DAAD International Workshop for Water, Wastewater and the Environment-Urgent Issues for

Sustainability (26th October – 3rd November 2009), Braunschweig, Germany.

 

Sewage Sludge Management in Egypt:

Current Status and Perspectives Towards a

Sustainable Agricultural Use

Msc. Eng. Mohamed Ghazy

E-Mail: m.ghazy@tu-bs.de

Institute of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
Prof. Dr.-Ing. N. Dichtl

Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Introduction
Population: Tripled during the last 50
years.

+ 80 million, year 2008, Annual growth rate

1.75
More%than 13 million tourists/year
Cairo
 With the rapidly growing population and
industrial development, the wastewater and
sewage sludge generation has been also
increased.

 The Egyptian sanitation sector is facing

many difficulties to manage this wastewater
and sewage sludge, Which require huge
investments currently are above the
Capital : available
presently Cairo national resources.
 Current population 17 million, producing
more than 5 million m3/day of wastewater.
Area: 1 million km2
 Only 5% occupied by population along the
Nile Valley and Delta.

Climate: A desert climate, hot and dry most

of the year.
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Wastewater Services Coverage in
Egypt
Urban Areas
Urban (217 cities)
 About 60 % are covered by wastewater collection
43%
and treatment facilities, and planning to cover
100 % with 2020.

Rural Areas
 Only 15 % are covered by wastewater collection
57%
and treatment facilities.
Rural (4700 villages)
 The other using Septic tank or disposal the
wastewater direct to water bodies.
Cover
15%
Not cover
40%
Cover Not cover
60% 85%
Urban Areas Rural
Areas

It is required more than 100 Billion US$ to cover 100 % of Rural and Urban
areas
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Wastewater Treatment Plants in
Egypt
Capacities of WWTPs
 Total No of WWTPs: 303, Total Treatment Capacity: 12 million m3/day
 More than 78 % of WWTPs is relatively small (< 30x103 m3/day) representing 22 % of total treatment capacity.
Scales of WWTPs, and amount of sludge generation in Egypt, year 2008_

Systems of Wastewater Treatment

 Activated Sludge Systems:
Mainly conventional and oxidation ditch
Conventional Activated Sludge
systems and representing about 63 % of the Systems
total WWTPs capacity and treating about 7.5
million m3/day.

 Oxidation Pond Systems: Oxidation Ditch Systems

Representing about 12 % of WWTPs No. and 2.25
% of Treatment capacity (0.3 million m3/day). Preliminary
re Oxidation
Tre
reatment Ponds
Influent Effluent

Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering To sludge treatment facilities Excess sludge
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
Oxidation Pond Systems
 The Applied Scenarios for Sludge Treatment
and Disposal in Egypt
Type of WWTPs

Conventional Activated Sludge

Gravity Thickener Natural Dewatering Drying Area Agricultural Reuse

Oxidation Ponds

Trickling Filter
 The thickened sludge solids concentration:4-6% DS
 The solids concentration after drying beds is 40-60
%.
Primary Treatment
 The dewatering time is usually 25 days in summer
Stabilisation Pond  Storage period
and 40 days of 1.5 to 6 months according to the
in winter.
weather and available stacking area before using in
UASB
agriculture

 It is noted that, this scenario of sludge treatment does not contain facilities
for stabilization processes. Moreover, the quality of the produced sludge in
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
most of the WWTPs doesn’t fit the Egyptian or international standards,
especially pathogens limits.
 Recently Applied Scenarios:
Anaerobic digestion (Al Gabel Asfer WWTP- Cairo)
Al Gabel Asfer WWTP
Current capacity:1.8 million m3/day, Total area: 630 Second stage
hectares m3/day 103*54
0 Future extens
ion
First stage:
stage Started operation: October 1998 1500 x10 3 m 3da
y
Capacity: 1.2 million m3/day (actual), Cover : 12
million capita
Second stage: Started operation: 2004
First stage
Capacity:0.5 million m3/day, Cover : 2.5 million capita m3/day 103*12
00 Sludge treatm
Future Stage: Will start operation: 2020 ent facility

