generally around 200. The building is equipped with separate sewers for black water (toilet wastewater) and grey water (other wastewaters). Grey water is treated and reused for toilet flushing. Under the leadership of Aqualia the sites' treatment plant is extended with black water treatment and nutrient recovery technologies. The main innovative technology is the bio-electrochemical systems for nitrogen recovery, currently being optimised by project partner LEITAT.
H+, Helsingborg (SE)
In the H+ project managed by project partner NSVA, black water, kitchen waste and grey water from 320 apartments and several offices (1800 person equivalents) is separately collected and treated. The H+ treatment system is located at the existing Helsingborg sewage plant. Black water and kitchen waste is treated in separate anaerobic digesters optimised for each specific flow. Struvite and ammonium sulphate is obtained from the black water digestate, to be mixed in different ratios with hygienised sludge from the kitchen waste digestion. In this way tailor made fertilisers are being produced.
Nieuwe Dokken, Ghent (BE)
The Nieuwe Dokken in Ghent, Belgium, is a new residential district that has recently been built, including wastewater treatment and resource recovery for 430 houses and a variety of other buildings, serving around 1200 person equivalents. Project partners CEIP and Ducoop manage this demo site in Run4Life. The treatment plant consists of anaerobic digestion and struvite precipitation, possibly also P recovery later. The effluent will be further treated together with the grey water, after which the flow will be polished for reuse as process water in a nearby industry.