Revolutionising high ammonia wastewater treatment: Pioneering sustainable solutions for industrial effluents

Chief Investigators

Prof. Yang Liu (QUT)

Purpose of project

Landfill leachate wastewater, a persistent challenge for Australian municipalities, is about to face a ground-breaking solution. Traditional treatment methods fall short in addressing the complexities of harmful pollutants, particularly ammonia. In a significant leap forward, this project will be the first trial in Australia to test a groundbreaking granular sludge reactor (GSR) bioprocess for the removal of ammonia from landfill leachate. GSR has the potential to increase the biomethane production from both the landfill and the wastewater treatment plant processing the landfill leachate, through reduced ammonia inhibition of biomethanation processes.

Work packages

1. Process assessment and optimisation (year 1) – evaluate GSR’s process capability to treat landfill leachate, using lab testing to determine optimal conditions for ammonia and PFAS removal.
2. Pilot Demonstration and Feasibility Study (year 2) – test GSR under real-world conditions to validate lab testing at a larger scale to assess operational efficiency, environmental sustainability and economic viability of GSR process
3. Final Assessment and preparation for scale-up (year 2) – assess the potential for scale-up, including detailed technical and economic evaluations and practical implementation strategies

Impact of project

Based on previous research in Canada, the following impacts are expected:
• 11-50% reduction in ammonia load at the wastewater treatment facility, which enhances treatment capacity and improves effluent quality. This improvement also improves biosolid activities and can increase biomethane production at the facility processing the landfill leachate
• 5% energy saving and 20% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions during the nitritation-denitritation process for ammonia management, resulting in substantial savings in greenhouse gas emission
• 10% increase in biomethane production from biosolids digestion, through reduced ammonia and metal toxicity
• 10% increase in biomethane production from landfill, due to reduction in inhibitory effect of ammonia on methanogenic bacteria

Project partners – Industry and research

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) (Lead), Gold Coast City Council