SynergAqua
For SynergAqua, municipal wastewater is a resource.
Introduction
SYNERGAQUA™ is an intelligent, modular and fully enclosed technological system that can be installed as an additional technological treatment stage at existing wastewater treatment plants. The system targets wastewater treatment aligned with the strictest, quaternary (fourth) treatment stage, with particular attention to the treatment of targeted micropollutants.
The SynergAqua technological process examines the possibility of controlled, local utilisation of treated water, energy and secondary material streams. The modular design fits existing infrastructure; therefore, the aim of the development is not to replace the treatment plant, but to supplement it with a measurable and verifiable technological step.
Key technological features
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- Quaternary treatment stage alongside existing wastewater treatment plants
- Modular, containerised design
- Composite filter medium: biochar, alginite and biopolymer
- Ozone pre-treatment and UV-C post-treatment
- Examination of the local reuse of treated water, primarily for irrigation purposes
- Examination of the utilisation of wastewater sludge and local biomass material streams
Why it is timely
Directive (EU) 2024/3019 introduces progressive, size- and risk-based quaternary treatment requirements for the treatment of micropollutants in municipal wastewater. The regulatory direction is clear: at existing treatment plants, the role of the measurable and verifiable fourth treatment stage is gradually strengthening.
Regulatory background and development status
The development of SynergAqua aligns with this technological and regulatory direction. A functioning prototype developed in professional cooperation with a university has been completed. The next development steps are the optimisation of composite filter beads, laboratory validation and preparation for a pilot plant trial. Every stage of the development process is tied to measurement points, system boundaries and acceptance criteria.
Outline of the concept
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- Wastewater sludge and local biomass
- Thermal treatment: biochar
- Composite filter medium
- Ozone and UV-C treatment
- Reuse of treated water
- Soil improver feedstock, subject to testing
Technological process
SynergAqua is a decentralised and modular technological system that can be integrated alongside existing wastewater treatment plants. The process begins with an assessment of the quality and load of the pre-treated water. On this basis, the composite filter medium, intensive post-treatment and water-quality requirement needed for the intended use can be determined.
The composite filter medium is based on biochar, alginite and biopolymer that can be produced by processing wastewater sludge and local biomass material streams. The filtration process is complemented by targeted ozone and UV-C post-treatment. The technological steps target the treatment of micropollutants, pharmaceutical residues and microplastics, as well as the reuse of treated water for a specified purpose.
In decentralised, modular containers, water can be treated where it is generated or used. The related logistics are limited to the handling of the solid filter medium. The system also manages wastewater sludge and local biomass material streams: contaminated sludge awaiting disposal can become a new resource; at the end of the process, usable products and purified water are generated, while the environmental burden can be significantly reduced.
Measurement and validation
The performance of SynergAqua must be assessed through the combined examination of water quality, operation, residual streams and compliance conditions. The water-treatment examination covers target compounds, influent and effluent concentrations, stability and the sampling plan. Operational assessment includes measuring pressure loss, energy use, maintenance needs, saturation, regeneration and availability.
Operational and resource assessment
The system's on-site applicability must be assessed based on the technological line of the existing treatment plant, installability, handling of the filter medium, regeneration and the required logistics. The basis of comparison is the current operating cost base, the quality of treated water, availability, and the energy and emissions balance.
The assessment of circular material utilisation is based on the material balance of the combined thermal treatment of sludge and biomass, water recovery and the further treatability of the solid residue. Carbon-related claims can only be assessed on the basis of verified measurement, accepted methodology and auditable data.
Regulatory and operational alignment
Quaternary treatment, extended producer responsibility and water quality verified for a specified intended use together create an environment in which the technical performance and verifiability of treatment solutions are of particular importance. At smaller or remote sites, the cost of expansion, sludge treatment and logistics may justify examining on-site, supplementary treatment options.
Preparation for the pilot plant trial
Preparation for the pilot plant trial begins with the selection of the site and the water stream to be treated. This includes assessing the load, existing treatment technology, sludge and biomass streams, and the permitting situation.
The trial plan defines the target parameters, comparison technology, current cost base and occupational safety, health and environmental protection conditions. The next professional decision point is to establish the detailed trial plan, responsibility matrix and data-sharing framework.
The scale of the problem and the treatment direction
Even after conventional treatment stages, municipal wastewater may still contain micropollutants that require a targeted technological step to treat them. These may include pharmaceutical residues, endocrine-disrupting substances, compounds of industrial origin and microplastic particles. Their presence, concentration and removal potential can be determined through on-site sampling, laboratory testing and pilot plant measurement.
Microplastics and other persistent pollutants may accumulate in water and sludge streams. Therefore, alongside water treatment, the treatment route for the filter medium, sludge and residual streams must also be examined in a single, verifiable system.
Digital supervision and process optimisation
SybraHUB is a digital supervision and process optimisation system under development. Its purpose is to link water-quality, operational and material-stream data on a continuous basis and to support the fine-tuning of technological processes.
Based on measurement results, energy use, the condition of the filter medium and operational data, the system may support on-site decision preparation. Details of its technical functions and data-management framework will be added on the basis of subsequent professional material.