Nutrients Recovery from BELT Press Filtrate Wastewater.

El Paso Water Utilities produces a large quantity (about 175 million gallons per year) of Belt Press Filtrate (BPF) wastewater. BPF wastewater is water removed from treated wastewater sludge to better manage sludge disposal. BPF wastewater is enriched with nutrients such as ammonium (NH4 ~ 500 to 1000 mg/L), phosphorus (PO₄²- ~172 mg/L) and potassium (K ~136 mg/L). To meet water quality regulations, the concentration of ammonium in BPF wastewater needs to be significantly reduced to less than 10 mg/L (parts per million) before it can be discharged into the Rio Grande. Treatment of BPF ammonium is a major cost in wastewater treatment.  Reducing the ammonium concentration and quantity of BPF water can significantly reduce the cost of wastewater treatment. This study explores methods and the technical feasibility of recovering nutrients from BPF and storing them in a compost medium for use as an organic fertilizer