Wastewater is treated on at least one apparatus positioned at a location
on the surface of a body of seawater wherein a wastewater intake system
takes in wastewater into the apparatus, the wastewater is treated on the
apparatus to yield treated wastewater and sludge, and the treated
wastewater and/or sludge is diluted with seawater prior to being
discharged into the body of seawater. The wastewater treatment systems
and methods can also be combined with desalination and/or power
generation. In combination with desalination, the concentrate produced
from the desalination process is mixed with treated wastewater or sludge
prior to discharge to bring the resulting mixture to a salt concentration
closer to the body of seawater than the unmixed concentrate, treated
wastewater, or sludge. Combustible gases produced by the wastewater
treatment process can be used to fuel a power generation system that can
be used to produce electrical power for use by systems on the apparatus
or transferred off the apparatus for other uses.