Lower dose, less sludge, more savings with ClariPhos™ coagulant
DATE POSTED: April 27, 2023
How much money could your wastewater treatment plant save if you could reduce the amount of coagulant you’re using for phosphorus removal by 35%? What about 50%?
It may sound impossible, but a new rare earth coagulant can help dramatically reduce annual coagulant consumption and add many other benefits such as lower sludge production, better sludge dewaterability and improved clarifier performance.
Why does ClariPhos work so well to remove phosphorus?
ClariPhos is made with the rare earth elements lanthanum and cerium, which have a very high affinity for phosphorus. These elements form a tight ionic bond with phosphorus to create rhabdophane, a dense and insoluble precipitate that settles up to two times faster than conventional Al- or Fe- based coagulants. The results are improved clarifier performance and reduced risk of carryover of suspended solids.
Up to 50% less sludge with improved dewaterability
ClariPhos forms a tight preferential bond with phosphorus, which means far less coagulant is needed to achieve regulatory requirements—typically 30 to 70% dose reduction over alternatives. This lower dose rate results in significant reductions in sludge volume; as much as 34% less sludge than alum and 50% less sludge than ferric coagulants. ClariPhos also helps improve sludge dewaterability, enabling up to 40% increase in attained solids.
Reports have estimated some wastewater plants may spend up to 40% of their operating budget on sludge management, so reduced sludge production and improved dewaterability can help significantly reduce sludge management costs.
Watch the video to see the faster settling and reduced sludge volume from ClariPhos compared to alum and ferric to remove an equivalent amount of phosphorus.
ClariPhos provides several other benefits that improve other aspects of plant operation and provide additional savings. These include:
Low acidity – reduced impact on pH
ClariPhos is 100 times less acidic than alum- or ferric-based coagulants and is typically dosed at a much lower rate. That means it is far less likely to lower pH of the wastewater system and require pH adjustment with alkaline chemicals.
Extensive operational and economic benefits
Wastewater treatment plants throughout the US and Canada have switched to ClariPhos or are evaluating its ability to comply with stringent phosphorus discharge limits. In addition to the advantages above, ClariPhos also provides many more operational benefits that include:
- Low freeze temperature (-40°C); eliminating the need for heated storage and pipe heat tracing
- Safer to handle than alum- or ferric-based coagulants
- Inhibits struvite buildup
- Repeatedly passes whole effluent toxicity testing at 100% effluent concentration
- Doesn’t stain or discolour structures and equipment
- Sludge is suitable for land application – rare earth elements have low toxicity and are not bioavailable to plants
Learn more about the operational advantages of ClariPhos Rare Earth Coagulant
Contact us and we’ll show you how much less coagulant and pH adjustment chemical you’ll use by switching to ClariPhos.
Technical paper: The journey to select, design and install a BioCord condominium for bacteria in a far north lagoon
DATE POSTED: April 26, 2023
Presented by Tony Kobilnyk, Sales and Marketing Executive, at the 2023 WEAO Technical Symposium
In the cold and snowy terrain of Canada’s far north, traditional wastewater treatment lagoons face a daunting challenge: efficiently removing pollutants like ammonia and BOD from wastewater during the frigid winter months. The Gift Lake Metis Settlement in Northern Alberta is situated 400 km northwest of Edmonton, where temperatures can drop to -30°C. Traditional treatment lagoons suffer from decreased microbial activity in cold weather, leading to reduced effectiveness in removing ammonia and BOD from wastewater. To address this issue, Bishop BioCord™ Reactors offer optimal conditions for microbial growth and metabolism. The rope-type media and fine bubble aeration create a stable biofilm that insulates microorganisms, reducing the washout of bacteria and allowing for continuous treatment in winter conditions.
In the case study presented at the 2023 WEAO Technical Symposium, BioCord™ was evaluated against mechanical options, and was selected as the ideal upgrade option for Gift Lake Metis Settlement’s wastewater treatment lagoon. The BioCord™ system can be installed directly into the lagoon, eliminating the need for infrastructure additions and other costly components needed for post-lagoon systems like tanks, pipes, pumps, and blowers. The full-scale demonstration project, funded substantially by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Green Municipal Fund, involves the installation of nine reactors and baffle curtains directly into Cell 3 near the outlet, creating a compact, in situ treatment cell that will help the lagoons comply with WSER discharge limits consistently.
The BioCord™ system offers several advantages, including low capital and operating costs, a semi-passive process that requires minimal operator oversight, and a modular design that allows for simple and affordable expansion. With the implementation of the BioCord™ technology, the Gift Lake Metis Settlement can upgrade their wastewater treatment system, improve ammonia and BOD removal in cold weather conditions, and keep costs affordable for the community. Bishop Water is grateful for the opportunity to present a case study of this technology during the 2023 WEAO Technical Symposium.
Read the full paper.
