Opportunities from the PUC from a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
The storage, preparation, and consumption of food all contribute to the generation of food waste. A new WERF study will examine the economic, environmental, social and operational considerations of food waste management as part of domestic wastewater treatment operations. This project is part of ongoing WERF research into co-digestion under OWSO5R07, Co-digestion of Organic Wastes with Wastewater Solids. The food waste study is scheduled for completion in spring 2011.
Food waste is a significant part of domestic wastewater, from residential food preparation, including disposers used by homeowners, restaurant discharges into sewers, and co-digestion, which is primarily focused on institutional and commercial food waste trucked directly to digesters. Food waste comingled in domestic sewerage operations augments organic matter with sewage sludge which may improve digestion and boost methane production.
A CDM research team will examine food waste transport to the wastewater treatment plant via direct injection of trucked-in food waste and food waste transported to the treatment plant in sewers after being introduced through a kitchen grinder. For comparison, food waste disposed in landfills or part of green compost will be assessed for its carbon footprint and environmental impact.
Researchers will also evaluate the behavior of food waste through a generically configured treatment plant that uses raw water screening and grit removal, primary clarification, activated sludge treatment for carbonaceous BOD removal, hypochlorite disinfection of treated effluent, solids thickening, anaerobic digestion with cogeneration, biosolids dewatering, and biosolids land application. The assessment will provide a consistent basis to identify which food waste management practice is “greener” and what factors affect the best practice over the life cycle of each management alternative.
For more information on this research, please contact WERF Program Director Lauren Fillmore. Water Environment Research Foundation.
