Simplicity, stability and sustainability for sidestream treatment

摘要

Evolving sludge management practices and growing concern over emissions are heralding a shake-up in the side-stream nitrogen removal market, amid no let-ups in the nutrient management challenge. Although not a new practice, end-users are now calling for solutions to both old and new challenges, and this is opening up new opportunity in the sidestream market. Although only a small amount of total discharge volume, sludge dewatering liquors can represent up to 30% of the nutrient load of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). With a swathe of nutrient discharge permits being implemented globally, treatment plants are increasingly looking towards treating side-streams - flow streams returned for further treatment after anaerobic digestion -to meet these permits. Sidestream treatment, and in particu- lar deammonification processes, have historically been complex to operate, and the addition of digital control systems is not the right fit for all end-users. Manufacturers are now often pre-seeding reactors for faster start-up, and the introduction of methods that protect the biofilm, such as biocatalysts and moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) carriers have become increasingly popular.