Improving cold-weather ammonia removal in a northern lagoon with an in-situ, rope-type media system. Case study of a full-scale demonstration project.
Learn more about:
BioCord™ Reactors for affordable improvement of cold-weather ammonia removal.
Contact us to discuss a solution for your site.
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ClariPhos™: A less acidic coagulant that improves phosphorus removal and operator safety
DATE POSTED: March 31, 2023
Aluminum and iron-based coagulants are acidic, which means the more you add for phosphorus reduction, the more likely you are to lower the pH of the wastewater system. Consequently, wastewater plants must have pH adjustment measures in place to protect microbial populations from unfavourable conditions and to ensure the pH of treated effluent complies with discharge regulations. For operators, it means handling dangerous chemicals, more rigorous testing and monitoring, and unfortunately, increased exposure to safety risks when completing those tasks.
ClariPhos™ Rare Earth Coagulant can dramatically reduce or even eliminate pH swings caused by chemical phosphorus precipitation and help improve operator safety at the same time. This unique, non-hazardous coagulant is up to 100x less acidic than Al- or Fe-based alternatives and can achieve better phosphorus removal with a far lower dose—anywhere from 30 to 70% lower dose, depending on the P removal requirement.
By simply switching coagulants, operators can gain several health and safety benefits:
- Lower ClariPhos dose rate enables operators to dramatically lower the volume of coagulant that is stored and handled in the plant.
- Reduced impact on pH allows operators to decrease or eliminate the use, handling and storage of dangerous pH adjustment chemicals.
- Non-hazardous, non-toxic rating reduces PPE requirements and the potential for operator injury.
- Low ClariPhos freeze temperature (-40°C) permits outdoor storage in totes or bulk tanks
- Inhibits struvite buildup on pumps and staining of equipment, decreasing maintenance requirements and the associated risks of injury or exposure to pathogens
ClariPhos also provides significant improvements in phosphorus removal and sludge management. Treatment plants using ClariPhos can:
- Achieve P level as low as 0.07 mg/L or better without the need for tertiary filtration
- Reduce sludge production by 30 to 50%
- Improve sludge dewaterability by 40%
- Improve clarifier performance. ClariPhos precipitate settles up to two times faster than alternatives.
Switching to ClariPhos is easy. In most cases, the existing dosing equipment can be used for ClariPhos. So far, we’ve only encountered one issue—occasionally a smaller pump must be installed to ensure precise control of the low ClariPhos dose rate!
Watch the video to see how ClariPhos performs against alum and ferric to remove an equivalent amount of phosphorus.
Learn more about the operational advantages of ClariPhos Rare Earth Coagulant
Contact us and we’ll show you how much less coagulant and pH adjustment chemical you’ll use by switching to ClariPhos.
Is your lagoon suffering from washout?
DATE POSTED: February 28, 2023
Every wastewater plant can experience washout—a condition where high hydraulic loading causes microorganisms to be flushed out of a treatment cell at a faster rate than they can be replenished. It happens during periods of peak sanitary flow or during wet weather and its occurrence may be on the rise as we experience more frequent and extreme precipitation due to climate change. Inflow and infiltration can compound the problem adding more water to the sanitary system and further diluting the treatment process.
Diagnosing washout at your plant
Reducing retention times in treatment cells is the most common approach to enable lagoons to accommodate high hydraulic loading and avoid the need to bypass one or all of the treatment steps. But due to the faster flow, operators may see a decline in the treated effluent quality.
The telling sign of washout is that even after the influent flow returns to normal levels, the quality of treated effluent may continue to suffer days or even weeks after the event. This lag in performance indicates that a significant portion of the microbiological population has been lost to washout and the remainder is unable to provide adequate nutrient removal. The condition will continue until the microbiological population is re-established to the optimum level.
In the warmer months, the microbial population can rebound fairly quickly. But since temperature plays a major role in the growth rate of nitrifying and heterotrophic bacteria, a washout in the fall or winter can have serious long-term consequences to lagoon performance. If temperatures drop after a washout event, the microbial population may not fully recover until the spring, which means the plant could have to operate at reduced capacity or face compliance issues through the cold-weather period.
Build a better home for bacteria
BioCord™ Reactors are a simple, low-energy, fixed-film treatment technology that can help prevent the washout problem. BioCord is like a condominium for bacteria that adds a massive amount of surface area to a lagoon cell and provides the ideal environment for preferred, naturally occurring bacteria to thrive. Even though suspended bacteria may be lost to washout, BioCord retains its productive biofilm. The biofilm continues providing treatment, while also helping the lagoon return to optimum performance following the high-flow event.
BioCord boosts cold-weather performance too
The BioCord Reactor system is also designed to provide reliable removal of ammonia and BOD in cold weather. One way BioCord does that is by increasing the inventory of bacteria needed for wastewater treatment far beyond the capabilities of ordinary suspended sludge systems. More bacteria, means more nitrification and BOD removal.