Capacity:1.5 million m3/day (Total capacity 3 million

m3/day).
Sludge Treatment Scenario
It will be the largest WWTP in the World
Gravity thickening
Mechanical dewatering
Phase I: 16 Thickeners with volume of 3,200
m3 Phase I: 30 belt filter press units with a capacity of 23 m3/hr
each
Phase II: 3 with volume of 2,500 m3
Phase II: 12 units with a capacity of 21 m3/hr each
Thickened sludge: 12,500 m /day, Conc. 4 %
3
DS digestion Solid concentration : 23-30 % ; Polymers dose: 4 kg/ton DS
Anaerobic Drying area
Primary digesters Stacking area: 54 hectares
Solid
Phase I: 20 digesters with volume of 11,000 m 3 concentration : 40-60 % Then it transferred to use in
agriculture
Phase II: 8 with volume of 10,000 m 3

Retention time: 20 days

Secondary digesters
Phase I: 10 digesters with volume of 7,500 m3
Phase II: 2 with volume of 9,000 m3
Retention time: 7 days

Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Recently Applied Scenarios:
Windrow composting (9 N site – Alexandria)
WWTPs in Alexandria
 East WWTP
ge %
Capacity: 600x103 m3/day (actual) f slud c. 2-3
t o o n
Start of operating: 1990 (prim. treatment) ou n y, c
Am m3 /da
Amount of sludge: 3000-4000 m3/day, conc. 2-3 % 0 00
0 -4
300
 West WWTP
Capacity: 360x103 m3/day (actual).
Start of operation: 1993 (prim. treatment)
Amount of sludge: 3,100-4,000 m3/day, conc. 3.5-6%
 Others: 6 WWTPs, (Sec. treatment)
Total treatment capacity107 x103 m3/day.

Mechanical Dewatering Site

Amount of produced sludge: No. 2, Capacity 900 m3
Retention time: 7-9hr
(400 tons/day, conc. 25-30%)
Blower capacity: 800 m3
No of Machines: 12 Belt filter Presses
Belt width: 2 m, Capacity:700-900
m3/day
Destination of Disposal
(9 N) site at distance 45 km
Sludge Treatment Scenario
WWTPs, Alexandria (9 N Site)

Agricultural Reuse
Primary Treatment Composting
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Mechanical Dewatering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 (9 N) site – Alexandria
(9N) site:
Start of operating: 1997
Site area: 1.5 Km2
Ground water depth: 60 m
Distance from nearest residential area: 6 km

Composting Process
Windrow formation
No. of windrows: 60
Dimension of each: (250 m, 3.5 m, 1.5 m)
Bulking agent: recycle compost, Bulking ratio: 1:1.5
Moisture content : (40 to 50%) Dump the raw dry sludge

Active composting stage

Composting time: 2 months
Mixing and aeration: 3 times/day (3 days), Every 15
days
Operating temperature: 55-65 °C Cover the raw sludge by old compo
Curing stage
Mixing with bulking agent
Curing time: 1 month
Moisture content : 10-25%

Capacity of Produced Compost

Reciving sludge Produced compost
Year Stabilization stage
(m3/year) (m3/year) Mentoring and temperature control
2005 82000 29000
2006 109000 39000
2008 129000 46000
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany

Curing stage
 Recently Applied Scenarios:
Windrow composting (AL Berka pilot project-Cairo)
Drying beds Gravity thickeners
Total area: 210 hectares No of thickeners : 8
No of Beds: 96 Diam: 25 m,depth: (4-
Dim. 125 x 64 x 2 m 6.5m)
Drying time: (25-40 days) Amount of thickened
Amount of dry sludge sludge
450 m3/day (220 5000 m3/day, Conc. 5-6
tons/day), Conc. 35-50 % % 50 AL Berka WWTP
. 3
diam Treatment Capacity:
ai n
em 600 x 103
forc mm km m3/day(design)
2
:3
ta nce 4.0 million capita
Di s
Amount of sludge
5700 m3/day,Conc. 2 %

Al Berka compost project

Al Berka
Sludge treatment scenario in Al Berka (pilot project)
WWTP 30 %
Al Berka&Shobera WWTPs
Drying beds
Composting
Shobera WWTP
70 % Treatment Capacity:
Agricultural Reuse
Gravity Thickener 600 x 103 m3/day
3.0 million capita
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany Amount of sludge
4700 m3/day,Conc.3%
 AL Berka pilot project- Cairo
Al Berka Pilot Compost Rice straw shredding
Project
Started operating: 2007
Investment costs: 3.5 million US$
Raw sludge: 140 m3/day, Site area: 2.6 Ha
Capacity of compost: 25,000 tons/year
Windrow formation
Composting Process
Cover the raw sludge by rice straw
Windrow formation
No. of windrows: 26, Dimension of each: (100 m, 3 m, 1.5 m)
Bulking agent: recycle compost and rice straw
Bulking ratio: 4 parts raw sludge (25% DS):1 old compost (60%
DS):1 shredded rice straw (85% DS),
Moisture content : (40 to 50%) Mixing with bulking agent

