Report on the TITAN MBR Packaged Wastewater Treatment System and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

Smith & Loveless Inc. has introduced the TITAN MBR, a factory-built membrane bioreactor system designed for high-efficiency wastewater treatment. This report details the system’s features, operational benefits, and significant contributions to achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to water, infrastructure, and sustainable production.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The TITAN MBR system directly supports the advancement of several SDGs through its innovative design and operational efficiency.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The system’s primary function is to treat wastewater to a superior quality, making it safe for discharge or reuse. By meeting stringent standards like California Title 22, it directly facilitates water reuse, enhancing water security and promoting sustainable water management for all.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: As a pre-engineered, factory-built solution, the TITAN MBR represents resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Its integration of advanced membrane technology, smart automation with QUICKSMART controls, and cloud-based monitoring via RemoteView showcases industry innovation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The compact design allows for decentralized wastewater treatment, making it ideal for various community sizes and applications. This supports the development of sustainable urban and rural water cycles by treating and reusing water locally.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The system promotes sustainable production patterns through significant resource efficiency. It reduces energy consumption by up to 30% and minimizes chemical use via an automated in-place cleaning process, contributing to a circular economy for water resources.

Key System Features and Operational Benefits

Design and Engineering

• Factory-Built Construction: Systems are manufactured and tested in a controlled factory environment, reducing field assembly, shortening installation timelines, and ensuring faster startup.
• Durable Materials: Features include epoxy and polyurethane-coated V-Crimp tankage and stainless steel internal components for long-term reliability.
• Compact Footprint: The design is optimized for space efficiency, suitable for flows from 5,000 gallons per day to 0.1 MGD.

Performance and Efficiency

1. Superior Effluent Quality: The system consistently achieves high-quality effluent, with typical values including:
   • BOD:
   • TSS:
   • Turbidity:
   • Total Phosphorus:
2. Energy Efficiency: The design eliminates the need for permeate pumps, resulting in energy savings of up to 30% compared to conventional systems.
3. Advanced Membrane Technology: Utilizes robust flat-plate PVDF+PET submerged membranes that resist breakage and fouling, ensuring longer operational life and consistent performance.

Operation and Maintenance

• Simplified Maintenance: Membranes are automatically cleaned in place (CIP) approximately twice per year without removal, which lowers chemical consumption and minimizes system downtime.
• Smart Automation: The QUICKSMART touchscreen PLC controls automate key processes, including decanting, chemical cleaning, and nutrient removal. Recycle control and aeration are also automatically managed for optimized performance.
• Remote Monitoring: The cloud-based RemoteView service enables operators to monitor and control system functions from any location, enhancing operational oversight and responsiveness.

Customization and Support

• Enhanced Features: Optional components include OBEX fine screening, separate blowers for airlifts and the MBR zone, odor control packages, and skid-mounted chemical cleaning systems.
• Comprehensive Support: Smith & Loveless provides end-to-end support, from pre-design engineering to long-term service, backed by over 75 years of industry expertise.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the TITAN MBR wastewater treatment system directly and indirectly addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus is on water and sanitation, with strong connections to innovation, sustainable communities, and responsible production.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – This is the most relevant SDG, as the entire article discusses a technology designed for high-efficiency wastewater treatment, improving water quality, and enabling water reuse.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article highlights an “industry-leading membrane bioreactor solution” and “advanced membrane technology.” This represents an innovation in industrial processes and the development of resilient infrastructure for waste management.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Effective wastewater treatment is a critical service for sustainable communities. By providing a compact and efficient system, the technology supports the reduction of the environmental impact of urban and community settlements.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The system promotes sustainable production patterns through its resource efficiency. The article mentions it “reduces energy usage by up to 30 percent,” “lowers chemical use,” and enables water reuse, all of which contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the functionalities and benefits of the TITAN MBR system described in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
   • Explanation: The article’s core subject is a wastewater treatment system that “achieves superior effluent quality.” It explicitly mentions that the system “meets California Title 22 standards for water reuse,” directly aligning with the goal of increasing recycling and safe reuse.
2. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and processes…
   • Explanation: The TITAN MBR is presented as an “advanced membrane technology” that is “energy-efficient.” This represents an upgrade to wastewater infrastructure using a clean and environmentally sound technology that increases resource-use efficiency.
3. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Explanation: The system is a solution for “municipal and other waste management” (wastewater). By treating wastewater to a high standard and enabling reuse, it helps reduce the environmental footprint of the communities it serves.
4. Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
   • Explanation: The article states that the system “reduces energy usage by up to 30 percent” and enables water reuse, which are direct contributions to the efficient use of natural resources like energy and water.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several specific, quantifiable indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

• Indicators for Target 6.3 (Water Quality and Reuse):
  • Effluent Quality Metrics: The article provides typical values for treated water quality, which serve as direct performance indicators:
    • Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD):
    • Total Suspended Solids (TSS):
    • Turbidity:
    • Total Phosphorus:
  • Water Reuse Compliance: The mention of meeting “California Title 22 standards” is an indicator of achieving a level of treatment suitable for safe water reuse.
• Indicators for Target 9.4 and 12.2 (Resource Efficiency):
  • Energy Efficiency: The claim that the system “reduces energy usage by up to 30 percent” is a direct indicator of increased resource-use efficiency.
  • Chemical Use Reduction: The statement that the cleaning process “lowers chemical use” is a qualitative indicator of more sustainable management of materials.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: pandct.com