Project Engineer Wastewater Treatment

• Jan 2022 - Present

Monitoring of a new aerated constructed wetland & design of a denitrifying bioreactor for polishing

• Oct 2020 - Jun 2021

At the new campus Penta of Howest in Kortrijk, an aerated constructed wetland was installed by the company Rietland bvba in September 2020. The purpose of this system is to purify the wastewater of the campus and to reuse it for toilet flushing in dry periods when rainwater is insufficient.Due to a number of "special" factors, the first objective of this thesis was to characterize the system by monitoring common water parameters (both physicochemical and biological) over time. These factors included a high ratio of black to grey wastewater or the variable load of the building depending on the occupancy of the campus. Secondly, column tests filled with various substrates (woodchips, biochar and shells) were designed to polish the wastewater. This was necessary to provide a denitrifying post-treatment solution and its efficiency was investigated.

Monitoring and assessment of natural wetlands and adjacent rivers in Jimma Town, southwest Ethiopia

• Feb 2015 - May 2015

The internship fitted in the ongoing research project (a Vlir-IUC programme between Jimma University and the University of Ghent) on the impact of local inhabitants on the water quality of the rivers that flow through Jimma town and natural wetlands surrounding the city. It consisted of two major parts. In the first phase, the chemical, physical and (micro)biological water quality were analyzed. On the basis of the data collected in the first phase, alternative wastewater treatment systems were subsequently proposed and evaluated in the second part. The goal of the results of this evaluation was to guide advice to the local government on water management and how to improve the water quality in Jimma Town.