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Business Models and Economic Approaches for Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater and Fecal Sludge

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Wastewater

Abstract

Plant nutrient recovery from wastewater and fecal sludge is high on the development agenda, driven by the need to feed the global population, the discussion around peak phosphorous, increasing fertilizer prices and stricter regulations for safeguarding the environment from pollution. With a shift in thinking from nutrient removal to nutrient recovery, new public-private partnerships are developing to capture nutrients from the waste streams for reuse in agriculture. The prospects for cost recovery from capturing phosphorous are significant, if savings in wastewater treatment and sludge disposal costs are considered, as so far the phosphate recovery costs still result in prices higher than those of phosphate rock, unless niche markets are targeted. The chapter differentiates between nutrient recovery options commonly seen in sewered and non-sewered (on-site) sanitation systems, looking at wastewater, fecal sludge, biosolids and urine. To date, nutrient recovery from wastewater is driven more by the treatment sector and its challenges or by changing regulations, rather than by market demand for alternative fertilizers.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Although heavy metal contamination of sludge from on-site systems is generally low, it can happen if households throw for example used batteries in the toilet.

  2. 2.

    The costs of the magnesium can be up to 75 % of the struvite production costs. Low-cost magnesium can be found in coastal areas where salt is produced, and magnesium remains after NaCl extraction (Dockhorn 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Miriam Otoo & Pay Drechsel

  2. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Pretoria, South Africa

    Munir A. Hanjra

Authors
  1. Miriam Otoo
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  2. Pay Drechsel
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  3. Munir A. Hanjra
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Correspondence to Miriam Otoo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Int. Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Pay Drechsel

  2. United Nations University Institute for Water, Env. and Health, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Manzoor Qadir

  3. Agricultural Water Management, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

    Dennis Wichelns

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Otoo, M., Drechsel, P., Hanjra, M. (2015). Business Models and Economic Approaches for Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater and Fecal Sludge. In: Drechsel, P., Qadir, M., Wichelns, D. (eds) Wastewater. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9545-6_13

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