Ozone Reduces Micropollutants

Bad Sassendorf – The sewage plant of the future

A intensively used river like the Ruhr serves as drink- and process water catchment area for several million people as well as for business and industrial establishments. In addition it is also a recipient of treated residential and commercial waste waters. These waste waters contain several organic micropollutants that can not or only insufficiently be removed by traditional waste water treatment in municipal sewage.

The sources for such micropollutants are various: Hormones, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, pesticides, industrial base materials and final substances as flame retardants and coatings are commonly found.

Due to the tight regional coupling between sewage disposal and drinking water supply in this watershed a scientific research program was implemented to survey the processes required to effectively prevent the emission of organic pollutants. Especially the effects as well as the costs of adapted municipal sewage plants on river’s water quality should be determined hereby.

Against this background the ministry of environment and conservation of the federal state of North-Rhine- Westfalia MUNLV supported the realization of three large scale plants to establish an additional treatment step in a municipal sewage plant in the greater Ruhr area.

“The first municipal sewage plant to eliminate pharmaceuticals is brought online!”

 Bad Sassendorf has been chosen by the operating company Lippeverband as one place for an installation due to the particular age pattern of the connected households. As a traditional health resort as well as a retirement residence for the cities in the near Ruhrgebiet the average age is about 48 years. This circumstance does reflect the expected patterns of North-Rhine Westfalia in 30 to 40 years due to demographic changes. The high density of hospitals (1.200 beds in six hospitals at 12.000 inhabitants) leads to PPCP (Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products) charges that are understandably higher as in an average sewage. Therefore the location lends
itself to test series as the expected significant reduction effects are ideal for the optimization of the application in whole.

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