Bank of Actions
Are you seeking examples or inspiration for water protection? There are plenty of potential actions to choose from! The Bank of Actions will provide your organisation with concrete ideas and examples of water protection activities implemented by organisations in the Baltic Sea Challenge network. You can browse these according to the theme, type of actor, country, year or keyword.
 |
Join the Baltic Sea Challenge network by committing to water protection work, and gain the benefits of an international expert Network. Read more about the Baltic Sea Challenge and how to join the network. |
 |
The Bank of Actions is always open to ideas for new actions. Is your organisation already a member of the Baltic Sea Challenge network and does it have good examples of water protection measures that it would like to share? Tell us about the work that you do, by filling in this form. We will put your action on the map! |
Agriculture
Awareness raising
Hazardous materials
Littering etc.
Oil spill prevention
Research and monitoring
Shipping and boating
Stormwater management
Strategies and programs
Wastewater management
Other
Drainage basin
Audit tool for smart sludge management
Actor: University of Tarto ● Year: 2018 ● Address:
Huge amount of waste activated sludge is produced in the Baltic Sea Region. Waste activated sludge contains variety of pollutants (heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pathogens) and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous). In order to reduce flow of pollutants into water bodies and to promote recycling of nutrients, it is essential to support smart sludge management.
Audit tool was developed in co-operation with sludge management specialists to measure WWTPs efficiency and potential for improvements.
Description
Efficiency and feasibility of sludge management of the plant is analysed thoroughly in sludge audit. The audit considers full plants process analysis: analysis of the sludge management technology and flows, energy and chemical consumption, automatic calculations of operational parameters. Most of the results are showed in comparison with data collected in Key Figure Collection of 66 WWTPs in Baltic Sea Region. Thus, achieved values are comparable with other plants and developed benchmarks in the same region.
First sludge management audits were performed in 9 WWTPs (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany) in order to test and develop the tool.
Benefits
Sludge audit tool is going to be a public instrument and operators of WWTPs will have an opportunity to perform a self-audit for their plants. Uniform and thorough audit concept considers regional and technological peculiarities which increases the potential of practical application of the tool. Based on achieved results, WWTPs will get knowledge about important operational parameters and possibilities for process improvement. Enhancement of sludge management leads to higher energy production, lower energy consumption and reduces loads of hazardous substances and nutrients in the effluent.
Background information
Sludge audit tool was developed within Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020 financed project IWAMA (Interactive Water Management). Baltic Sea Challenge had close co-operation with IWAMA. The project activities concentrated on developing the capacity of water sector operators and pilot investments to increase energy efficiency and advance sludge handling. All project activities were targeted at better environmental state of the Baltic Sea through reducing nutrient input, optimizing energy consumption of the wastewater treatment plants, training water sector’s employees and ensuring the transfer of knowledge. The partners of the IWAMA project joined the Baltic Sea Challenge network.
Further information
Name: Kati Klein ● Email: kati.klein(a)ut.ee ● Web page: http://www.ut.ee/
