Case Study

Reduced Dewatering Costs Case Study

Sludge handling is an inevitable expense in Municipal wastewater facilities. Many of our customers tell us that this single expense accounts for the majority of their operational budgets, limiting their operations dramatically. Recently, we brought our new “Fermentation” technology to market, and it has already resulted in significant savings everywhere it has been employed, and reducing the headache. We don’t dewater. We Digest.

Our new “Fermentation” technology grows select, highly-effective biological complexes on-site, producing an 83:1 return for our clients. Utilizing facultative biological complexes designed with Digesters in mind, our fermentation system produces “matched” biological complexes that digest sludge more aggressively than anything seen in the marketplace before, greatly reducing cost and manpower. And, since most Operations are under-staffed, this allows management to utilize existing personnel for projects that have been on the back-burner.

Digester

Starting with a full Digester

Fermentation Process
During Fermentation
Fermentation
Digest all the sludge in your Digester or stop anywhere during the process.
Fermenter installed by the Digester, Newport, Tennessee

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

  • Increase the capacity of your existing Digesters
  • Improve the quality of the supernatant in your Digesters
  • Allow the Digesters to decant sooner and longer.
  • Reduce the overall costs associated with dewatering your sludge.
Engineering companies and chemical marketing companies will say this is impossible. That’s because they have never done it.

SO, HOW DO WE DO IT?

  • A Fermenting Tank is installed where it is needed; by your Digester, or out in your collections system.
  • We seed the Fermenter with 30 - 60 pounds of live biological complexes.
  • We feed the biological complexes with a nutrient built expressly for them.
  • Nature takes its course. Every pound of Revive Biological complex we place in the Fermenter grows to more than 80 pounds.
  • The Ferment can be fed on a continual basis, or drawn out and taken to any application point in your system and added in lift stations, your wastewater treatement plant, or your Digester.

Reduced Dewatering Costs

Sevierville, Tennessee’s wastewater treatment plant began using Bio-Clean at 0.2 ppm in April, 2005 to aid in settling, and has been used “as needed” since then. In July 2011, the grease separator at the front of the plant went down, increasing loading in the Plant and making treatment more difficult. ​

In August, Bio-Clean additions were increased to 0.4 ppm to deal with the additional grease loading, settling the Plant back down.

OPERATORS’S STATEMENT:

“I can give you some facts and maybe you can put some pieces together.  The Plant is designed to remove 30 mg/L ammonia.  Our average influent ammonia runs in the 40 to 60 range.  We have run some grab samples that range well over 100, and sometimes 200.  Our average effluent ammonia runs in the decimals.  As you know, we use Bio-Clean as an aid for settling.  We have been using this product so long it is just a natural part of operations.  Does it affect ammonia removal or reduction?  I would have to make an educated guess and say yes.” – Dennis Hale, Wastewater Superintendent

ADDITIONAL EFFECTS:

  • Duck weed went away in the Plant
  • Polymer settings on their polymer pumps were reduced from 60 to 20, effectively reducing polymer usage at the Belt Press

UPDATE: JANUARY 2018

A fermenter was installed by an old Digester used specifically for receiving grease and septic sludge, as well as WAS from the primary wastewater operation. Typically, sludge does not dewater in this Digester. But, with the fermenter installed and feeding the Digester with new-growth complexes, the sludge is dewatering at a 50% rate.