ARTICLE
BioCord® Reactors set to demonstrate reliable ammonia removal during Northern Alberta winter
A recent installation of BioCord® Reactors at Gift Lake Metis Settlement in Northern Alberta marks a big step forward for achieving easy-to-operate and affordable cold-weather ammonia removal in wastewater lagoon systems. Installed directly into a wastewater lagoon, BioCord Reactors provide a self-regulating, self-cleaning system that continues to provide treatment for ammonia and organics even when the wastewater temperature is near freezing.
The Gift Lake Metis Settlement, located about 400 km northwest of Edmonton, AB is no stranger to cold winters. The community’s lagoon system often struggles with ammonia removal because cold conditions cause biological decomposition of ammonia and organics to slow or stop entirely.
BioCord increases capacity without expanding footprint
At its core, BioCord is designed to keep wastewater treatment simple and continuous. Its rope-type media provides a massive surface area on which cold-tolerant, nitrifying bacteria can thrive. Think of it as a condominium for bacteria that efficiently increases the population of bacteria far beyond what an ordinary lagoon can achieve.
At Gift Lake, nine BioCord reactors were installed to provide treatment for an average daily flow of 190 cubic metres. The Reactors are customized to match the water level of the lagoon and each is equipped with a fine-bubble aeration system powered by low-energy compressors.
Simple design and operation
Unlike many other systems that require significant infrastructure changes and add post-lagoon process tanks or basins, BioCord’s in situ design enables it to be installed directly into the lagoon. This design dramatically reduces capital costs, avoids adding complex process equipment to the system and enables the lagoon to remain in operation during installation.
Prior to installing BioCord, Bishop Water performed a thorough sludge cleanout of the lagoon cells to restore the hydraulic capacity. The Bishop Solids Management Solution collects sludge from the lagoon using a hydraulic dredge then provides containment and dewatering of the sludge using Geotube containers, polymers and gravity.
Watch our video to learn more about BioCord Reactors for cold-weather removal of ammonia and organics.
