Japanese Project Spirit 21: Development and Testing of CSO Treatment Technologies and

Instrumentation Systems
N. Horie 1 , M.Kabata2 , H.Sano3
Director 1 , Chief Researcher 2 ,Senior Researcher'
First Research Department
Japan Institute of Wastewater Engineering Technology
1-22-8 Nishiikebukuro, Toshimaku, Tokyo 171-0021, Japan
Email: n-horie@jiwet.or.jp

ABSTRACT
The early sewer systems were built in Japan as combined sewer systems(CSS) , which played an
important role in urban development. In recent years, significant pollution of receiving waters by
combined sewer overflows (CSOs) conveying large oil balls was reported and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) addressed this issue by establishing a CSS Advisory Committee
with a mandate to report on CSO control. This study was followed by publications of Guidelines and
Explanation of CSO control by the Japan Sewage Works. To develop appropriate technologies, MLIT
initiated a project called S,ewage ,eroject, Integrated and .Revolutionary Iechnology for the 21" Century,
or SPIRIT 21.
The project conducts research in the following areas of CSO treatment and instrumentation: (a)
debris removal (screen), (b) high rate filtration, (c) coagulation and separation, (d) disinfection, and (e)
measurement and control instrumentation. 24 technologies were proposed in all by the private industry
and proceeded to field test in 13 cities. Up to Mar.2005 all technologies have been tested successfully
and proposed for use in practical applications. For examples, two types of high rate filtration,
ballasted clarification with microsand, and bromine disinfection. In two filtration plants, upflow filters
employing special filter media and operated with or without coagulant addition, achieved suspended
solids removals up to 70%, at surface load rates up to 1000 m/day. Ballasted clarification was another
process successfully tested and approved for practical applications. Bromine disinfection was found
feasible for use in CSO disinfection, with the main advantage of short reaction times.
The project is operated in partnership of five groups: (a) MLIT - defined and promoted the project
theme, (b) Academic institutions - provide technical advice for evaluation of R&D plans and results,
and conduct basic research, (c) Municipalities - provide demonstration sites, (d) Private sector propose/supply technologies, and fund and operate projects, and (e) JIWET coordinates and manages
the project.
MLIT started "Urgent Subsidy for CSS improvement" in 2002, that requires municipalities to submit
"CSO urgent improvement plan" to MLIT by Mar.2005
Amended Ordinance of Sewerage Law
stipulated structure of outlet facilities and effluent quality standard to be fulfilled within I 0 years,
with exception of some large cities within 20 years.
The SPIRIT2 l result indicate that this project succeeds in providing CSO treatment technologies to
Japanese municipalities addressing CSO problems.
Keywords: CSO treatment ; field test; partnership; SPIRml

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Introduction : CSO problems in Japan

In Japan, CSS were mainly adopted due to the historic background that sewerage construction was
started in lower swampy zones in big cities.
CSS had been constructed mainly in big cities until l 950's because they can promote both flood
control and the spread of flush toilets at the same time, by to collect wastewater and stormwater in one
sewer at a reasonable cost. As a result, 8% of the municipalities with sewerage systems adopt CSS at
present (191 cities/2,271 cities). That covers 16% of a sewered area (220,000ha/1,340,000ha), 30% of
population in sewered area. As the sewered population ratio is 65 percent, 19 percent of total
population is served by CSS (19%165% ).
During the time, some municipalities were implementing CSO Control Projects and made some
progress in the water environment.
However, in these days, mass media such as newspapers and television report widely on the issue of
untreated wastewater overflowing from CSS in wet weather, so the untreated wastewater, which was
not taken up as an issue before, is now recognized as a social problem. For a specific example, in 2000,
a large number of oil balls that flowed out of combined sewers drifted and reached Odaiba Seaside
Park in Tokyo Bay, which is considered an entrance to our country. This was widely reported and had a
great impact on people who naturally regard the sea as clean.

