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High rate algal ponds (HRAPs) provide improved wastewater treatment over conventional wastewater stabilisation ponds; however, algal production and recovery of wastewater nutrients as algal biomass is limited by the low carbon:nitrogen ratio of wastewater. This paper investigates the influence of CO(2) addition (to augment daytime carbon availability) on wastewater treatment performance and algal production of two pilot-scale HRAPs operated with different hydraulic retention times (4 and 8 days) over a New Zealand Summer (November-March, 07/08). Weekly measurements were made of influent and effluent flow rate and water qualities, algal and bacterial biomass production, and the percentage of algae biomass harvested in gravity settling units. This research shows that the wastewater treatment HRAPs with CO(2) addition achieved a mean algal productivity of 16.7 g/m(2)/d for the HRAP(4d) (4 d HRT, maximum algae productivity of 24.7 g/m(2)/d measured in January 08) and 9.0 g/m(2)/d for the HRAP(8d) (8 d HRT)). Algae biomass produced in the HRAPs was efficiently harvested by simple gravity settling units (mean harvested algal productivity: 11.5 g/m(2)/d for the HRAP(4d) and 7.5 g/m(2)/d for the HRAP(8d) respectively). Higher bacterial composition and the larger size of algal/bacterial flocs of the HRAP(8d) biomass increased harvestability (83%) compared to that of HRAP(4d) biomass (69%).

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High rate algal ponds (HRAPs) are shallow, paddlewheel-mixed open raceway ponds that are an efficient and cost-effective upgrade for the conventional wastewater treatment ponds used by communities and farms the world over. HRAPs provide improved natural disinfection and nutrient removal and can be further enhanced by carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) addition to promote algal growth which is often carbon limited. This paper discusses the construction and operation of a 5-ha demonstration HRAP system treating primary settled wastewater at the Christchurch wastewater treatment plant, New Zealand. The system consisted of four 1.25-ha HRAPs that were constructed from an existing conventional pond. Algae were harvested from the HRAP effluent in specially designed settlers, which concentrated the algal/bacterial biomass to 1-2% organic solids for conversion to bio-crude oil following dewatering. Performance data from the first 15 months of HRAP operation (without CO 2 addition) are presented. The four demonstration HRAPs had reasonable replication of both treatment performance and algal/bacterial productivity with similar annual average wastewater treatment efficiency (~50% removal of BOD 5 ,~87% removal of fBOD 5 ,~65% removal of ammoniacal-N,~19% removal of dissolved reactive phosphorus and~2 log removal of Escherichia coli), algal species composition and algal/bacterial biomass production (~8 g m −2 day −1 volatile suspended solids). These results were in good agreement with the results for pilot-scale HRAP without CO 2 addition in New Zealand. This study provides further indication of the potential for energy efficient and effective wastewater treatment using HRAP, while biofuel conversion of the harvested algal bacterial biomass could provide a valuable niche distributed energy source for local communities.

This paper examines the potential of algae biofuel production in conjunction with wastewater treatment. Current technology for algal wastewater treatment uses facultative ponds, however, these ponds have low productivity (∼10 tonnes/ha.y), are not amenable to cultivating single algal species, require chemical flocculation or other expensive processes for algal harvest, and do not provide consistent nutrient removal. Shallow, paddlewheel-mixed high rate algal ponds (HRAPs) have much higher productivities (∼30 tonnes/ha.y) and promote bioflocculation settling which may provide low-cost algal harvest. Moreover, HRAP algae are carbon-limited and daytime addition of CO(2) has, under suitable climatic conditions, the potential to double production (to ∼60 tonnes/ha.y), improve bioflocculation algal harvest, and enhance wastewater nutrient removal. Algae biofuels (e.g. biogas, ethanol, biodiesel and crude bio-oil), could be produced from the algae harvested from wastewater HRAPs, The wastewater treatment function would cover the capital and operation costs of algal production, with biofuel and recovered nutrient fertilizer being by-products. Greenhouse gas abatement results from both the production of the biofuels and the savings in energy consumption compared to electromechanical treatment processes. However, to achieve these benefits, further research is required, particularly the large-scale demonstration of wastewater treatment HRAP algal production and harvest.