Preliminary Research and Documentation

The following research and documentation is meant to get this project started. Please consider this a work in progress. Significant work is needed to move this project forward.

 

ComponentsGrey Water

Grey water is all the water generated from bathrooms, showers, washing machines, kitchen sinks and does not contain water from toilets. It contains less harmful chemicals from soaps, non-fecal human waste like saliva ,sweat and mucous. It makes up about 60% of waste water generated in a standard household. Grey water is separated at source and treated in various stages to remove harmful germs and bacteria and hazardous chemicals. Grey water is easier to treat and recycle than sewage because of lower levels of contaminants. Grey water is often used immediately after treatment. If stored for more than 24 hours, the organic matter in the treated water begins to putrefy or decay producing a foul smell.

 

Parts of a grey water treatment system

• ElectrodesCollection (2) - Stainless steel or iron or aluminum electrodes.chamber
• DCSolids Powerfilter Supply - A power supply unit that can provide a 5V DC power to the circuit.chamber
• Multimeter - A multimeter to check voltageFlocculation and amperecoagulation o electricity.chamber
• Wires -Primary Toclarifier connect the electrodes to the DC power supply.chamber
• WasteAeration water - 1 liter of a homogeneous mixture of water, oil, vegetable juice, soil, meat, and alcohol. chamber
• GlovesMembrane andbioreactor protectivetank
eye
• Clean wear.water chamber

 

MethodCollection Chamber

An Drain electrocoagulationpipes unitfrom consistsshowers, of an anodebathrooms, and akitchen cathode thatsinks are all connected to athe DC power supply. When contaminatedgrey water flowscollection intochamber. anThis electrocoagulation unit,stores the followingwater reactions occur:

1. Frombefore the anode,treatment metallicbegins.
   ions

    

   are

   Solids releasedfilter

   into

   A solids filter removes visible solids from grey water. These solids may include unused pieces of soap, shampoo sachets, bottle caps, match sticks, cigarette butts, and items like that which may have inadvertently escaped the contaminateddrain water.

pipe
2. Ontrap. The resultant of this is only grey water with unsettled or floating solids that pass through the cathode, water is hydrolyzed, forming hydrogen gas (H₂) and hydroxyl (OH) particles.
3. Electrons move from the cathode to the anode. This destabilizes surface charges on the suspended solids (colloids).

Figure 1 - Waste water treatment using electrocoagulation

When the electrons destabilize the surface charges on these suspended particles, the metal ions, along with the hydroxyl particles form complex compounds called flocs that includes metals and other contaminants. Colloids and emulsified oils combine with these flocs to form sludge. Depending on the chemical composition of the floc, the sludge can either rise to the top and float or sink to the bottom. Sludge can be removed physically from the sludge tanks and disposed off in an eco-friendly manner.

The water is now available for further filtering or reuse.filter.

 

Flocculation and Coagulation Chamber

TheFlocculation and coagulation is the process of waterseparating filtrationmicroscopic alsoundissolved involvessolid aparticles processfrom calledgrey flocculation.water. This process is usually done before theGrey water is releasedtreated with coagulation and flocculation reagents to separate out suspended particles and colloidal particles. These reagents cause finely suspended particles to join together and form larger and denser particles  called flocs. These flocs settle at the bottom of the flocculation and coagulation chamber and can be removed periodically. Isolating these particles first using this process reduces the volume of grey water that is pumped into the electrocoagulationprimary unit.clarifier Flocculants are chemicals that are added to contaminated water to form flocs and sludge.chamber.

 

Primary Clarifier Chamber

Primary clarification is the process of removing floating solids before grey water is sent for biological treatment. Grey water enters the clarifier chamber and floating solids are removed by skimmers. Solids that settle at the bottom can be collected using a mechanical rake and pushed into a sludge chamber. This sludge can be removed periodically and disposed off.

 

Aeration Chamber

 

 

 

Licensing

This project is being developed as an open-source project with the following licensing: