Experience of Application of Natural Treatment Systems for Wastewater (NTSW) in Livestock Farms in Canary Islands

A real-scale application experience Natural Treatment Systems for Wastewater (NTSW) operating in continues with livestock farms for one year. These systems are based on digesters, subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands (SVFCW) and facultative ponds. Chemical Oxygen Demand removal efficiency (CODRE) has obtained between 70 and 90%. Likewise, it have been possible to compare the operation of cascade flow digesters (CFD) (CODRE) versus complete mixing digesters (CMD) (CODRE). Facultative ponds (FP) when combined with (SSFCW), removed a higher percentage of CODRE compared with ponds (92%). Correlations of interest have been found between the variables evaluated in each plant. Finally, different elements are alternated in the same system, this system is capable of supporting variations in changes in flow rate and organic load coming from the farm, maintaining an adequate elimination of COD and other parameters of interest

Climate Change Mitigation Tool Implemented through an Integrated and Resilient System to Measure and Monitor Operating Variables, Applied to Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems (NTSW) in Livestock Farms

In this study, the main elements that can make up a Natural Treatment System for Wastewater (NTSW), its most important parameters and properties of operation and design, have been analyzed, as well as the environmental problems derived from the generation of large amounts of slurry. The objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to improve the operation of these systems, associated with small and medium-sized livestock farms, in insular and isolated systems such as the Canary Islands. An Integrated and Resilient System (IRS) for monitoring and measuring operational variables quasi-continuous and in situ is proposed. Low-cost technology and open source hardware are employed, as well as application of the IoT (Internet of Things) strategies to share and analyze the information collected in the cloud. In view of the high degree of resilience and the simplicity of this type of technology, as well as its low cost, it is concluded that it is feasible to create a measurement system with these characteristics that can be used for NTSW parameterization, and other purposes. Satisfactory results were obtained for several parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity, UV radiation, atmospheric pressure). It is presented as a novel proposal based mainly on low-cost technology and free software with which to improve the NTSW operation process

Inventory of Water–Energy–Waste Resources in Rural Houses in Gran Canaria Island: Application and Potential of Renewable Resources and Mitigation of Carbon Footprint and GHG

The potential application of renewable energies is diverse, and they have demonstrated their suitability in their application to the size and operation of activities. Rural tourism is one of the products with the greatest potential for growth within the tourist offer of the island of Gran Canaria, as it combines sustainable development and respect for the natural environment. Among the renewable energies with high applicability in rural environments, we highlight photovoltaic solar, low-temperature solar thermal and the methanation of waste and wastewater generated in tourism. This article shows a methodology adapted and developed for the study of the water-energy-waste nexus, considering parameters of waste generation, water and energy consumption, the occupied area and potential renewable energy generation in rural houses in Gran Canaria and evaluates their environmental profitability. It has been concluded that applying these renewable technologies can significantly reduce the carbon and ecological footprint of the activity of rural houses based on the available surface. This contributes to achieving the energy and environmental objectives proposed by the EU to achieve decarbonization by 2050

Decision Strategy Tool for the Design of Natural Treatment Systems for Wastewater (NTSW) from Isolated Livestock Farms

This work proposes a series of strategies and tools for the design and characterization of natural treatment systems of wastewater (NTSW) applied in livestock farms, considering the parameters of flow rate (Q), conductivity (EC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the waste generated, farm location, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and removal/reduction rate targets. The high organic load of the effluent generated in these farms has an important environmental impact, which is amplified in insular or isolated territories. The application of such treatment systems has demonstrated their suitability in these environments, but their design lacks proper characterization and sizing tools for their adequate operation. The proposed tools in this work are based on a collection of experimental data over a ten-year period of application of NTSW in real farms. This work contributes to facilitate the design and implementation of NTSW in farms located in isolated, island, or similar-size environments. Finally, as a practical application, an inventory and implementation of the tool developed for livestock farms on the island of Gran Canaria (Spain) is carried out