Due to Compatible Pollutants Elaine J. Venema, P.E. September 2013 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Controlling POTW Pass- Through /Interference Due to Compatible Pollutants

Elaine J. Venema, P.E.

September 2013

• Nutritional Supplements/Dairy
• Fruit Processing/Canning
• Pickling Operations
• Tannery/Rendering
• Flour/Grain Mills
• Egg/Poultry
• Breweries

Win-win solution

• Protect the POTW (collection & WWTP)

and the environment

• Maintain or attract industry

Good for the community!

• Community Expectations/Goals
• Industry Needs/Expectations
• Finances/Funding Opportunities

Full Treatment:

• Separate from POTW
• Direct discharge
• Challenges

Pretreatment:

• Screening
• Primary Treatment
• Solids Separation
• Chemical Addition
• Biological Pretreatment

Source Treatment

• Variable waste loading
• Need operations staff
• Treatment onsite not always

desired/feasible

• Discharge (NPDES or GW)

• Determine what level is needed for win-win
• Waste minimization & Best Management Practices
• Pretreat to “domestic”

And everything in between!

• Waste Stream Segregation
• Equalization/Slug Prevention
• Sidehill screen, or other
• Grease interceptor (larger than this one)

Sidehill Screen Grease Interceptor

• Concentrate waste products

To be hauled to POTW/anaerobic digester

• Solids separation (belt press, etc)

Can waste solids be used as livestock feed?

Belt Press

Tannery Food Supplement Mfg

High BOD, and Toxics Hair/Flesh FOG Leather chunks Slug loading Making … “Soft Corinthian Leather”

Project Planning:

• Hides per day
• Capacity Evaluation
• Meetings with SIU
• Pilot Studies
• Estimate Odor Control Needs
• SIU Decision – Independence

from POTW

http://leather

• Full Treatment Onsite
• Oxidation Ditch
• NPDES Discharge

Evaluate short rock media TF  tall plastic media TF

Project Planning:

• Capacity Evaluation
• Meetings with SIU
• Capacity modeling GPSx
• Pilot Study
• Estimate Odor/Corrosion$
• Industry Reconsideration

Pilot Study Towards … 13,000 #/Day

• Pilot study and evaluation: a TALL trickling filter is req’d
• Financing:

cash + grant Discussions with industry

• Initial decision: pH pretreatment/equalization:
• Not just WWTP improvements: Long F.M. with high BOD/Temp
• Final result: SIU built pretreatment onsite, SBR
• Discharge to POTW : Domestic strength BOD, TSS

So you want to treat at the POTW, now what? Next Steps:

• Capacity Analysis
• Ordinance/Legal Review

& Determine Local Limits

• WWTP Improvements, if

necessary

Capacity Analysis:

• Evaluate flows & loads
• Engineering calculations –

MAHLs, AORs, organic loading, hydraulics

• Identify processes with

insufficient capacity – Headworks? Secondary Trt?

• Install more blowers
• Switch out media

(e.g. rock trickling filter  plastic media)

• Add media to aeration tanks

(e.g. Conventional AS  IFAS)

• Construct influent equalization

• Construct parallel treatment units
• Expand existing tanks – deeper SWD
• Add roughing and/or polishing treatment

• Negotiate with industry to pay for upgrade
• All? Definitely pay their fair share (“proportionate”)
• Have industry pay for a portion of upgrade
• Especially effective if a WWTF upgrade is planned already

and a few additional improvements are needed to accommodate the industry

• MEDC or Economic Development Authority
• In conjunction with USDA RD grant/loan; SRF

Capacity Analysis:

• Blueberry Processor
• Pickle Processors

• Groundwater discharge … no longer an option
• WWTP Improvements were needed

(switch from groundwater to surface water discharge)

• Identified Industry needs

discussed future BOD Trt needs vs production

• GREAT Marriage (win-win) of
• Tanks with available treatment volume … minimum HRT
• A home for Lots of MBBR plastic media … enough for berries
• “Tell ya what … buy s’more plastic and couple of blowers, we’ll

call it good, Vinnie” Then, we’ll dedicate the service capacity.

MBBR Lagoon

MBBR Lagoon

• COD in lieu of BOD5 This is so Important

Shows up in the anaerobic digester, not Aeration Tank Acetic/lactic acid is biodegradable

• Seasonality of loading is large

Like clockwork- peaking in August

• Biogas production is (mostly) wonderful
• Historic odor & corrosion in 27 mile FM big problem
• Slug loading noted at the digester AND big biogas

10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000 08/03/12 08/23/12 09/12/12 10/02/12 10/22/12 11/11/12 12/01/12 12/21/12 01/10/13 Biogas as (cf/day ay) Date Actual Biogas Low Estimate of Theoretical High Estimate of Theoretical

Pickle ckle Production uction takes es

• ff in Mid

id-Augus ugust

• COD in lieu of BOD5

Sticks well on biofilm/media (if no digester)

• Project in the planning/preliminary design phase
• Review of industrial flow/BOD

• Surcharges were applied based on BOD5

How well did that reflect the loading? (COD not BOD5)

• Two-stage attached growth is great NPDES protection

No biomass “washout” + biofilm “pockets” 

• Expansion is desired – Over Doubling!
• (see previous steps)
• Recommendation: Treat at the POTW, increase

capacity