Sustainable Water Reuse and Resource Recovery through Cost-Effective BNR

The recycling of treated wastewater effluents is needed to achieve water security, where very low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels must be achieved for wastewater to be effectively recycled. This research investigates a more sustainable and cost-effective N&P removal process from wastewater, benefiting the environment and improving the viability of wastewater recycling. Phosphorus is a limited resource worldwide and will be effectively recovered in the process to be used as a fertiliser. This project develops wastewater treatment process tools, solutions and management strategies that addresses the current challenges of how optimal nutrient removal and recovery from wastewater is achieved, enabling water recycling and saving costs.

Dr Adrian Oehmen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. He leads research in the areas of biological phosphorus removal, metabolic modelling and resource recovery, including nutrients and biopolymers.

Dr Gilda Carvalho is a Senior Lecturer at the AWMC and coordinator of the Master of Engineering (Urban Water). Gilda’s major research lines are biological nutrient removal, emerging contaminants, resource recovery and the microbial ecology of engineering systems.