Active composting stage Aeration and temperature control

Composting time: 2 months
Mixing and aeration: 3 times (first), Every 15 days
Operating temperature: 55-65 °C

Curing stage
Curing time: 1-2 month Stabilization stage
Moisture content : 10-30%
Curing stage
Municipal Future Planning
The project may be expanded to a full-scale project to
produce a compost of 250,000 tons/year from the dried
sewage sludge accumulated from Al Berka, Shobera
and Al Gabel Asfer WWTPs
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany Screening and bagging stage
 Sewage Sludge Production in Egypt
According to the NOPWASD and HCWW data
The total current capacity of treated sewage: 12 million m3/day.
The dry sludge production was estimated to 5.8x103 tons/day
The sludge production rate: 0.48 kg/m3 of treated sewage (which seems relatively high compared to many
other typical values: USA (0.2-0.3 kg/m3 ); Metcalf & Eddy (0.18 -0.27 kg/m3 ); China was 0.21 kg/m3
According to theoretical calculation
Based on Egyptian BOD and TSS concentrations and taking the effect of Temp. from (10-30 °C) and sludge age
(5-20 days)

German standards (ATV A 131E ): The production rate ranged from 0.20 to 0.28 kg/m3 of treated
sewage.
Metcalf & Eddy (2003): It ranged from 0.11 to 0.21 kg/m of treated sewage. 3
Estimation the reliable amount of produced dry sludge
The estimated dry sludge produced from all WWTPs in Egypt,
 The dry sludge production rate 2008
Estimated dry sewage
from the activated sludge Capacity of
systems in Egypt is considered at Sludge sludge
treated (50 % DS)
0.22 kg/m3 Type of WWTPs No of WWTPs production
wastewater
 The production rates from the rate(kg/m3)
103 m3/day Amount Volume
others WWTP types are assumed (tons/day) (m3/day)
at 0.05-0.22 kg/m3 according to
Activated Sludge 97 0.225 6,703 1,508 2,793
the literatures
Oxidation Ditch 47 0.225 833 187 347
 The estimated amount of Trickling Filter 9 0.22 291 64 119
produced dry sludge from Extended Aeration 17 0.1 170 17 31
Egyptian's WWTPs are about Oxidation Ponds 35 0.05 266 13 25
2.4 x103 tons/day. Aerated Lagoon 4 0.1 197 20 36
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Primary Treatment 22 0.15 2,021 303 561
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany Others* 72 0.2 1,372 274 508
Total 303 11,853 2,387 4,421
 Sewage Sludge Agronomic Value
Concentration of nutrient resources in the dried sludge in Egypt’s WWTPs
Nutrients content Total organic Total
Total nitrogen Potassium
Reference mater (OM) Phosphorus
The agronomic value of sewage (TKN) % (K) %
% (P) %
sludge depends on its nutrients Field study, 2008 57 3.16 1.13 0.28
AFESD, 2007 61 3.13 0.65 0.19
content, trace elements and organic IIP, 2002 No data 2.4 0.55 0.3
matter content NOPWASD, 2000 61 4.11 1.6 0,55
Sewage sludge monetary valueMETAP, 1999 45 1.7 0.8 0.3
Average 56 2.90 0.95 0.32
 Theoretically, the monetary values of the The monetary values for the relevant resources in dry sludge
resources contained in sewage sludge can
Egyptianmarket USAMarket
be evaluated according to the current price
Resourses price price
of these relevant resources in the
(US$/kg) (US$/kg)
commercial market.
 The economic values of the N, P and K Nitrogen(N)
Phosphorus (P)
0.76
2.23
1.61
4.91
resources can be calculated according to the
Potassium(K) 0.43 0.94
market prices of these elements in the
Organic matter 0.015 0.044
commercial inorganic fertilizers. Assume: The average retail price of electricity in USA, 2008 was 10.13 Cent/kWh
and in Egypt 3.4 Cent/kWh and the exchange rate used in 2008 was US$ = 5.76 LE
 The monetary values of the organic (Egyptian pound)
matter can be estimated according to
the market price of the generated The price of dry sewage sludge in the international and Egyptian market
electricity during the anaerobic Amount of relevant Monterey value
digestion stabilization. resources Egyptian market USA market
Average
 The theoretical price of
Resources content % K g/ton kg/m
3
US$/ton US$/m
3
US$/ton US$/m
3
sewage sludge according to
its resources price in N itrogen (N ) 2.9 29 15.7 22.0 11.9 46.7 25.2
Egyptian market is 28 US$/m3 Phosphorus (P) 0.95 9.5 5.1 21.2 11.4 46.6 25.2
or 53
Institut US$/ton.
of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Potassium (K ) 0.32 3.2 1.7 1.4 0.7 3.0 1.6
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany O rganic matter 56 560 302.4 8.4 4.5 24.64 13.3
Total 53 28.5 121 65.3
 Options of beneficial uses of sewage sludge
1. Agriculture Reuse Organic Fertilizer Soil Conditioner

