The Future of Water Treatment in Britain after Energy Depletion.
If energy levels are reduced by a global reduction in the allowed use of fossil fuels then will the water treatment system survive in Britain up to 2050.
This analysis gives an ongoing framework to test that question.
2013 Population of Britain 63,395,574
Source: CIA World Factbook
2020 Population of Britain 63,746,151
Source: CIA World Factbook
2050 Population of Britain 77,000,000
Source: CIA World Factbook
Number of waste water treatment
plants per head of population
2013 number of treatment plants 9,000
2020 number of treatment plants required at same 9,049
number per population.
2050 number of treatment plants required at same 10,931
number per population.
2013 Waste Water in Britain 11,000,000,000 litres
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/69592/pb13811-waste-water-2012.pdf
2020 Waste Water in Britain
approx from population 11,060,829,909 litres
2050 Waste Water in Britain
approx from population 13,360,554,161 litres
2007 Energy used to treat waste water
For 10,000,000,000 litres of waste water
6.34 GW, 6,340,000 kW of energy was required.
1 litre of waste water required 1577 kW
Source: Parliamentary office of science and technology
post note energy and sewage April 2007
Adapted from Water UK Report, 2006, Towards sustainability
2013 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 6,975,269 kW
2020 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 7,013,843 kW
2050 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 8,472,133 kW
2012 Total Dry sludge disposal need 1,412,836 tonnes
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/69592/pb13811-waste-water-2012.pdf
2013 Total Dry sludge disposal need 1,412,836 tonnes
2020 Total Dry sludge disposal need 1,420,649 tonnes
2050 Total Dry sludge disposal need 1,716,025 tonnes
2013 Treatment system
Preliminary
Remove grit, gravel and large solids.
Primary
To settle larger, suspended, generally, organic, matter.
Secondary
To biologically break down and reduce residual
organic matter.
Tertiary
To address different pollutants using different
treatment processes.
Sludge Disposal
This is undertaken to sea, re-use in agriculture,
and disposed of in landfill and incineration.
2013 Energy production in Britain 352,700,000,000 kWh
Source: CIA Global Fact book 2013
2020 Energy production in Britain 232,782,000,000 kWh
reduced by 34%
Source: CIA Global Fact book 2013
2050 Energy production in Britain 46,556,400,000 kWh
reduced by 80%
Source: CIA Global Fact book 2013
2013 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 6,975,269 kW 0.001% of total energy production
2020 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 7,013,843 kW 0.003% of total energy production
2050 Energy at same rate of treatment as 2007 8,472,133 kW 0.018% of total energy production
Conclusion
This analysis indicates that the energy for waste water treatment will be available even after energy depletion occurs up to 2050,
The need to build more waste water treatment plants per head of population will increase up to 2050 and may go beyond the ability of the energy depleting economy to construct them.
Therefore there will be an ongoing need to transfer some of the preliminary, primary and secondary, waste, grey water treatment to the origin point at the dwellings and work areas.
Grey water recycling will form a part of this particular set of changes.
The incineration of sludge will also become more problematic as energy levels are depleted and so alternative disposal methods will be needed.
The peak oil point around 2020 will reduce the effectiveness of all waste water treatment systems by the reduction in lubricants, insulators and disinfectants.
The reduction in the national grid generation capacity around 2015 to meet UN Climate Change Agreements and the shutdown of fossil fuel power stations, including nuclear up to 2035 will all need to be allowed for. Therefore the waste water treatment plants will need to switch over to renewable energy backup systems.
Ian K Whittaker
Website:
https://sites.google.com/site/architecturearticles
Email: iankwhittaker@gmail.com
01/10/2013
14/10/2020
630 words over 2 pages