Smart City Project Proposal
NUM Faculty of Digital Economy
Information System & Innovation in Smart City
Project’s name: Clean Water
Mission: “Flawless Sangke River”
By
Nhil Hengtharoth
Roit Odommonineat
Chhun Namyong
Moeun Daly
Course: ISIS
Term: September-December 2023
Professor: Ngin Pidor
Room: F6
Submission Date: 14th December 2023
Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm
Table of Contents
I.
II.
Introduction/Background
Problem Statement
III.
Objectives
IV.
Approach/Solutions
V.
VI.
VII.
Risk Assessments
Project Deliverables
Reference
I. Introduction
This proposal addresses to the Battambang Provincial Administration and relevant
governmental institutions, including the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Industry,
Science, Technology, and Innovation. Moreover, it seeks to engage communities living along
the Sangke River, residents of Battambang city, businesses and factories that generate
wastewater, and NGOs and environmental organizations.
The Sangke River in Battambang, Cambodia, faces significant water pollution challenges due
to industrial waste discharge and household waste (Chantha & Seavmey, 2023). This is not
only threatening the health of the river's ecosystem but also poses risks to public health and
access to clean drinking water (Sreypich, 2023). Existing water treatment infrastructure lacks
the capacity to address these growing concerns, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and
sustainable solutions (Sreypich, 2023).
II. Problem Statement
The Sangke River in Battambang, Cambodia, faces water pollution from industrial wastes and
household wastes, threaten the river's health, public health, and access to clean drinking water
(Sreypich, 2023). Existing water treatment infrastructure is insufficient and real-time water
quality data is limited, hindering informed decision-making (Sreypich, 2023).
III. Objectives
The Sangke River is polluted, threatening peoples’ health and our access to clean water. This
plan proposes solutions like H2OPE River Whale and smart water systems to improve water
quality, promote sustainable use, and protect public health. By achieving these goals, we can
secure a clean future for the Sangke River and generations to come.
IV. Approach/Solutions
To address the Sangke River's pollution
challenges, a multi-step approach is necessary.
Firstly, we propose deploying the innovative
H2OPE River Whale. The H2OPE River
Whale provides an innovative waste collection
solution to capture plastic in rivers. “Appendix
A: A River Whale in Strasbourg” This cool
device sits in the river like a natural barrier,
trapping both floating and underwater plastic
carried by the current. It's powered by the river itself, no fancy engines or electricity needed.
Best part? It can work 24/7, silently gobbling up 80 to 90% of the plastic trash before it travels
farther and becomes even harder to clean up. One River Whale can stop the equivalent of
500,000 plastic straws in 2 months. (H2OPE, 2021) Rivers have been successfully cleaned
and plastic pollution has been decreased thanks to the H2OPE River Whale. The River Whale
is the first aquatic waste collector that can be
installed in a wide-ranging network that covers
enormous portions of rivers, collecting floating
waste
energy-free,
autonomously,
and
permanently. The River Whale has been deployed
in several countries including France, Turkey,
Germany,
Switzerland,
Belgium,
and
the
Netherlands. (UNESCO, 2023) Moreover, it has
been awarded the Solar Impulse label “1000
Solutions to change the world” (H2OPE, 2021).
The captured plastic then gets sent for recycling which is our second solution, giving it a second
life and keeping it out of the environment. This not only helps protect our precious rivers and
oceans, but also makes it easier to reuse those bottles, bags, and other plastic things.
Secondly, the implementation of Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) to transform harmful
elements within the water into valuable resources, leaving behind clean water suitable for
various uses (Shyam et al., 2021). This process is not only cleaning the water but also promotes
resource recovery (Shyam et al., 2021).
Overview of HTC process and potential applications of
HTC is still in an evolutionary stage, although many pilot plants and some full-scale plants
have been built and operated in Europe. Most patent applications on hydrothermal
carbonization were filed in China at 27%, the USA at 14%, and Germany at 10%(De Mena,
etc. 2016). A few years ago in China, a full-scale plant was built with German technology and
is now operational for the final disposal of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) with commercial
material recovery. For some use cases, In China, HTC has already been used at an industrial
level for sludge treatment since 2016. The largest HTC sludge treatment plant is located in
Jining, Shading Province (Pietro, etc., 2023). Beijing Aquatic Park Co. (Beijing, China), the
nation’s largest wastewater treatment plant operator, collaborated with Terranova to test HTC
“Appendix B: Hydrothermal Carbonization with TerraNova® Ultra as innovative sewage
sludge technology” as a promising new sludge treatment solution. The HTC plant in Jining
processes 500,000 ae of sludge into approximately 7000 tons of easily dewaterable biochar
14,000 tons/year (Buttmann, M 2023).
