Nature-based solutions in wastewater

treatment infrastructure
Opportunities and Examples

OFFICIAL USE
Nature-based solutions (NBS) for wastewater treatment
can be an attractive and cost-effective opportunity

Overview of NBS Benefits of NBS for clients

• NBS as defined by the International • NBS operation, maintenance and CAPEX

Union for the Conservation of Nature are costs are often lower costs than
“actions to protect, sustainably manage traditional WWT solutions
and restore natural or modified
• NBS can be attractive to donors
ecosystems that address societal
interested in the nature and biodiversity
challenges effectively and adaptively,
agenda
simultaneously providing human well-
being and biodiversity benefits” • Using NBS can help increase project
visibility and client ESG agenda – more
• NBS for WWT aim to develop engineered
aesthetically attractive, wider economic
systems that mimic and/or take
benefits, improved outcomes for
advantage of functioning ecosystems
nature/wider ecosystems
using a variety of natural elements like
plants, soil, and bacteria • NBS can help build green jobs/skill
• NBS can be applied in built or grey
infrastructure systems, and can treat
many different types of wastewater OFFICIAL USE 2
There are a variety of NBS that can be used for WWT, depending
on local ecology, land availability, and treatment needs

Example solutions:
• Waste stabilisation ponds: Large engineered
water bodies can treat blackwater, greywater or
faecal sludge by natural occurring processes and
the influence of solar light, wind, microorganisms
and algae. The ponds can be used individually, or
linked in a series for improved treatment.
• Constructed wetlands: Artificial wetlands are
used to treat sewage, greywater, stormwater
runoff or industrial wastewater. These engineered
wetlands mimic the natural functions of
vegetation, soil and organisms to treat secondary
wastewater.
• Living walls: Living or green walls are often
installed on the side of buildings for aesthetic
purposes and can also have significant potential
to manage water. Grey water can be treated for
reuse for irrigation and toilet flushing. Living walls
can also provide heat mitigation, building Sources: IWA Fact Sheet, Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management Toolbox, Image source

insulation, and support urban biodiversity. OFFICIAL USE 3

 NBS, in the form of evaporation ponds, can be used to mitigate
negative consequences of the hypersaline by-product of
desalination
• The needs for desalination are increasing,
particularly in water stressed CoOs. Brine is an
unavoidable hypersaline by-product of desalination
and is commonly disposed of in oceans and seas,
surface water, aquifers or sewers where it has
negative effects on ecosystems.
• NBS, in the form of evaporation ponds, can be
used to mitigate these negative impacts and
generate economic benefits.
• Evaporation ponds are shallow, lined, earthen
basins in which brine evaporates naturally through
exposure to heat and sunlight. As fresh water
evaporates from the ponds, the minerals form salt
crystals, which can then be harvested. Coverings,
or "solar umbrellas", can be used to reduce the
land area requirements of the ponds.
• The benefits of such a nature-based approach
include: minimising the environmental impact of Sources: Lentech
brine in the environment; easily implementable
and operatable; applicability for inland and
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coastal sites; and allow recovery of minerals.
Common advantages and frequent challenges of using
NBS for wastewater treatment
Common advantages Frequent challenges
Very reliable process Good quality effluent Multi-stage and hybrid schemes can be required to fulfil
stringent limits on nutrient remova
Can be applied for Sustainable and
decentralised treatment environmentally friendly
High area demand compared with conventional
technological solutions
Used in a variety of Ease of construction: local
different climates and site materials and plants can be Proper operation and maintenance also of the primary
locations used treatment step (regular removal of settled sludge)
Multi-purpose functionality Can reduce impacts of
water scarcity Lack of standard guidelines on design and sizing for
Reduced operational, Wastewater treatment recently developed types of NBS
labour, chemical and systems (simple and low-
energy requirements cost operation and Require accurate design according to local conditions
compared with conventional maintenance)
treatment
Accumulation of phosphorus and metals in soil or other
Diverse microbial compartments of NBS
communities

Table source: Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment (2021)

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5
Case study: French vertical-flow treatment wetland
(VFTW) in Orhei Municipality, Moldova (2013)
Context Nature-based solution Outcomes
• Orhei was equipped with • A French vertical-flow • Improved water services
an expensive and old treatment wetland for ~40,000 residents
WWTP occupying 5ha is
• Estimated 40% energy
composed of two stages
• World Bank funded a savings
feasibility study to • Stage 1: French reed
• Reduce pollutants in the
compare different beds fed with raw
environment
treatment options wastewater to remove
TSS, COD and ammonia • 70 tons of reed biomass
• A VFTW was selected to
can be harvested per
minimise operational • Stage 2: VFTW to refine
annum for biomass
costs treatment and complete
production
nitrification
• Lower up-front
• System discharges a
investment costs
nitrified effluent suitable
($5.5m) compared to
for fertigation
conventional WWT Sources: World Bank press release, IWA Fact Sheet
($10m) funded by grants OFFICIAL USE 6
Case study: Sludge treatment reed beds in Mojkovac,
Montenegro
Context Nature-based solution Outcomes
• Mojovac was equipped • The reed bed technology • The design capacity is
with a biological WWTP developed by a 5,200 (population size)
that had issues with Slovenian company but has operated at half
sludge management and enables dehydration, capacity since
storage which threated mineralization and development due to
the local watershed stabilization of sludge limited wastewater
collection lines
• Two constructed reed • Two reed beds were built
beds were selected as a with two off-ground • The process results in a
cost-effective solution for reinforced concrete compost-like soil that
sludge treatment, basins, totalling 900m2 can be reused as
storage, and disposal fertilizer, a cover layer
• Multiple types of sewage
($170k CAPEX/ training, for landfills, or as
and industrial sludge can
$4k per annum OPEX) construction material
be treated
Sources: IWA Fact Sheet

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Case study:
Evaporation ponds for brine management in southern Tunisia
Context Nature-based solution Outcomes
• Tunisia is facing • The Ben Gardene • In similar contexts, the
increasing water stress desalination (1,800 most common approach
as a result of growing m3/d) plant safeguards is to re-inject brine into
demand driven by rapid water supply for the source aquifer,
population growth, residents in south- exacerbating salinisation
aquifer salinisation, and eastern Tunisia processes.
reductions in freshwater
• The solar-powered plant • This evaporation pond
availability due to
sources water from a design manages the
climate change
saline, coastal aquifer harmful brine in a way
• As a result, the Tunisian that does not damage
• To manage the brine by-
National Water Supply the source aquifer,
product, the plant
Utility (SONEDE) is surface water or sewer
employs an
promoting the use of systems, nor the marine
evaporation pond of
non-conventional water environment
11.9 hectares
sources, such as Sources: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung; SONEDE
desalination OFFICIAL USE 8