2. Energy recovery Heat Generation Electricity Generation

3. Construction materials Cement Industrial Construction Materials

4. Phosphorus recovery

Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Phosphors
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Potential uses of sewage sludge in
Egypt
 Egypt is an arid country, the dessert represents more
than 95% of the total area.

 Only 5 % of Egypt area occupied by overpopulation in

the limited strip of the Nile valley and Delta.
Delta
1000
900
800
m2/Capita

700
600
500 950
400
Nile valley
300
500
200 380
100
0
1960 1996 2017
Year
Change of the cultivated land per capita in Egypt

 The sharp decline of the per capita cultivated land will also
reduce the per capita crop production.

 An important issue for Egyptian agricultural policy is to

redistribute the population over a larger area

Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering

Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Beneficial use of sewage sludge in Egypt
(Potential demand of sewage sludge in agriculture)

Expansion of reclamation desert

land
 Over the last 30 years, More than 3.3 million acres have
been reclaimed and that will be increased in the future.

 About 170,000 acres are reclaiming yearly (the

South Valley Development Project about 1 million acres
until 2020)
Soil conditions of the reclaimed
land
 Often saline, mild to moderately alkaline (pH 7.7 -
8.2).

 Micronutrient elements shortage are common,

particularly manganese, iron and zinc, which are
required for plant growth and are present in sludge.

 Calcareous soils limit crop uptake of heavy metals

and potential toxicity.

 Extensive sunshine exposure, high temperature,

and dry conditions, Which provide unfavorable
conditions for survival of microbial pathogens South valley development
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering project
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Beneficial use of sewage sludge in Egypt
(Sewage sludge market )

Potential market demand

 The recommended application rate of dry sewage sludge in Egypt: 8 - 20 m3
DS/acre/year for arable crops.
 The target market: New reclaimed desert land, which can be considered more
preferably for sludge application, hence the supply of sludge more practical,
safe and any input of organic matter will improve the soil properties.

 The current dry sludge production represent only less than 5 % of the actual
demand of the target market (the reclaimed desert land only).

Sewage sludge market price

 The current sale price of dry sludge in Egyptian market ranges from 1.5-11

 US$/m 3
. of the other organic fertilizer are about 17 US$/m3.
This price

 The target price of treated dry sewage sludge is estimated by 12 US$/m3.

 This price has still a proper competition margin up to 5 US$/m3 less than other
organic fertilizers and less than the estimated theoretical price of sewage sludge by
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
16 US$/m
Technische
3
. Braunschweig, Germany
Universität
 Conclusion

 The sewage sludge production is continuously increasing in Egypt. Therefore, the

main currently pressing needs are to find/develop more efficient and more
sustainable technologies to allow a safe and suitable reuse of sewage sludge in
agriculture.
 Recently, the application of the anaerobic digestion technology for sludge
stabilization and power generation in Al Gabelb Asfer WWTP and the windrow
composting processes in (9N) site and Al Berka WWTP have achieved good results.
There is a growing interest in using such technologies on large scale in the future.

 The use of sewage sludge in agriculture in Egypt may offer the most sustainable and
beneficial use of sewage sludge under Egyptian conditions. Also, it may offer the
most economical route for sludge disposal because the Egyptian farmers are
prepared to pay for any source of organic fertilizers.

 The treated sewage sludge has a good potential demand in the Egyptian market. The
target price of municipalities is estimated at 12 US$/m3 of dry sludge (it will provide a
yearly income about 19 million US$, which represents more than 30 % of the
operation and maintenance costs of all Egyptian WWTPs).
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
 Thank you

?
Institut of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany