SRC Pioneering More Than 20 Years of Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Innovation

For more than two decades, the Scientific Research Council (SRC) has been leading the charge in wastewater treatment innovation in Jamaica.

Through the development of anaerobic wastewater treatment technology, the SRC is providing a sustainable and energy-efficient solution to address the island’s water management challenges.

The SRC’s Process Development Manager, Arlando Dunkley, says this technology stands out from conventional systems, as it operates without the need for oxygen and requires minimal energy.

Rather, it relies on gravity, making it more sustainable, and even produces methane, which can be used as a biogas to generate energy.

“This means significantly lower electricity costs; we think that households can benefit from this energy.

Additionally, our systems require less maintenance and supervision, thereby reducing labour costs,” Mr. Dunkley tells JIS News.

Another significant advantage of the SRC’s innovation is its ability to enable auxiliary water sources for irrigation.

“[This] is perfectly suitable for watering lawns and farm irrigation. If we really wanted to, we could further treat it to make it potable; but… there’s reluctance to use treated wastewater for drinking,” Mr. Dunkley says.

With energy efficiency being a priority in Jamaica, the SRC’s wastewater technology offers an alternative that aligns with the country’s sustainability goals.

Mr. Dunkley emphasises that these systems are scalable, making them ideal for both small and large facilities.

For example, factories and manufacturing facilities produce significant quantities of wastewater.

By implementing these systems, they can repurpose this water for irrigation, reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.

“They also have a responsibility for environmental stewardship where anything that is discharged into the environment needs to meet environmental regulations as well,” Mr. Dunkley adds.

He points out that despite its benefits, the wastewater treatment technology is not widely known.

Consequently, Mr. Dunkley is encouraging more individuals and organisations to consider the innovative solution, with the aim of safeguarding the nation’s groundwater.

Jamaica relies heavily on groundwater, with 80 per cent of its water supply coming from underground sources.

However, poor wastewater management has led to contamination.

“Most of our developments or settlements are in areas where you have a high water table or the groundwater is very accessible. Jamaicans typically use soakaway wastewater management. [But] soakaway is not a method of treatment, it’s just a method of disposal. So if you have a soakaway, contaminants oftentimes get into our groundwater,” Mr. Dunkley explains.

Over time, this contamination makes groundwater unusable or too expensive to treat, hence the SRC’s emphasising the benefit of acquiring the wastewater system.

For more information, persons may contact the SRC at 876-927-1771.