Objective:

Field feeding operations generate hundreds of gallons of wastewater or greywater at each site every day. Current sanitation practice employs a three-sink center that requires 240 gallons or more of fresh water per day and generates an equivalent amount of greywater. Currently, the greywater is collected in large sump tanks or bladders and later backhauled for proper disposal, presenting a logistical and environmental burden. There is also the potential for improper disposal of untreated greywater to the ground, which can pose health problems and harm the environment. Thus, a water treatment and/or recycling system is needed to reduce fresh water use and greywater production and disposal while reducing the potential for environmental impact.

Technology Description:

Ultrafiltration has shown to be a useful method of remediating field kitchen greywater. The nature of the Army and Marine Corps' field situation precludes more universally accepted methods of treatment such as biological digestion. Instead, a man-portable membrane filtration system able to filter particulates having molecular weights between 10,000 and 200,000 daltons has been developed. This system will leave the greywater free of suspended solids and oil while significantly reducing the biological oxygen demand. In-house testing will be conducted to demonstrate both the selected membrane's resistance to fouling over long periods of time and the overall system effectiveness in a controlled environment. Field-testing will be conducted in two locations to demonstrate the filter's ability to operate effectively in a training situation.

Expected Benefits:

There are several benefits from the addition of this technology. The first is a reduced logistical footprint. At current annual usage nationwide, the amount of water used and greywater backhauled as a result of sanitation operations is estimated to be 19.7 million gallons per year. Generating and moving water in the field costs money, but this figure is hard to estimate due to the fluctuations in Mission Enemy Terrain Troops and Time (METT T). However, the portable system is expected to reduce the consumption of water by 25 percent and the backhauled water by 75 percent. Other benefits include a reduction in overall system weight and transportability as well as the elimination of health hazards associated with the current method where greywater is disposed of in ditches near the base camp.
(Anticipated Project Completion - 2005)

Contacts:

Mr. Peter Lavigne
U.S. Army Soldier & Biological Chemical Command
Natick Soldier Center
Natick, MA 01760-5018
Telephone: (508) 233-4939
Fax: (508) 233-5556
E-mail: Peter.Lavigne@natick.army.mil

Mr. Joseph Jordan
U.S. Army Soldier & Biological Chemical Command
Natick Soldier Center
Natick, MA 01760-5018
Telephone: (508) 233-4841
Fax: (508) 233-5556
E-mail: Joseph.Jordan@natick.army.mil