Location: Leeds, AL
Project Type: Municipal Wastewater Treatment Intensification
Completion Date: March 2020
Design Flow:
450 m3/day (0.12 MGD)
Effluent Objectives:
< 1.0 mg/L Total Ammonia-Nitrogen
< 5 mg/L BOD
< 18 mg/L BOD
With any biological technology, some startup period is to be expected: the biology required for treatment exists within the influent wastewater, but not in the concentration necessary for full treatment. Whereas MBBRs are designed to be able to dynamically adjust to variable levels of influent BOD, ammonia, or nitrates once started, Leeds was looking to accelerate the startup period as well.
Adding a layer of complexity to the rapid startup was the nature of the plant’s secondary effluent: having run through the existing biofilter and first-phase UV, the MBBR saw low levels of incoming solids and bacteria needed to build biomass.
As a solution, our engineers assisted Leeds’ plant operators with bypassing a specific proportion of plant influent—approximately 10%—directly to the MBBR. The amount was carefully calculated to minimize both the MBBR startup period as well as any risk of exceeding regulatory compliance levels in the effluent. The solution was a success, and within a month, the MBBR was observed to have established the biomass to achieve necessary nitrification.
UPGRADED SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
Since commissioning in March of 2020 and subsequent biomass establishment, the Leeds wastewater treatment plant and BioPorts™ MBBR has successfully produced reliably-compliant effluent, beating its 1 mg/L monthly average effluent ammonia target as well as its weekly 1.5 mg/L objective.
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