Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Sustainability: Environmental Leadership via Nutrient Management

Published byAnnabelle Baldwin Modified over 6 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Sustainability: Environmental Leadership via Nutrient Management"— Presentation transcript:

1 Sustainability: Environmental Leadership via Nutrient Management
Presentation to BCN July 2016

2 Environmental Leadership: Increasing Value & Sustainability
Leadership: Long-term viability Now Efficiency: Smart to do 2010’s 2000’s 1990’s COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

3 OECD – Towards Green Growth 2011
“Green growth means fostering economic growth and development, whilst ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies” full value of Natural Capital – environmental externalities avoid crossing the planetary thresholds price on pollution – trading schemes remove regulatory barriers that deliver perverse outcomes OECD – Towards Green Growth 2011 “Green growth means fostering economic growth and development, whilst ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies” Must recognise the full value of Natural Capital – environmental externalities must be priced Need new patterns of growth that will avoid crossing the planetary thresholds Must have a price on pollution – such as trading schemes Must remove regulatory barriers that deliver perverse outcomes 3 COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2015 Queensland Urban Utilities

4 NITROGEN – A CASE STUDY N - essential building block for plants and animals N2 : 78% of atmosphere unreactive inaccessible Natural processes convert nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate) Reactive nitrogen in small amounts essential for life but toxic and deadly in large amounts Nitrogen (N) is one of the building blocks of life: it is essential for all plants and animals to survive. Nitrogen gas (N2) makes up almost 78% of our atmosphere, but it is an unreactive form that is not accessible to us. Natural processes can convert atmospheric nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate). Reactive nitrogen is essential to living things in small amounts but toxic and deadly in large amounts. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

5 Reactive Nitrogen Essential for Life
Production of Reactive Nitrogen ‘fertilizer’ invented in 1910 (Haber-Bosch) Intensive food production for population growth Without industrial fertilizer, the Earth can only sustain ~4B people 80% of nitrogen in your body is from man-made fertilizer COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

6 Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss
Nitrogen Cycle Balance Essential for Life ‘man-made’ reactive nitrogen accumulates in rivers, lakes and the oceans and causes environmental harm: Waterway toxicity Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss Most of the ‘man-made’ reactive nitrogen ends up in rivers, lakes and the oceans where it accumulates and causes environmental harm: Waterway toxicity Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

7 Earth’s Planetary Boundaries
Define a “Safe operating space for Humanity” Science based Framework indicates that since the Industrial Revolution human activity is main driver of global environmental change. Highlights risk areas of “irreversible and abrupt environmental change” Threshold exceeded for- Nitrogen Biodiversity COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

8 Pollutant Profile - STPs
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

9 Pollutant Profile © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

10 2031 Load = If all STP’s upgraded to TN = 3mg/L
QUU reference TEM142 © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

11 Nitrogen Management Good job so far…….
Nitrogen (N) is one of the building blocks of life: it is essential for all plants and animals to survive. Nitrogen gas (N2) makes up almost 80% of our atmosphere, but it is an unreactive form that is not accessible to us. Natural processes can convert atmospheric nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate). Reactive nitrogen is essential to living things in small amounts but toxic and deadly in large amounts. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

12 Nitrogen Management SEQ: Leading Practice
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

13 Nitrogen Management © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

14 Nitrogen Management © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

15 We all Contribute ….. 3.3 kg /EP p.a. Atmosphere 4 kg / EP p.a. 67%
Sewage treatment 4 kg / EP p.a. Urine 80% 1 kg / EP p.a. Faeces 20% 1.2 kg /EP p.a. Biosolids 25% 3.3 kg /EP p.a. Atmosphere 67% 0.5kg /EP p.a. Effluent 8% This residual pollution is ‘free’ for QUU and its customers – up to ~600 tonnes/annum COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

16 NITROGEN Are QUU nitrogen emissions sustainable? Is QUU pushing the Moreton Bay ecosystem to the brink of its ‘planetary boundary’? Is a 60% contribution of reactive nitrogen to the Lower Brisbane River too high? Environmental Leadership involves finding the answers and implementing the solutions. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

17 2031 Load = If all STP’s upgraded to TP = 1mg/L
QUU reference TEM142 © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

18 Examples as required Nutrient Abatement Project
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

19 Knowledge Development
2014 – Develop a catchment based contributions model for nutrient and pathogen (STP emissions + diffuse source) 2015 – Development of catchment based nutrient abatement cost curves 2016 – Investigation study into local waterway toxicity zones from STP effluent ammonia compounds (mixing zone) 2016: Develop an Environment Roadmap for improvement COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

20 Side-stream Treatment Luggage Point
Treat the high ammonia centrate from sludge process Utilise innovative technology called Anammox Trialling process reliability at Luggage Point Innovation Centre. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

21 Side-stream Treatment Luggage Point (2017/18)
Treat the high Phosphorus digestate from sludge processing In-situ crystallization of ‘Struvite’ using chemical dosing Incorporate ‘Struvite’ into existing biosolids – utilise existing assets Increased fertilizer value for existing farmers using biosolids COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

22 Green Infrastructure Solutions STP Planning
Nutrient Offsets Program: Beaudesert STP – pilot successful Laidley STP – feasibility study commenced Offsets - cost-effectively used to: Reduce Licence compliance risks for nitrogen Achieve zero net emissions of nitrogen to sensitive waterways COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

