Water recycling helps recover nutrients too: water prize winner

Business Times 6 Jul 11;

USED water ought to be viewed as a resource and not merely a nuisance to dispose of, says South African-born scientist James Barnard, this year's Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Laureate.

Delivering the Singapore Water Lecture yesterday afternoon, Dr Barnard said he sees water reclamation as a means not just to recover water, but also essential nutrients such as phosphorus.

Recognised for inventing an environment-friendly and cost-effective method to treat used water using micro-organisms instead of chemicals, Dr Barnard received $300,000, an award certificate and a gold medallion from former premier Lee Kuan Yew at a banquet at the Ritz-Carlton last night.

Dr Barnard will use part of the prize money to set up an endowment for his alma mater Stellenbosch University because South Africa is 'producing only 20 per cent of engineers needed in such a water-strapped country'.

He will also donate part of the money to the University of Johannesburg and University of Texas at Austin.

Dr Barnard will channel the rest of the prize money to continue his research, mentoring the younger generation and teaching.

Since his invention in the 1970s, Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR)-based technology has been adopted in thousands of plants in the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and more recently in developing countries such as China and Brazil. Singapore also uses a variant of BNR technology in water treatment.

In response to a question on why great water technology ideas are not being adopted quickly enough, Dr Barnard said he was fortunate to have the backing of people in Johannesburg who first used his BNR technology.

"Urine recovery" may be way forward in future water supply: expert
Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 5 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE : An international water expert has predicted a future where mankind's main water resource comes from used water.

With a growing population, water is a prized commodity, and increasingly, pure drinking water has become a scarcity in many countries.

According to Dr James Barnard, recipient of this year's Lee Kuan Yew Water prize, one solution countries need to seriously consider, is using treated waste water - something Singapore is already doing with NEWater.

Singapore currently has five NEWater plants, which treat waste water for both industrial and potable use.

Together they supply 30 per cent of the country's current water needs.

In Singapore, treated waste water or NEWater is used mainly for industrial purposes. Only about 2 per cent is pumped back into the reservoir. And by 2060, it's estimated that NEWater will meet about half of Singapore's overall water demand.

Some parts of the world are already quite advanced in what Dr Barnard calls "urine recovery".

Dr Barnard said: "It's already happening, a lot of people just don't know it and accept it therefore.

"There is a reservoir feeding some of the suburbs in Washington DC, Fairfax County, and that reservoir, 60 per cent of the flow into that reservoir is used water. So you can say, call it indirect, but they are having a higher recycle rate of used water than Singapore has."

Dr Barnard also has a radical idea to better facilitate the process - have dual flushing toilets where urine flows through separate pipes, directly to waste water treatment plants.

Dr Barnard said: "They have a suburb in Stockholm where they are already doing that. It is more like a demonstration project.

"I'm thinking in new developments like perhaps golf courses. Most of these developments have housing around them. Why should we not separate the urine in that and re-use it on the fairways? I think that's where we can make a start in the developed world. We cannot go into the buildings and change those toilets."

He said urine, when treated could be a resource for drinking and agricultural use. Its by-products could also be used as a source of energy and fertilisers.

Meanwhile, Dr Barnard, the fourth Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize winner, was officially honoured at the Riz-Carlton Millenia on Tuesday evening.

He received the award from former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, whom the award is named after, for his work in enabling Singapore to attain a sustainable water supply.

Besides the certificate and gold medallion, Dr Barnard also received S$300,000, which he said would go to charity.

Dr Barnard is recognised for his invention of the Biological Nutrient Removal technology, which uses naturally occurring micro-organisms instead of conventional chemicals to remove chemicals from used water.

The Lee Kuan Yew Water prize is awarded to those who have contributed towards solving global water problems.

- CNA /ls

Used water will become 'mankind's main source of water'
Imelda Saad Aziz Today Online 6 Jul 11;

SINGAPORE - Already a resource fulfilling about one-third of Singapore's current water needs, used water - such as urine - will become mankind's main source of water, predicted an international water expert.