Another way is that the BioCord biofilm develops in layers, which helps insulate inner microorganisms from cold water. This enables nitrifiers to maintain ammonia removal and respond to loading rates even when the wastewater temperature is as low as 0.5°C. BioCord biofilm has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to tolerate and thrive in cold conditions with observable changes in biofilm growth and greater ammonia removal rates as loading increases.
Learn more about BioCord Reactors and watch our video to see how BioCord easily and affordably increases lagoon capacity and performance.
Contact us to discuss your concerns about washout and other wastewater treatment needs.
Cheese producer switches to ClariPhos™ coagulant to improve phosphorus removal, eliminate tertiary filtration
DATE POSTED: December 16, 2021
Phosphorus removal has never been better for an Ontario cheese producer after switching to ClariPhos™ Rare Earth Coagulant for its onsite membrane bioreactor system. Operators began using ClariPhos in 2019 after experiencing inconsistent results with aluminum sulphate (alum) to achieve a phosphorus limit of less than 1 mg/L.
When the plant was commissioned several years ago, alum was initially added directly to the MBR to precipitate phosphorus in the process tank; however, this resulted in excess foaming, significant swings in pH and frequent upsets to the biological process. A tertiary filtration system was installed at a cost well into six figures, and though the system did alleviate the issues and consistently achieve the target phosphorus limit most of the time, it also significantly increased operating and maintenance costs. The operations team continued searching for a simple, cost-effective solution.
Fast and easy switch to ClariPhos
Bench testing with ClariPhos showed promising results and in the spring of 2019 the plant began full-scale testing. The transition was simple since ClariPhos uses the same chemical feed equipment as alum. Operators simply replaced the tote, flushed the line and set the new, much lower dose rate for ClariPhos. Since one of the objectives was to eliminate the tertiary filtration system, the team decided to add ClariPhos directly to the bioreactor, despite the problems that were experienced with the alum.
Within a few days, the benefits of ClariPhos began to emerge for the operators:
- Foaming and pH swings were no longer occurring. ClariPhos is about 100 times less acidic than aluminum sulphate, which combined with the lower dose, enables overall system pH to remain close to neutral and avoid process upset.
- Caustic (NaOH) was no longer needed to balance the acidity of alum, saving the plant thousands of dollars and eliminating the need to store and handle this hazardous chemical.
- Consistent treatment performance and compliance with the phosphorus limit of < 1 mg/L.
- Tertiary filtration is no longer needed, eliminating costs of operation and of handling of the secondary sludge wasting process.
- Reduced coagulant consumption. The ClariPhos dose at the site is consistently four to six times lower than aluminum sulphate.
- Improved operator safety. ClariPhos is about 100 times less acidic than alternatives, performs at a lower dose rate and often requires no pH adjustment. This means operators can dramatically reduce the volume of chemicals that are stored and handled at a plant.
Learn more about the advantages of ClariPhos Rare Earth Coagulant for phosphorus removal.
Contact us to talk about switching your phosphorus removal process to ClariPhos.
Bishop Solids Management Solution — Dewatering for all occasions
DATE POSTED: September 3, 2021
We’ve dewatered a lot of stuff over the years.
Everything from ordinary wastewater sludge and excess soil from construction sites, to noxious slurries containing really smelly organics, industrial process wastewater, and even low-level radioactive materials.
Over that time, we’ve learned a couple of things.
First, that our Bishop Solids Management Solution is extremely versatile. It can be used to collect, dewater and consolidate almost any type of slurry material.
The second thing is that our Solids Management Solution is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to get the job done. Our passive, gravity-based dewatering system is often compared against more complex, energy-intensive processes such as centrifuges, belt presses, and filter presses. In most cases, we can demonstrate that the Bishop Solids Management Solution can achieve similar or better dewatering performance at a lower cost and using less energy than alternatives.
The Bishop Solids Management Solution not only retains and consolidates solids, it also provides water treatment—greatly reducing TSS, nutrients and other contaminants of concern. This can be an effective pretreatment step or, depending on regulatory requirements, the filtrate can meet standards for discharge to the environment or even reuse in non-potable applications.
Start with a simple sludge test
Our process starts by obtaining a sample of the sludge and performing a dewatering test. The test reveals a lot of important information such as the solids concentration of the slurry, the polymer that will provide the best dewatering performance and how much water can potentially be removed.
We also need to know the approximate volume of sludge to be dewatered. This information, combined with the results from the dewatering test enables our team to calculate the number of Geotube® dewatering containers that will be needed, how large the dewatering cell will be, how much polymer will be needed and of course, how long the project will take.
What’s your solids management or dewatering challenge?
We have the solution.
Contact us to discuss your solids management needs and learn how simple, low-energy solutions from Bishop Water can help.
