Rekel/water - Rekel Kenya Ltd

 
 ”Nature based Nitrogen and Phosphorus removal
 from 'Waste Water Treatment Plants effluent in developing countries
Acacia hotel, Kisumu, Kenya
18th December 2017

convener: Ruud Kampf
   
KIWASCO

 

Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company Ltd

VEI VEI, Dutch water operators, previously VEI (Vitens Evidens International)

The program was as follows:

1.       Reception of the workshop workers, including word of welcome by Joseph Obunde

2.       Short introductions of the participants (name, plus organisation)

3.       Introduction to waste water treatment, separation of wastes, no-mix, Biosanitation, Waterharmonica, A water life story of Ruud, with examples from around the world

4.       Introduction to the three cases by Ruud Kampf

5.       Three groups for the three cases

6.       Presentations of the results of today

7.       Planning of the future, evaluation

 
6_04
 
 

Invited were (link)

Organisation

Organisation_short

Name

Workshop convener

Rekel Kenya Ltd

Ruud Kampf

Kisumu Country Council

County Government of Kisumu

Belinda Nyakinya

 

 

 

Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company

KIWASCO

Benjamin Odhiambo

 

Rachael Kerubo

 

Caleb Okano

 

Joseph Obunde

 

Lilian Nagot

 

 

Carine Comolo

Lake Victoria Environment Management Project II

LVEMBII

Stephen Oketch

Lake Victoria South Water Services Board

LVSWSB

George Agengo

 

 

Odhiambo Omondi

National Environment Management Authority

NEMA

Bryan Otiende

 

NEMA Kisumu county office

Brian Ochieng

Water  Resources Authority (WRA)

WRA

Judith Kavala

Local stake holder

Mixa Farm

Charles Odira

Should have been invited for the workshop

Nyanza Golf Club

Okelo Deya

 
 

The programme of the workshop:

 
 

Part 1

Introduction, opening. Some thoughts about wastewater and life (download pdf)

Part 2

Some examples of sustainable water management in the developing world (download pdf)

Part 3

Over 20 years experience with reuse of treated waste water through natural processes(download pdf)

Part 4

Waterharmonica in the developing world, natural constructed processes in the in (semi-)urban watercycle (download pdf)

Part 5

The cases, formation of the “Creative Kisumu Waterharmonica Group” (download pdf)

Part 6

Report on the Workshop “Nature based methods for reuse of treated water, incl.  food chain  approach for removal of   nutrients”: first results of the “Creative Kisumu Waterharmonica Group”  (download pdf)


All files can be downloaded at once as a zip-file: download pdf (ca. 500 Mb)
 

Part 7: Appendix, how to design a Waterharmonica, a selection of backgrounds all kind of backgrounds, (download pdf), more info on www.waterharmonica.nl .

 

During the workshop the attendants were caught up in the “Creative Kisumu Waterharmonica Group” , spontaneously formed during the day. I sincerely hope we can pick the issues, the reasons the workshop was hold further in a “living active” atmosphere, with contributions of all dealing with the issue in the whole city of Kisumu, and its surroundings.

   
 

A personal overview of the workshop

   
 

The introduction started with describing an integrated approach of all water issues applicable in the city of Kisumu. It is indeed very important to provide good drinking water, but drinking water will end as sewage, more drinking water gives more sewage. The reason I did dare to come forward to this was the following observation:

-          drinking water produced 35,000 m3/day:

-          sewage treated in the Kisat WWTP and the Nyalende pond only 12,000 m3 per day

Thus sewage treatment is still behind at least 23,000 m3 per day. Plus borehole water….

 Does that mean that all efforts of KIWASCO were in vain?, no certainly not. A good drinking water supply is eminent. Like treatment of waste water. Thinking in water cycles will make it possible to adopt both old and new technologies in one scheme.

 In this scheme treated waste water is part of the cycle, that implies that it will be interesting to see -well treated- waste water as a source. Nutrients are not a pollutant, but a source of life. To make this happen knowledge of an array of simple processes are needed.

  6_slide_49
   
 

Only, is the solution more sewer and more waste water treatment plants?: yes or no, or yes and no?

 

One of the main sources of nutrients and life are “human wastes”, for everybody is that about the same, relative small amounts of faeces and urine:

-          roughly 2-5 l per person per day;

-          contains nutrients (60 - 80 % of nitrogen, half of phosphorus plus nearly all pathogens).

 

-          around 400,000 people not connected to the Kisumu sewer systems ;

-          between 720 and 2100 m3 per day black wastes.;

-          10 – 40 truck could be enough to transport 120 – 350 truckloads per day

When this system is picked up cleverly then it is even possible to tackle a big part of the medicine pollution, by separate collection of wastes from hospitals (an adapted form of the Pharmafilter( www.pharmafilter.nl).

 

When these loads would be transported to new digesters and “fertilizer production by drying, composting, etc.”  it would not only produce fertilizer but also a considerable amount of “green gas”.

 

Crucial aspects: be careful in bringing piped water into houses without a good sewer connection ánd treatment the wastewater treatment plant. Of course, also treatment of so  called gray wastes will be needed, that will be much easier and will be enhanced by the need of recycled water.

 

Is this all a step back in time? It could be a direct leap of - Kisumu towards a modern circular economy, like Amsterdam (link and link).