COUNTERMEASURES
Advisory Committee
With these situations, the MLIT organaized "the CSS Advisary Committee" in 2001, that surveyed
CSOs of 13 major cities in Japan and completed a report on the basic concept of promoting CSO
control, including the following three objectives to be attained within approximately ten years.
1 Reduce pollutant loads form the combined sewer systems to less than equivalent amount of
pollutant loads from the separate sewer systems.
2 Halve the number of times of untreated wastewater overflow from stormwater outlet.
3 Prevent debris overflow from stormwater outlet.
A five-year national goal was set to increase CSO abatement ratio from 15% (end of FY2002) to
40% (end of FY2007).
New Establishmen t for Improvement Works
In 2002, the Japan Sewage Works Association issued "Guideline and Explanation for CSO Control",
that was followed by "CSO monitoring manual" by JIWET in 2003.
MLIT started "Urgent Subsidy for CSS improvement" in 2002, that requires municipalities to submit
"CSO urgent improvement plan" to MLIT by Mar.2005.
Technology Development
In 2001, new national R&D scheme named SPIRIT21 was established, an acronym for Sewage
Project Integrated and Revolutionary Technology for the 21th Century, under that R&D on the most
important issues of sewage works be done comprehensively and intensively in partnership of five
groups: MLIT, Academic institutions, Municipalities, Private sector, and JIWET as coordinator.
SPIRIT2 l Committee was formed in JIWET to discuss important matters including theme and
evaluation of technologies. And in May 2002, as its first theme" CSS Improvement Technology" was
selected .
.Regulation
Enforcement Ordinance of Sewerage Law was amended in September 2003 and enacted in April 2004.
In the revision, structure of outlet facilities and effluent quality standard were stipulated and are to be
fulfilled within I 0 years, with exception of some large cities within 20 years.
All storm overflow chambers should have appropriate weir height and device to reduce debris, and
overall BOD from all outlets should be 40mg/L or less (70mg/L up to 2014) and so on.

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SPIRIT21 "CSO Improvement Technologies"

After "CSO Improvement Technology" was announced to be the first theme of SPIRIT2 l, it was
devided into 4 areas: debris removal, high rate filtration, coagulation/separation and
measurement/control & disinfection., and their development target (minimum performance) for each
area was set by the SPIRIT21 Committee (see Table!). R&D is to be carried out by 4 "R&D
subcommittees" along with each area, and are to be evaluated by "CSS Technology Management
Committee" under the"SPIRIT21 Committee". All work were scheduled to be completed in 3 years by
Mar.2005.
Table 1

development target (minimum performance) of SPIRIT21 CSS Improvement

CD

Impurities removal
technology

@Removal technologies of
pollution materials such as
SS and BOD
Disinfection technology
of exhaust water from pump
station etc.

@Measurement of water
quality

In CSS, reduce unpleasant material (wastes such as toilet

paper, the men origin, various Sanitary goods, the food
residues and container/wrapping) exhausted from the outlet or
pump station at rain. SRV (Screenings Retention Value for
impurities of 5.6mm or more) should be 30% or more.
Exceed the pollution removal performance of the prior
technology (rain water precipitation pond), BOD 30% and SS
30%.
Achieve the number of of E. coli bacteria group of the
exhaust water 3,000/cm3 or less.
The time to achieve the effect of disinfection should be a
short time.
As a result of disinfection, the influence on aquatic living
thing of the downstream should be smaller than the prior
technology,
Measurement item: BOD, SS, COD, T-N, T-P, and turbidity,
etc.
Technology that can record measurement continuously and
accurately

24 technologies by 24 private companies (at present 23 due to a merger) in all are selected to be
researched and evaluated. From local government, 17 cities participated and 13 cities offered sites for
research and field test (see Table2).
By last February, the development target has been achieved by 24 technologies all those are to be
shifted to practical use in sewage works. 'The Technical Document Committee", that is also under
"CSS Technology Management Committee", compiles technical documents for planning, designing
and operation for each technology. 11 are already published by JIWET, and the rests are under printing
to be published in Apr.2005.

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Table 2

L'IS t 0 f CSO con tro II tec hnooa1es

technology

No.

Technology proposed by

Site City

category

KUBOTA CORPORATION

Nishihara Environment Technology Inc

Sanki Engineering CO. Ltd.

NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION

Nihon Inka Co. Ltd.

JFE Engineering Corporation

Tomakomai

Hitachi Kiden Kogyo

Ltd.

Hitachi Kiden Kogyo

Ltd.

Ataka Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd.

Solutions Co.

Ltd.

Construction Co.

Kyoto
Kyoto

Kobelco

Ltd.

Nishinomiya

Maezawa Industries Inc.

Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha LTD.

8
9

!SHIGAKI COMPANY LTD.

NGK INSULATORS LTD.

Chiba
Higashi Osaka
Yokohama

10

Mitsui Engineering Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

11

Filtration

12

TSUKISHIMA KIKA! CO. LTD.

UNITIKA LTD.
ISH!GAKI COMPANY LTD. Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
Kobel co Eco-Solution s Co. Ltd.

CO. Ltd.

