Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Greywater Treatment

The exacerbating water scarcity worldwide is calling for developing a more circular urban water management system. To this end, the reuse of greywater from households represents a promising strategy to significantly reduce the reliance on the depleting freshwater resources. Some preliminary estimates suggested that the complete reuse of greywater in developed countries may account for 50-80% savings in the tap water consumption. The feasibility of greywater reuse is limited by the satisfactory removal of organics and nutrients from the greywater to protect the public health and the environment. The aerobic Membrane BioReactor (MBR) emerged as a promising technology to remove organics and nutrients by combining biological activity from activated sludge and membrane, while providing an economical option for building-level greywater reuse. However, the technical know-how to operate a stable aerobic MBR system over an extensive period of time (>1 year) is still lacking. Besides, the optimal operating parameters warrants further investigations to ensure a robust aerobic MBR system in handling fluctuating greywater loading conditions.