This course covers the application of biological treatment of wastewater and (to a lesser degree) drinking water treatment.  

This includes the different types of aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic biological processes that are used in wastewater treatments plants (WWTPs), and expands upon the underlying bacterial energetics and reactor kinetics are considered when designing a wastewater treatment plant.  Biological nutrient removal and recovery are covered, as is energy and waste conversion.

Throughout the course, the UN Sustainable Development Goals in relation to water and energy are be highlighted and the sustainability of current and new innovative approaches considered. 

Two lectures per week, plus four tutorials and interactive group presentation sessions that will include formative feedback.

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70% Written Exam

30% Written Assignment

The aims of this course are to:

■ provide an understanding of the application of biological processes in wastewater treatment (including the potential for resource and energy recovery), where naturally available microbial processes are harnessed to remove pollutants from sewage, through careful manipulation of microbial physiology and ecology, subject to the principles of mass and energy balance at the cellular level;

■ introduce models and principles used to design wastewater treatment processes;

■ provide an understanding of the application of biological processes for drinking water treatment.

■ consider the sustainability of current approaches and new innovations in biotechnology for water treatment

By the end of the course students will be able to:

■ explain the underlying of microbial physiology for water treatment and incorporate this into bioreactor design;

■ describe the major wastewater treatment process configurations for the removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous from sewage;

■ identify and describe the potential of wastewater as a source of resources and energy, and evaluate the sustainability of current approaches

■ describe the use of biological processes for drinking water treatment.

■ Through the delivery of a group report demonstrate an in-depth understanding of an emerging biotechnology and evaluate its sustainability

Students must attend the degree examination and submit at least 75% by weight of the other components of the course's summative assessment.

Students must attend the timetabled laboratory classes.

Note that these are minimum requirements: good students will achieve far higher participation/submission rates. Any student who misses an assessment or a significant number of classes because of illness or other good cause should report this by completing a MyCampus absence report.