Speaking at the Singapore Water Lecture yesterday, Dr James Barnard, the recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize this year - given to those who have contributed towards solving global water problems - said that with a growing population, pure drinking water is becoming a scarcity in many countries.

Hence, countries need to consider using treated waste water - something Singapore is already doing with NEWater. Singapore currently has five NEWater plants, with most of the NEWater used for industrial purposes. Only 2 per cent is pumped into the reservoirs.

More advanced in "urine recovery" is a reservoir in a suburb in Washington DC, where 60 per cent of the water flowing into it is used water. "Call it indirect, but they are having a higher recycle rate of used water than Singapore has," said Dr Barnard.

A lot of people do not realise the water they are getting is treated waste water and so accept it as water that they have been getting all the while, he said.

Meanwhile, in a suburb in Stockholm, a pilot project with dual flushing toilets sees urine flow through separate pipes directly to waste water treatment plants. "It could be implemented in new developments like golf courses," he said.

As most of these developments will have housing coming up around them, why not re-use urine from these houses on the fairways, he suggested.

He added that urine, when treated, could be a resource for drinking and agricultural use and its by-products could be used as a source of energy and fertilisers.

Dr James Barnard received his prize from former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia last night.

Besides a certificate and gold medallion, Dr Barnard also received S$300,000, which he said would go to charity.

Dr Barnard is recognised for his invention of Biological Nutrient Removal technology, which uses naturally occurring micro-organisms - instead of conventional chemicals - to remove chemicals from used water.

Passion for urine, food for thought
Prize winner promotes use of waste as fertiliser
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 6 Jul 11;

THE winner of this year's Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize has his eye on urine.

Dr James Barnard, 75, is a dogged advocate of using it as a fertiliser to bump up food production for the world, possible because the body's liquid waste contains large amounts of phosphorus, a fertiliser.

'I know it's a strange idea that gets lots of laughs, but it's really serious,' said the South Africa-born civil engineer.

He was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize last night by former prime minister Lee himself, for his work in recycling used water. Dr Barnard's technology recovers phosphorus from used water such as urine, converting it into pellets or crystals.

The Water Prize recognises outstanding contributions towards solving global water problems through technology, policies and programmes. The prize presentation is the highlight of each year's Singapore International Water Week.

At the Water Lecture traditionally given by the winner, Dr Barnard said yesterday afternoon that he would use his position as the latest winner of the prize to promote the use of urine as fertiliser.

Already, in cities like Kampala in Uganda, half the food consumed is grown using urine, he said.

Using this waste as a fertiliser could avert a food crisis caused by natural disasters, changing weather patterns and speculation in crop prices. Global food prices shot up 30 per cent in the last year.

With the world population growing, especially in developing countries, it is crucial to raise food production, Dr Barnard said.

Research institutes in Sweden and Switzerland are trying to get developing countries to save and use urine as a fertiliser for food crops. Sweden is implementing 'urine-separation toilets', which are toilets with separate channels to collect urine.

'I'm told the only problem is getting the men to sit down,' Dr Barnard quipped.

He noted that 90 per cent of the world's phosphorus mines are found in just five countries - Morocco, China, South Africa, Jordan and the United States.

Fertiliser from these countries is only going to get more costly as the supply shrinks, so it is important for developing countries to find a cheap, sustainable way of producing it themselves, he said.

He plugs the 'urine-as-fertiliser' message wherever he goes, from conventions to lectures - and even on board aeroplanes.

Laughing, he said: 'Sometimes the person next to me asks me what I do for a living. I tell them you're going to be sorry that you asked. But they always end up finding it fascinating.'

The Water Prize attracted a record 72 submissions from 29 countries this year. It includes an award and a $300,000 cash prize.

Dr Barnard said he would donate part of the money to the University of Stellenbosch, his alma mater, and the University of Texas and the University of Johannesburg, which supported his work. He will also launch programmes for young scientists.