Water-Renew - Wastewater polishing using renewble energy

The project aimed to demonstrate nutrient removal from sewage effluent using wastewater polishing and bioenergy crops. The project further sought to increase knowledge regarding the use of sewage effluent for irrigation of short rotation coppices or plantations. Testing was carried out at five sites in the UK and Ireland under a range of conditions (both field and randomised trials), using a variety of different tree crops. Eventually, the project succeeded in developing an operational model to determine the site specific design requirements of WaterRenew systems and to allow predictive estimates of treatment efficiencies. Generally, the project found, with notable differences among sites, there to be no lasting negative effects of establishing Water-Renew sites, and that there can be sizeable economic and environmental benefits from an increased yield of plantation forestry and coppices.