23 Outcomes-based Planning Sewerage Network
Integrated water management: “Urban Sponge” approach A collaborative project with Brisbane City Council Integrating management of stormwater runoff and wet weather overflows (WWO) Green infrastructure solution – no sewer upgrades Pound Creek Bio-retention System outcomes: Same investment $’s 400 times more sediment removal 11 times more total phosphorus removal 10 times more total nitrogen removal Improve biodiversity, amenity and liveability Photo Example: Bowies Flat Wetland, Coorparoo Outcomes-based Approach offers better community outcomes COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

24 Nutrient Management STP Bubble Licence – Lower Brisbane
Existing Goodna STP: BNR Good performance Upgraded for growth at Springfield/Redbank (2012/13) WQO’s not met in river, must not worsen pollution Membrane BNR STP built 2012/13 for $117M Initial TN/TP abatement: up to 6/15 Tonne/year Better outcomes were likely under a Bubble licence regime: Save >$50M Goodna upgrade (eg. N15/P2 ; low NH3) Invest $50M in Luggage Point Fertiliser facility = abate >100TN/100TP Tonne/year + new revenue Lower cost, better environmental outcomes COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Download ppt "Sustainability: Environmental Leadership via Nutrient Management"

Similar presentations

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research Integrate the existing Drinking Water and Water Quality research programs into one holistic program that.

Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research Integrate the existing Drinking Water and Water Quality research programs into one holistic program that.
Current UK and EU Policy on Water Management Thames Tunnel Commission 29/7/11.

Current UK and EU Policy on Water Management Thames Tunnel Commission 29/7/11.
© 2013 Queensland Urban Utilities 1 COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE QUU reference TEM142 Waste to Resource Picture Source: Waste streams to value streams-Resource.

© 2013 Queensland Urban Utilities 1 COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE QUU reference TEM142 Waste to Resource Picture Source: Waste streams to value streams-Resource.
Syllabus statements: 5.4.1- 5.4.3 Chapter Video Labs:

Syllabus statements: Chapter Video Labs:
Ecological Engineering - Maleny Effluent Irrigated Rainforest and Wetland Irrigation Australia Conference 2-6 June 2014.

Ecological Engineering - Maleny Effluent Irrigated Rainforest and Wetland Irrigation Australia Conference 2-6 June 2014.
Pemerintahan Kota Bandung UNIVERSITAS PASUNDAN. POLICY GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT ON ECO-EFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.

Pemerintahan Kota Bandung UNIVERSITAS PASUNDAN. POLICY GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT ON ECO-EFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
Lecture Goals To discuss why nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients in freshwater systems. To trace how nitrogen and phosphorus move through freshwater.

Lecture Goals To discuss why nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients in freshwater systems. To trace how nitrogen and phosphorus move through freshwater.
Cycles of Nature Matter, as well as energy, moves through an ecosystem and is constantly recycled. Nitrogen, water, oxygen and carbon are cycled globally.

Cycles of Nature Matter, as well as energy, moves through an ecosystem and is constantly recycled. Nitrogen, water, oxygen and carbon are cycled globally.
Nutrient Input and Eutrophication 1 Agricultural activities and sewage add nutrients, as well as disease organisms, to marine environments.

Nutrient Input and Eutrophication 1 Agricultural activities and sewage add nutrients, as well as disease organisms, to marine environments.
Chapter 21 Water Pollution

Chapter 21 Water Pollution
Types of Water Pollution Sewage Disease-causing agents Sediment pollution Inorganic plant and algal nutrients Organic compounds Inorganic chemicals Thermal.

Types of Water Pollution Sewage Disease-causing agents Sediment pollution Inorganic plant and algal nutrients Organic compounds Inorganic chemicals Thermal.
NUTRIENT CYCLES Nutrients are chemicals that organisms need to survive. Example – All organisms need Nitrogen to make protein NUTRIENTS must be RECYCLED.

NUTRIENT CYCLES Nutrients are chemicals that organisms need to survive. Example – All organisms need Nitrogen to make protein NUTRIENTS must be RECYCLED.
Chapter 22 Water Pollution. Types of Water Pollution  Water pollution  Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of.

Chapter 22 Water Pollution. Types of Water Pollution  Water pollution  Any physical or chemical change in water that adversely affects the health of.
©MathScience Innovation Center Our Backyard Waterways : Eutrophication Presented by: Rachel Martin Day 2.

©MathScience Innovation Center Our Backyard Waterways : Eutrophication Presented by: Rachel Martin Day 2.
Chemicals are recycled between organic matter and abiotic reservoirs

Chemicals are recycled between organic matter and abiotic reservoirs
It is a hard truth to swallow, but nature does not care if we live or die. We cannot survive without the oceans, for example, but they can do just fine.

It is a hard truth to swallow, but nature does not care if we live or die. We cannot survive without the oceans, for example, but they can do just fine.
Infrastructure management system Managers and engineers need clear guidelines for life-cycle management of infrastructure systems for water, sewer, and.

Infrastructure management system Managers and engineers need clear guidelines for life-cycle management of infrastructure systems for water, sewer, and.
Nitrogen Cycle Importance of Nitrogen Take a deep breath. Most of what you just inhaled is nitrogen. In fact, 80% of the air in our atmosphere is made.

Nitrogen Cycle Importance of Nitrogen Take a deep breath. Most of what you just inhaled is nitrogen. In fact, 80% of the air in our atmosphere is made.
Chapter 11 Section 3 Water Pollution Environmental Science Spring 2011.

Chapter 11 Section 3 Water Pollution Environmental Science Spring 2011.
What is Nitrogen?  Nitrogen makes up about 78% of our atmosphere.  Nitrogen in the atmosphere it is mostly in the form of ______, which is a compound.

What is Nitrogen?  Nitrogen makes up about 78% of our atmosphere.  Nitrogen in the atmosphere it is mostly in the form of ______, which is a compound.

Similar presentations

Ads by Google