See for a new Amsterdam example of Reclaiming raw materials and energy from the waste water: link

The participants of the workshop became the ”Kisumu Creative Water Team in the afternoon, when they discussed about the cases of the Workshop, Case 1: WWTP Kisat – “realistic”, Case 2: WWTP Kisat – “dreams” and Case 3: Nyalenda ponds – “nature”.

 The Team decided that Case 1 was to simple, an decided to have only two cases:

       Case 1: WWTP Kisat – “realistic dreams”

       Case 2: Nyalenda ponds – “nature

 More readings in Part 6. Report on the Workshop “Nature based methods for reuse of treated water, incl.  food chain  approach for removal of  nutrients”: first results of the “Creative Kisumu Waterharmonica Group”.

 6_26

The Team saw the solution for Kisat :

-          Improve the WWTP Kisat with simple means

-          The idea of the Waterharmonica seems to feasible for Kisat

  Actually it combines the good things of a conventional WWTP as Kisat with ponds as Nyalenda. This approach asks for enough space, the situation of WWTP Kisat close to the shores of lake Victoria seems to be very favourable. Like the Waterharmonica examples in The Netherlands it can go together with special planning and restoration,  fish ponds, fish spawning areas, recreation

During the workshop  the question was raised: why did we not invite the Nyanza Golf Club, the main stake holder? During a meeting by Ruud Kampf with Samuel Okelo Deya, just re-elected captain of the Nyanza Golf Club the conclusions were:

    • “what a pity you did not invite us for the workshop”;
    • “indeed we do have serious problems with water quality on the golf course”;
    • “the small river running through is very polluted’;
    • “it might suite in the extension plans of the golf course”.

 Mr Deya concluded that the golf club is very interested in every step towards a better water quality and is very willing to cooperate.

 6_35

The Team concluded about the Nyalende ponds:

-          to see the Nyalende ponds as a part of the surroundings:

-          optimize the ponds, to be done by the Kisat team

-          prevent people from entering the ponds, make a good fence:

-          safety for people

-          health aspects, people are taking untreated waste water for farming on, even, grabbed land

-          prevent disturbance of birds on the ponds

-          need for good quality water for irrigation farming and fishponds

-          saving wetlands for eco-tourism

 6_36

The wetland area south of Nyalende is really a green long for the city of Kisumu, separated from the city with slums as “city fringes”.

 6_37

A Waterharmonica in connection with the Nyalende ponds could be a good safeguard and also be a good source of water for the wetland area. Because of private ownership the plans only can be realised when for and with local people. With Improvement of the effluents of both Kisat WWTP and the Nyalenda ponds as a source of water. This fits very well in the objectives of tyhe Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, LVEMP KENYA

 Reflexion on the workshop by Ruud Kampf

For me as a convener it was a great workshop, we created a good “Creative Water Team”. I sincerely hope we can make things rolling with Kisumu as an example of water creativity.

 It is about knowledge and cooperation

       It is not about applying new technologies, it is about ideas,, proven knowledge and combination of proven technologies, , adopted to Kisumu;

       Cooperation needed!

       “Listen to your grandparents”

 “Kisat” and  “Nyalende” are indeed  very different, but why not take the best out of the two processes and combine: How to get methane gas for free, how to improve nutrient removal and Waterharmonica’s and Source separation in the urban infrastructure. It s about adding ponds to Kisat and digestion to Nyalende:

 
 6_slide_48

Trucked black wastes can be up-valued in both Kisat and Nyalende.

 

The conclusion of the workshop can be found at one of the last sheets if Part 6:

  6_64
 

       And it is advisable to bring all parties together in a (Waterharmonica) group: the Kisumu Creative Water Team

  6_66
 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed the stay in Kisumu, not the least because of the input of especially Joseph and the great support of Bryan Otiende of Nema, Nairobi.

All invited persons appeared on the workshop, gave a great and positive input, and stayed until the end, it really has been a productive day. 

Or as Marthe de Graaff of VEI described it  ”at last I found time to take a look at Ruud’s slides. I think it is a nice overview and I think it is a very nice overview and I am very curious how they take this further. Nice to see that my search for the details of the sewage treatment comes back (e.g. the flow diagrams of the STP’s purges) in an overview of how whole Kisumu and around it sanitation, nature, urban planning, etc. should pick up”.

  Nyalenda_KQ

 

Ruud Kampf, February 2018

 

Ruud Kampf

Consultant nature based methods for water resue Waterharmonica -  Biological sanitation

 

 

Phone: +31 72 502 2998, mobile:+31 649 45 0214

Email: r@rekel.nl, Skype: rekel.nl

 

logo_rekel_foto_600

Rekel/Water

Westeinde 69, 1636 VC Schermerhorn

www.rekel.nl/water

 

 

Rekel Kenya Ltd

P.O. box 53566, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya

 

 

 

Waterharmonica: www.waterharmonica.nl

 

Stowa 2013_08: Waterharmonicas in the Netherlands (1996-2012). Natural constructed wetlands between well-treated waste water and usable surface water

 

 The Waterharmonica in China: NJUcoRICH - Nanjing University Research Institute (Changshu) Co., Ltd

 Waterharmonica 活水

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