Finally, a network of sensors continuously monitors water quality parameters and trigger alerts
for any potential problems (Milwaukee, 2023). This real-time data allows for immediate action
to prevent future pollution and ensure the long-term health of the Sangke River, ultimately
safeguarding clean water for the entire community (Milwaukee, 2023).
V. Risk Assessment
While implementing innovative solutions like H2OPE River Whale and Hydrothermal
Carbonization carries some risks, a proactive approach can effectively address them.
Thorough research and testing will ensure technical feasibility, while multi-stakeholder
funding partnerships secure necessary resources. We build public understanding and support
through engagement campaigns, and implement robust data security protocols to protect
sensitive information. Continuous monitoring and evaluation will enable us to adapt and
ensure the project's long-term sustainability. By anticipating and mitigating these potential
challenges, we can guarantee the successful implementation of this project and its lasting
impact on the health of the Sangke River of the Battambang community.
VI. Project Deliverables
This project aims to clean the Sangke River and provide clean water for Battambang residents.
We install and operate H2OPE River Whale to remove plastic waste, build and operate
Hydrothermal Carbonization to treat wastewater, and install a real-time water quality
monitoring network. Success will be measured by reduced plastic pollution, improved water
quality, increased access to clean water, lower wastewater treatment costs, and greater
community participation in conservation efforts. By delivering these tangible results, this
project will not only cleanse the Sangke River but also contribute to a brighter future for the
Battambang community.
VII. References
Bor P. Z., (2023), “Almost 70% of Battambang now has access to clean water supplies:
Official”, The Phnom Penh Post
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/almost-70-battambang-now-has-access-cleanwater-supplies-official
Buttmann, M.(2023) “Industrial Scale Plant for Sewage Sludge Treatment by Hydrothermal
Carbonization in Jining/China and Phosphate Recovery by Terranova Ultra Htc Process”.
https://conferences.aquaenviro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/04/Marc-Buttmannfinal.doc.pdf
Chantha C., Seavmey M., (2023) “ Polluted water in Sangke River found to be liquid waste
from factory”, Cambodianess
https://cambodianess.com/article/polluted-water-in-sangke-river-found-to-be-liquid-wastefrom-a-factory
De Mena Pardo, B.; Doyle, L.; Renz, M.; Salimbeni,(2016) “A. Industrial Scale Hydrothermal
Carbonization: New Applications for Wet Biomass Waste”
H2OPE, (2021), “H2PE River waste collector: capturing waste on river before it reaches the
ocean”, SOLARIMPLUSE Foundation,
https://solarimpulse.com/solutions-explorer/h2ope-river-whale-waste-collector
Milwaukee I., (2023), “Milwaukee MW105 MAX Waterproof pH/ORP/Temp Portable
Meter”, Milwaukee.
https://milwaukeeinstruments.eu/milwaukee-pro-mw105-pro-ph-orp-temp-portablemeter#:~:text=TOUGH.,The%20Milwaukee%20MW105%20MAX%20Waterproof%203%2Din%2D1%20pH%2F,
and%20built%20in%20GLP%20key
Shyam S., Dr.Ashish M., Dr.Ajay S., (2021), “Hydrothermal Carbonization: Upgrading
Waste Biomass to Char’, Ohionline (Ohio state University Extension)
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-6622
Sreypich S., (2023), “Pharmaceutical company contaminates Sangke River, Battambang
Authorities Say”, CamboJA News
https://cambojanews.com/pharmaceutical-company-contaminates-sangke-river-battambangauthorities-say/
UNESCO ,(2023), “River Whale”, UNESCO
River Whale | UNESCO
Appendix:
A. StarTV, (2019), “Ariver whale in Strasbourg”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfaEVOXUIJE
B. TerraNovaEnergy, (2018), “Hydrothermal Carbonization with TerraNova® Ultra as
innovative sewage sludge technology”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfVBDi_hYmM