Slow Sand Filtration for the next century

This project will focus on unravelling the microbiological processes occurring in SSFs and their interaction with physio-chemical processes in order to optimize filters performance. The first step is to investigate the influence of filter age, depth and bed height, temperature and treatment processes on the microbial communities and biological processes in SSFs. This will be followed by the identification of the key microbial players and metabolic microbiological processes in SSFs in relation to removal of biodegradable-dissolved organic carbon (BDOC). The next step is to enrich, isolate and characterize microorganisms and microbial consortia that can be used as inocula to fasten the ripening of the schmutzdecke layer. The last step is to investigate the influence of new engineering solutions for new SSFs, proposed by the PhD from TUD, on microbial community dynamics with respect to structure and functioning.