Bioremediation
A wastewater treatment plant in Pennsylvania was experiencing process control problems when new potato waste stream flows increased by 26%. The additional load was causing filamentous issues in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR), settlability problems, and increased sludge hauling costs.
The engineer was unable to maintain the 8-foot decant level in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR). He couldn’t decant more than 2–3 feet under the excess load.
Read more about reducing sludge handling costs
A paper mill wastewater facility was treating 940 tons of paper bags, recycled linerboard, and corrugating medium, daily. The mill was interested in improving wastewater operating efficiency and lowering operating expenses over their standard polymer usage. The plant was experiencing filamentous bacteria, solids, and bulking issues in the final clarifier. It was discharging 4,000 pounds of fiber per day into the Ohio river. Read more about reducing cost and turbidity
A citrus plant struggled with poor settling in the clarifier of its wastewater treatment, which caused the sludge blanket to remain high. Even at a low flow rate of 1.2 million gallons per day (MGD), the high sludge blanked allowed less than 18” of free board. The slightest flow increase caused solids to carry over the weir with the effluent. Since the citrus plant frequently produced wastewater flows 1.5 to 2.5 MGD, the wastewater treatment plant continued to suffer from solids washout and clarifier effluent total suspended solids (TSS) excursions. The citrus plant wastewater treatment was a 6 million gallon per day (MGD) traditional aeration system with secondary clarification.
Read more about improving SVI
Within a few months of operation, a lagoon and spray field system at a corn processing plant in Indiana began giving off offensive odors. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels in the anaerobic and aerobic lagoons climbed to 8,000 mg/L and 4,000 mg/L respectively. The pH in the anaerobic lagoon was dropping dangerously low for methane production. Attempts to resolve the issues with bacteria, odor masking products, and lime were unsuccessful and short-term at best. Lime settled to the bottom of the lagoons, temporarily raising pH and reducing odors. The odor soon became unmanageable and an annoyance to neighbors.
Read more about odor reduction
A plastic manufacturer in Taiwan needed a new process to efficiently treat elevated incoming chemical oxygen demand (COD) to comply with stringent EPA regulations for effluent discharge. The plant is an activated sludge treatment system with an influent of approximately 2,000 cubic meters per day (CMD) which is equivalent to approximately 530,000 gallons per day (GPD). The plant was unable to bring the plant into compliance using alternative technologies.
Read more about treating elevated COD
By Jael Batty
Sewage sludge is a controversial input for farmers to use. Considering the toxins in today’s wastewater, are our treatments and regulations effective in eliminating micropollutants from sludge?
Read more about recycled sewage
By Jael Batty
The UN warns that by 2030, over half the world will be water-stressed, affecting food production and increasing exposure to waterborne disease. There is enormous potential in directly recycled wastewater. Unfortunately, attempts at wastewater recycling have historically been shot down by the public.1 Thus, most treated wastewater is dumped into oceans and other water sources, becoming wasted water.2 Continue reading
A small town in New Mexico (pop. 1,300) had a municipal wastewater system with a flow rate of 50,000 gallons per day. The system included a series of three lagoons. A recent sludge judge showed Pond 1 had an average sludge depth of 1.9 feet, Pond 2 averaged 3.5 feet, and Pond 3 averaged 2.7 feet. The system was in need of reducing the sludge in its lagoon wastewater system to meet state requirements. Continue reading
A small municipality in Utah (pop. 1,800) had a wastewater system with a flow rate of 192,000 gallons per day. The system included a series of four lagoons, although at this time only Ponds 1 and 2 were being evaluated for treatment.
The influent consisted of domestic waste as well as septic. Pond 1 was specifically being addressed due to a State mandate. A sludge judge was performed which showed Pond 1 had an average sludge depth of 2.7 feet and Pond 2 averaged 1.9 feet. Two years later surfacing sludge prevented a sludge judge from being performed. Continue reading
Probiotic Solutions® is proud to sponsor a Wastewater Operator Training Course called “Optimize Your System.” This event is ideal for wastewater professionals who are looking to complete PDH courses while learning how to better maintain operational stability and successfully treat wastewater. Continue reading