Optimized MBR for greywater reuse systems in hotel facilities

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Resource Management
• Sustainable Tourism

Background:

• Greywater reuse is crucial for water conservation in water-scarce regions, especially in tourism.
• Compact solutions are needed for densely urbanized tourist areas with high space value.
• Membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems present a promising approach for greywater treatment and reuse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To technically and economically evaluate a compact MBR-based greywater reuse system for hotels.
• To assess the feasibility of MBR systems for different scales in tourist facilities.
• To optimize energy consumption within the MBR system.

Main Methods:

• Implementation and operation of a pilot MBR system in a hotel for 6 months.
• Characterization of greywater (GW) and monitoring of system performance.
• Development of a design and economic model incorporating Spanish water/energy prices and a 20-year planning period.
• Optimization of air scour energy consumption using a control system.

Main Results:

• Excellent effluent quality achieved from the MBR system.
• Energy demand for air scour reduced by up to 35.2% compared to manufacturer recommendations.
• MBR-based greywater reuse systems demonstrated economic feasibility for scales as low as 5 m³/day (60 PE).

Conclusions:

• MBR technology is a technically sound and economically viable solution for greywater reuse in the tourism sector.
• Optimized MBR systems offer significant energy savings.
• The investment in MBR greywater reuse systems shows a rapid payback period, particularly for hotels.