Process audits and troubleshooting with documented results. We look at treatment performance, then make the process changes that add capacity, improve effluent quality and bring a plant back into permit compliance.
Troubleshooting
Finding the cause of problems like foaming, poor settling, poor ammonia removal or permit violations, plus a plan to fix them. Our work has included bench-top toxicity testing, laboratory evaluation and on-site management and operational assistance.
Process optimization
- Activated sludge process control
- Phosphorus removal and solids yield reduction
- Anaerobic digestion and solids handling
- Anoxic selector optimization
- Capacity re-rating studies
Operational energy audits
A process energy audit that cuts electricity, natural gas and chemical costs. We study how your plant is run and focus on operational changes that need little or no capital, so the savings start quickly.
- Aeration, blowers and dissolved oxygen control
- Digester heating and gas use
- Pumping
- Solids handling run time, such as thickening and dewatering
- Chemical use
Tools that keep the plant on track
- Process control spreadsheets: easy-to-use spreadsheets that turn daily lab and flow data into clear operating decisions
- Sampling programs: a sampling and testing plan that tells operators what they need to know, without wasted lab work
- Permit help (NPDES compliance support): help meeting the plant's discharge permit limits and reporting
- SCADA review: changes that reduce manual information collection and improve energy monitoring
Documented results
Municipal plant energy and process audit
Cut the O&M budget by $536,550 per year and added process capacity valued at $3,832,000. Electricity use fell 25% and 20% on the plant's two meters, natural gas savings were $90,000 per year, effluent BOD dropped 57%, and belt thickener run time fell from 15 to 4.5 hours a day.
Overloaded resort community SBR plant
Plant modifications cut SVI from 400 to below 150, so solids stayed in the plant and permit compliance followed, with 17% added capacity that let the utility put off its design and upgrade.
City plant process evaluation
At a plant that had been performing poorly and unstably, our process changes cut effluent TSS from 60 mg/L to reliably below 10 mg/L.
Activated sludge plant audit
Identified energy and chemical savings of over $200,000 per year, helped staff reduce effluent nitrate, and found aeration design issues that were hindering operation.
Energy and labor audit
An energy and process optimization audit identified potential energy and labor savings of over $450,000 per year.
Plant ammonia troubleshooting
Troubleshooting and bench-top toxicity testing for poor ammonia removal. Our optimization suggestions helped the facility regain ammonia permit compliance.
We troubleshoot and optimize plants all over the country, from the mainland to Hawaii, where our work includes optimization of a National Park Service visitor center waste reuse facility.
Talk with us about your plant
Tell us what you are seeing at the plant: flow, MLSS, SVI, SRT and what changed recently. Call 503-701-2766 or email help@ActivatedSludge.com.