Carbon recovery from screenings for energy-efficient wastewater treatment

The energy content of screenings from six municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was examined. Hourly samples of separated screenings were taken over 24 hours at three of the plants to illustrate diurnal variations. To recover the chemical energy, which usually leaves the WWTP with the screenings, a screenings wash press was used to transfer organic matter from the solid into the liquid phase. The chemical energy of raw and compacted washed screenings as well as the chemical energy of washing water were determined by measuring the chemical oxygen demand (COD) for the six WWTPs. A mass weighted average of 1.35 g_COD/g_dm (dm: dry matter) was found in the raw screenings of three WWTPs. The overall recovered energy from screenings was found to range from 0.27 to 0.62 g_COD/g_dm. This washed-out COD found in the washing water could be sent for anaerobic digestion or to the wastewater treatment process as a carbon source for denitrification.