Perrysburg is experimenting with technology that promises to remove phosphorus and other nutrients from treated wastewater, which could help reduce the risk of harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie.

The city has partnered with Clearas Water Technology for a 90-day demonstration of that company’s patented water-recovery technology at the city’s wastewater-treatment plant.

The Clearas process removes phosphorus and other nutrients from already treated wastewater without adding chemicals. 

Phosphorus is a big contributor to the formation of harmful algal blooms. The blooms gave off toxins that led to the Toledo water crisis last August, contaminating the water supply of more than 500,000 metro water customers.

Alice Godsey, public utilities director for the city, said Perrysburg’s wastewater system complies with standards, but the city is demonstrating the new technology for research.

“We currently remove phosphorus with chemicals, and that produces a significant quantity of biosolids we have to dispose of,” she said. “We wanted to see how effective this process would be.”

Clearas processes 15,000 gallons of water per day at the treatment plant, and uses the phosphorus separated from treated wastewater to feed the production of beneficial algae, which is then turned into a type of biomass that is valuable in the bioplastic market.

The process uses daytime sunlight to grow marketable algae and uses LED lighting at night to maintain ideal growing conditions.

First Published July 28, 2015, 4:00 a.m.