The Wastewater Revolution: Innovation, Sustainability & Energy Recovery
14th-15th May, 2025
Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai – U.A.E.
Course overview
This intensive 2-day training program on Wastewater Treatment and Sludge Management Sustainable Approaches and Practices provides participants with a deep understanding of the principles and best practices in wastewater treatment and sludge management. The course highlights innovative and sustainable methodologies to improve efficiency, optimize energy usage, and enhance the environmental impact of wastewater treatment processes. Attendees will gain technical knowledge and practical skills through case studies, interactive discussions, and expert guidance.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Understand the fundamental principles of wastewater treatment and sludge management.
• Identify key pollutants in wastewater and the best removal methods.
• Apply sustainable approaches in wastewater treatment to optimize resource recovery. • Analyze energy consumption in wastewater treatment plants and implement energy-efficient solutions.
• Perform an energy efficiency audit on a wastewater treatment facility.
• Gain insight into biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes..
• Explore advancements in sludge management, including biosolids beneficiation and renewable energy production..
• Learn the latest trends in activated sludge processes, including Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) and Moving Bed Bioreactors (MBBR). • Evaluate case studies from real-world applications to enhance process decision-making.
• Understand regulatory frameworks governing wastewater treatment and sludge disposal.
About Course Facilitator:
Gary Brown is a highly experienced water and wastewater specialist with over 30 years of expertise in:
- Mine water management & industrial wastewater treatment
- Process optimization, troubleshooting & regulatory compliance
- Sludge management, energy recovery & circular economy solutions
Design, performance assessment & integration of treatment technologies
Professional Credentials & Recognitions
Master’s Diploma in Technology: Civil Engineering – Water (Tshwane University of Technology, 1992)
Accredited Trainer by SAAMA (South African Asset Management Association)
Global Training Experience: Conducted specialized training programs in UAE, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, Pakistan, Botswana, Namibia, and Seychelles
Industry Contributions & References
Formerly responsible for water & wastewater compliance at Anglo American
Trainer for municipal utilities, industrial wastewater facilities & consulting firms
Course content references Metcalfe & Eddy, IWA & Nozaic & Freese for best practices in wastewater treatment.
Event Details
| Day-01 | Day-02 |
|---|---|
| • The need for wastewater management & treatment • Wastewater in context, historic trend and future prospects • Wastewater characterization, introduction to terminology and basic microbiology • The various types of wastewater and effluents and the quantification thereof • A knowledge & understanding of the various processes required to treat these sources to the required quality level. • The ability to apply the most suitable process & sizing of the selected process. • Preliminary treatment works of debris removal, through screening applications, flow measurement and flow equalization, the importance thereof. • Primary processes covered for the removal of solids and suspended solids (and including fats, oil & grease removal) • Septic tanks, Settling tanks and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) as key applications • Overview of septic tank and primary settling tank design and operating parameters • The importance of coagulation & flocculation to enhance solids removal in DAF • Secondary Treatment process for organic fraction reduction and limited nitrogen removal • Fixed Film process, overview, design considerations and application • Suspended growth reactors, overview, design considerations and application • Tertiary Treatment process for high grade effluent recovery for industry or potable use • Biological Nutrient removal (BNR) theory and process configurations • Secondary polishing and treatment, using filters and membranes • Disinfection, various methods worth considering Membranes for particulates removal Removal of dissolved material, a basic overview of membrane applications, selection and application • Removal of hardness (Nanofiltration, Reverse osmosis, Ion exchange) • Removal of dissolved metals, salts and low concentrations of unwanted organic pollutants (pH elevation and precipitation, Activated carbon, Ion exchange (IX), reverse osmosis (RO) • Energy demand from wastewater treatment applications and various process stages • An energy audit framework and case study reference from two audits conducted in South Africa | • Advances in Activated Sludge applications and their drivers towards efficiency * Moving Bed Bioreactors or IFAS (MBBR) * Membrane bioreactors (MBR) * Aerobic granular processes * Accelerated Bacillus bacteria growth processes * Fixed Bed Bioreactors (FBBRs) * Membrane combinations(REMIX) • Wastewater treatment fundamental solids separation • Where are the defined separation process units and how are they managed * Solids production, determination and prediction * Solids characterization and content * Sludge stabilization * Digestion processes * Aerobic * Anaerobic * Anaerobic digestion process line • Thickening principles and applications * Stabilization, anaerobic digestion overview, design parameters and application • Dewatering principles and applications * Technologies driving circular economies in sludge management. • What are the drivers? * Renewable energy * Biosolids beneficiation • Case study in South Africa on biosolids beneficiation into agriculture • Advanced anaerobic digestion • Description of different methods and technologies • Thermophilic anaerobic digestion, staged thermophilic anaerobic digestion, staged mesophilic anaerobic digestion, acid/gas phased anaerobic digestion and temperature phased anaerobic digestion. • Pretreatment methodologies: * Chemical, electric, physical and thermal. * Case study in Poland, Tarnow WWTW, of increased digestion throughput by thermal hydrolysis * Case study in USA, dc-Water at Blue Plains Wastewater treatment plant |