Ammonia sensors improve data quality
Winter nitrification pilot project improves data collection with ammonia sensors
Bishop Water has received an extension and additional funding to support a pilot project in a small town in southwestern Ontario. The funding was used to purchase and install ammonia sensors in multiple spots within the sewage lagoon system. Consequently, this will enhance data collection and quality of results from the research. The additional funding also allows Bishop Water to continue data collection until April 2021. This will improve the quality of the data for the town and researchers, as well as contribute to the overall knowledge base, which Bishop Water can apply to other installations.
In the fall of 2016, Bishop Water installed 10 BioCord Reactors at the Dundalk Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). Bishop Water, in partnership with Western University, implemented the pilot project. The project is funded by the Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC) through the Advancing Water Technologies (AWT) Program. The main goal of the project was to improve winter nitrification within the system. Bishop Water custom designed the BioCord Reactors to fit directly into the lagoons. Therefore improving year-round ammonia removal without increasing the plant’s footprint.
More frequent data collection improves data quality
Previously Bishop Water was collecting weekly samples in the winter months, and once every two weeks for the remainder of the year. As the end of the project approached, professors from Western University and the Bishop Water team saw great potential to continue the research. Weekly or bi-weekly samples only give a small snapshot of the system. This leads to more assumptions when analyzing the data. With increased data collection, the results can be much more meaningful since it enables Bishop Water to develop a better understanding of how the ammonia concentration is changing on a daily basis.
The initial project, which was originally designed to be complete within two years, will now continue until April 2021. The funding provided by AWT enables Bishop Water and researchers from Western University to remotely measure the ammonia concentration in the influent and effluent from Lagoon 1 and Lagoon 2 every six hours. As a result of more frequent and more specific data collection, Bishop Water will develop a better understanding of how the ammonia concentration is changing on a daily basis. The ammonia sensors use very little additional energy and one is even solar-powered.
About BioCord Reactors
A BioCord Reactor system is a simple, low-energy technology which harnesses natural biological processes. Due to increased surface area, its implementation can boost treatment capacity in a sewage lagoon by up to 30%. This potentially extends the life of aging treatment lagoons and helps growing communities avoid the need to build a costly mechanical plant.
BioCord Reactors use densely looped polymer fibres that offer a massive surface area. These hang on modular frames and provide a habitat for growth of bacteria. Increased surface area allows the aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms to maintain ammonia removal even in cold weather conditions. Also adding to superior winter performance is the open-frame design. This ensures good circulation and inhibits air diffuser clogging due to sludge build up.
Watch this video to learn more about the BioCord Reactor system in Dundalk, Ontario.
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