Municipal Biological Nutrient Removal Bioreactor Upgrade Using Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactors (MABR): Pilot Scale Investigation

Nitrogen and phosphorus are sources of eutrophication (e.g., blue-green algae bloom) in rivers and lakes. The bloom of blue-green algae can significantly affect aquatic lives and human activities because of the toxins that they produce. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in municipal wastewater discharges. Conventional treatment techniques using activated sludge (AS) based biological nutrient removal (BNR) process often experiences system deficiency at low temperature (winter) and under increased hydraulic loads (e.g., snow melting events). In this study, pilot-scale membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABR) will be tested to for their efficiency in the BNR process. Comparing to the conventional AS setup, the MABR configuration is more robust to system shocking and more energy efficient. The success of this project is expected to provide technical support for the future full-scale implementation of the MABR-BNR process at EPCORs GoldBar Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Faculty Supervisor:

Yang Liu

Student:

Huixin Zhang

Partner:

EPCOR Water Services Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

Program: