Microconstituents are a diverse group of relatively unmonitored and unregulated chemicals
found in consumer and industrial products that have been shown to occur at trace levels in
wastewater discharges, ambient receiving waters, and drinking water supplies. Total Organic
Carbon (TOC) is one surrogate that can be used for the organic microconstituent compounds.
The main objective of this study is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of available TOC
removal technologies for small, privately-owned wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The
reliabilities of each treatment process are also evaluated by comparison of their ability to comply
with regulatory effluent limits. Life-cycle cost analyses over a 20-year planning period were
performed to account for capital cost and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs at varying
flow rates.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Waste Water Treatment | Tags: Efficient Total Organic Carbon Removal, Improved Plant Reliability, O&M Cost Savings, Regulatory Compliance | No Comments »
Strass Wastewater Treatment Plant
Innsbruck, Austria (Europe)
With increasing operating costs and concerns regarding climate change, most wastewater
treatment facilities are under pressure to reduce the net energy used to treat a gallon of
wastewater. The ultimate goal would be to reduce the net energy use to the point that the
wastewater plant actually “breaks even” on energy use, by a combination of more efficient
operations and production of energy via digestion and power generation. This paper presents a
“roadmap” showing how a wastewater treatment plant can pursue the goal of energy self-sufficiency
via a combination of alternative philosophical approaches and innovations .
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: 100K-500K, 50k-100k, Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Savings, Energy Optimization, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Improved Plant Reliability, Plant Sustainability, Reduced Carbon Footprint, Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions | No Comments »
City of Newton WWTP
Newton, Mississippi
The case study described in this paper demonstrates that the nitrifying trickling filter (NTF) is a
reliable and robust bioreactor. The studied NTF was designed to oxidize ammonia-nitrogen
(NH3-N) remaining in the effluent stream of an aerated lagoon that is located in Newton,
Mississippi, USA. NTF performance data was collected during a period beginning in June 2007
and ending in January 2010. An analysis of the data demonstrated that the NTF consistently met,
amongst other permitted criteria, a moderately stringent permit limit requiring an annual average
NH3-N concentration less than 2.0-mg/L remaining in the effluent stream. Comparison of
operating costs revealed that the NTF evaluated in this study required approximately one-third of
the power required to meet the same treatment objective with a moving bed biofilm reactor
(MBBR). However, the NTF required a slightly more foot print than the MBBR (e.g. 90 vs. 80
m2) to meet the treatment objective. The studied NTF was designed using generally accepted
criteria defined throughout this paper. The NTF used medium-density modular plastic trickling
filter media comprised of corrugated plastic sheets. The required biofilm surface area, and
therefore bioreactor volume, was defined based on a 0.65-g NH3-N/m2/d zero-order nitrification
rate and a 0.1-kg/m3/d five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) load at 12oC. The method
for calculating NTF ventilation is demonstrated. Implementation of the NTF design and
construction included some unique features: (1) the NTF influent pumps were located to provide
NTF effluent recirculation (which provides proper media wetting, controls biofilm thickness and
minimizes macro fauna accumulation), (2) use of influent pump(s) speed control to optimize the
NTF superficial hydraulic application rate (or Spülkraft), (3) the ventilating area was
conservatively designed to maximize airflow, and therefore process oxygen, for the nitrification
process (i.e., 0.1-m2 (1.0-ft2) open area per 2.4-m (8.0-ft) of NTF periphery), and (4) the
application of a column and pier support system to facilitate simple installation and increased air
flow.
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Posted: May 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Stormwater, Waste Water Treatment | Tags: Cost Savings, Effective Tertiary Process, Energy Savings, Environmental Impact, Improved Plant Reliability, Nitrifying Trickling Filter, Plant Sustainability | No Comments »