Effects of separate urine collection on advanced nutrient removal processes

Municipal wastewater contains a mixture of minerals from different origins. Urine contributes 80% of the nitrogen (N) and 45% of the phosphate (P) load in wastewater. Effects of separate urine collection on BNR processes were evaluated by using a simulation model for an existing state-of-the-art biological nutrient removal process. It was found that increasing urine separation efficiency leads to lower nitrate effluent concentrations, while ammonium and phosphorus concentrations remain more or less the same. The improved nitrate effluent quality is most notable up to 50-60% urine separation. Urine separation allows primary sedimentation without an increase in the nitrate effluent concentration. Furthermore, urine separation increases the potential treatment capacity for raw and settled wastewater by 20% and 60%, respectively. Urine separation provides options for increasing the lifetime of existing treatment works.