Trickling Filter/Solids Contact Process: Application to Army Wastewater Plants

摘要

More than half of the Army's wastewater treatment plants use trickling filter technology to provide secondary treatment. With the growth in regional population at many installations, there is concern that trickling filters alone may not be able to handle the additional loads generated. Moreover, this form of secondary treatment will need to be enhanced in order to produce an effluent meeting stricter environmental regulations. Several add-on and replacement techniques recently have emerged for trickling filter systems. These methods have reinforced the role of trickling filters in providing effective, economical secondary treatment. On particular interest to the Army is the trickling filter/solids contact (TF/SC) process. This method has some advantages over competing technologies, offering improved effluent quality, simple, reliable operation, low maintenance, and cost-effective treatment. The TF/SC process was evaluated for its feasibility in retrofitting Army wastewater treatment plants as well as for potential use in new construction. Information was taken from the current literature, field surveys, and site visits to operational plants. (FR)