Eco~

Hitachi Plant Engineering &

High Rate

Kawasaki
Kyoto

Okayama

Sanki Engineering

Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.

Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.

Inc.
NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION

Hitachi Plant

Maezawa Industries

13

Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

14

EBARA CORPORATION

Nishihara Environment Technology

Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.
Maezawa Industries Inc

Fujisawa

15

Ataka Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd.

Kawasaki

16

KIKA! CO. LTD.

KUBOTA CORPORATION

17

TSUKISHIMA KIKA! CO.LTD.

Kawasaki

18

JFE Engineering Corporation

Yokohama

19

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Yokohama

20

EBARA CORPORATION

Inc.

Coagulation/
Separation

Disinfection

Sendai

Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.

Debris Removal

(Screen)

Osaka

TSUKISH!MA

Tokyo

21

SHOWA ENGINEERING CO.LTD.

22

Nishihara Environment Technology Inc

Tokyo

Measurement/

23

MEIDENSHA CORPORATION

Chiba

Control

24

MEIDENSHA CORPORATION

Chiba

Hiroshima

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Outline and performance of developed technologies

(a) Technologies for debris removal
There are eight technologies, all screen, for the debris removal. Five are for the storm overflow
chamber and three for the pumping station.
(i) Example of technology for the storm overflow chamber
"The disk screen" is a screen to be set up on weir in storm chamber. It has a mechanism that the
things caught are returned to tbe inflow side by the rotation of the disk. SRV of this screen was 82% in
Kyoto city.

Fig.I. the Disk Screen

(ii) Example of technology for pumping station
''The rotary screen" is a screen for pump station. (Fig2) There are two types (the drum rotation
type and the panel running type). Impurities caught inside the screen are raised up and ,when reached
on the top of rotation, flake off from tbe screen by the rinse water, and are collected in the drain trough.
The SRV of this screen was 97% in Higashi Osaka city.
Fig.2 the Rotary Sceen

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l-77

l<lll'lll + illlit~~*l

Drum rotation type

Resin plate of SUS bake Tingmetal of

<P

5 mm hole

panel running type

hex-head opposite <P 5 mm hole

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b) Example of high rate filtration

There are 5 technologies in the high rate filtration, including those for adding to or refit of sewage
treatment plant and those for adding to pump station.
"The High Rate Filtration" achieved a maximum filtration speed of I OOOm/day using a special filter
media, about 10 times the speed of conventional storm water settling tanks, removing 70% of SS and
50% of BOD. ( See Fig3 )

Fig. 3

the High Rate Filtration

(c) Example of coagulation/separation

"Actifro Process" achieved twice the pollution load removal rate with 1/20 space of a conventional
stormwater settling tank using microsand. ( see Fig 4 )
..,,.{,

iii9T~J

Fig 4

t:I~;..'

ll!JJ!l[!Sli:t

I'

,,..

coagulation/separation

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(d) Disinfection
(i) Example of disinfection technology using bromine-based disinfectant
Effective in about 1/3 reaction time of conventional chlorine disinfection
(ii) Example of disinfection technology with ozone
Technology that promotes mixture dissolution of ozone gas by using stir action of pump with ozone
dissolution pump that inhales unprocessing drainage etc., and disinfects ozone that generates it by
using high density ozonizer at high speed.
The effect of disinfection demonstrating it by the rain examination within two minutes in the
disinfection time made was quantitatively confirmed.
(e) measurement/control instrumentation
(i)Soaking type ultraviolet rays absorbance meter
This technology, detecting ultraviolet rays absorbance and visible optical absorbance, measures COD
and SS continuously and with high accuracy.
The time base range is admitted to obtain a High correlation with the hand analysis value was obtained
within the following range, COD o~ 150mg/L, SS 0~400mg/L.
(ii) E.coli bacteria automatic weighing device
This device adopts the unique method of based on a principle quite different from a past culture
method, and adopts the method of measuring the coliform bacteria count by applying the enzymatic
immunoassay (The Enzyme Immuno Assay method: EIA method) known as a metrology such as the
proteins and the living thing luminescence and the chemiluminescence method paid attention to as a
metro logy of high sensitivity in recent years in a short time.
The measurement time: The measurement in 30 minutes is possible.
High and low limit value within the range of detection(30 minutes in detection time)
The number of E.coli bacteria group 66,000-8,750,000/cm3

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Conclusions
24 technologies were developed and evaluated in the new national RID scheme "SPIRIT2 l" in Japan,
and they will accelerate improvement of CSS in Japan.
We appreciate all who contributed this project.

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