Sustainable Integrated Water Treatment Solution Dominic Clyde-Smith

Academic Supervisor: Dr Ka-Man Lai

In the Urban Environment Industrial Supervisor: Rocky Horton

Background Outline of Research

Water is one of the most precious resources. Clean useable This EngD research
re project will involve quantifying the abilities of different macrophyate to
water is a vital resource. However, this resource is further mitigate was
waste water into a reusable resource. It will act as hard evidence to prove that hydro-
becoming scarce and in need of careful management. a
ponics and aqua ponics can be used in the urban context, to treat waste water, creating addi-
l Eco
tional value. Its main outcomes are to produce a database that can be used in line with build-
Waster water is nutrient rich but is not utilised. Currentley nta nom
me ics
Socia iron ing modelling
modellin software to help design process and to prove that this is a sustainable solution.
mainstream waste water treatment is based on intensive l Env
energy and resource inefficent proccess that is cost postive. The scheme will centre on the environmental engineering in the treatment of water. Labora-
Waste water treatment is one of the biggest challenges for tory and field
fiel studies shall be undertaken to investigate the feasibility and design parameters
urban sustainability. for the treat
treatment scheme. System engineering approach shall be used to integrate different
l treatment scschemes together and assess the logistics and success of the whole system against
ona
itio
Wetlands are recognised for their functions to recycle es- er nt Add urrc es
all tpri o c the user and system requirements and the trade-offs.
Res
sential nutrients, including carbon, regulated by microbiota Sm Foo
ter Crea ic
ic Ad
d
and their metabolism. For more than a century, engineers Wa Com tin nom
mun g Eco ilittyy Valu ed
tiy A Viiab e
have used mcarophyte as bio-filters to mitage waste water rre
ea
h etic l a ett
ar
arke
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Marke
A e s th
t e nta
onm n ce
Plac em
Placem ent
ment
in large scale within the country side. irro ub
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L o w Env act
m p C arbo Anxiie
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The population is shifting from the country side to the urban environment. Cities have effec- L
tively driven out agriculture from their boundaries. There is an urgent need for more
re sensible
es in the
food systems. Hyroponics is a possible solutions to both treat and provide resources
form of food and energy, in the urban context.

The Concept
Biomimicry, that is taking inspiration from nature, its models, systems, processes and elements
to solve design problems sustainably. Reducing the wasteful throughput of materials indeed,
eliminating the very idea of waste, can be accomplished by redesigning industrial systems on
biological lines that change the nature of industrial processes and materials, enabling the con-
stant reuse of materials in continuous closed cycles, and often the elimination of toxicity.

Therefore, the ability to provide a sustainable integrated water treatment solution on site
through the use of vegetation and other innovative engineering can be the environmental
way forward.

Email: ucesdrc@ucl.ac.uk