Learn more about the Bishop Solids Management Solution.
Ammonia discharge limits are tightening up for Canadian mines. Be ready with a BioCord system
DATE POSTED: January 27, 2021
By June 1, 2021 metal and diamond mines in Canada will need to comply with a new lower discharge limit for unionized ammonia. Over 100 mines will be affected by this revision to the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations (MDMER), which sets a federal effluent limit of 0.5 mg NH3/L.
To achieve this new regulation, changes may be needed to a mine site’s wastewater treatment system. But the new ammonia target can likely be reached without the need for complex or costly technology upgrades. Many mine sites use simple lagoon systems for wastewater treatment—in part due to their ease of use and low operating costs—and there are upgrade options that can maintain this simplicity and affordability while also improving ammonia removal.
More nitrifying bacteria = better total ammonia removal
A simple, fixed-film biological treatment system such as Bishop BioCord™ Reactors can dramatically improve total ammonia removal, without significant changes to the way a lagoon is operated. That’s because a BioCord system is designed to enhance the existing lagoon process rather than add another step or sidestream process to the plant.
Unlike moving-bed or submerged-bed biofilm systems, which require additional tanks or cells, BioCord Reactors can be installed directly into the treatment lagoon to provide a massive surface area on which preferred, naturally occurring bacteria can grow. It’s like a condominium for bacteria; made from densely arranged loops of polymer fibers that are suspended from free-standing frames. This enables BioCord to establish a robust population of nitrifying bacteria that is many times greater than what can be maintained in an ordinary activated sludge lagoon.
BioCord isn’t limited to upgrades only. This modular system can also form the foundation for new wastewater treatment plants that are designed as lagoons, tanks or even temporary containers.
High oxygen transfer is critical
Each frame is also equipped with a micro-bubble aeration system powered by a low-energy compressor. This design enables the system to achieve high oxygen transfer to the biofilm for a fraction of the capital and operating costs of a typical blower-powered lagoon aeration system. Oxygen is a critical, and often limiting, parameter for nitrifying bacteria to proliferate, so having high oxygen transfer at a low energy cost is a tremendous advantage.
Once operational, a BioCord system acclimatizes and adapts to the range of pH, temperature and contaminants that it may experience in the mine’s wastewater lagoon, including high levels of ammonia, nitrogen and cyanide.
BioCord testing shows that the system can achieve over 99% ammonia reduction in synthetic wastewater concentrations as high as 750 mg/L. Since the system is modular, the system can be sized to meet the required ammonia target and quickly expanded if conditions change.
Learn more about the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations.
Learn more about BioCord Reactors for high strength wastewater treatment.
Contact us to discuss your high strength wastewater treatment needs.
Top 5 things to consider for a lagoon upgrade
DATE POSTED: December 22, 2020
Wastewater lagoons provide simple, reliable and relatively low-cost treatment for small and medium sized communities. In Canada and the US, there are nearly 10,000 municipal lagoon systems and many more when industrial, agricultural and commercial lagoon systems are included.
But eventually a community needs to improve the treatment capacity and performance of its lagoon system to accommodate growth, meet more stringent regulatory requirements, or both. We’ve compiled a list of important considerations to help you plan a lagoon upgrade that can provide the performance and capacity your community needs at affordable capital and operating costs.
1) Post-lagoon or in-situ treatment process
Moving-bed and submerged-bed systems typically add tanks or in-ground cells to accommodate the new treatment process. Not only does this add to the plant footprint, it also requires additional equipment such as tanks, pipes, pumps and blowers, which can substantially increase capital costs. In-situ systems can be installed directly into the lagoon to enhance treatment capacity without expanding footprint or adding a large amount of supporting equipment.
2) Energy demand
Blowers can provide lots of air quickly, but the equipment is costly and has high energy demands. Some systems such as MBBR also rely on coarse bubbles from blowers to circulate the carrier media and keep it in suspension, in addition to supplying air to the microbial population. But larger bubbles are also less efficient at transferring oxygen to microbes – much of the air simply bubbles up and out of the process tank. Instead, consider a system that uses low-energy compressors and micro-bubble aeration for significantly higher oxygen transfer and lower, more efficient energy usage.
3) Ease of operation
One of the big advantages of wastewater lagoons is that they require little operator attention compared to more advanced mechanical treatment plants. In-situ systems can also share this advantage since they align well with the way wastewater lagoons are typically managed and don’t add complexity or additional processes to manage.
4) Capital and long-term operating costs
Tanks, media beds, blowers and other equipment can all add capital and operating costs to a lagoon upgrade. Alternatively, in-situ systems use the existing lagoon cell, which can reduce capital costs by as much as 50%. Energy demand for in-situ systems can also be up to 50% lower by eliminating the need to pump wastewater to sidestream process and replacing blowers with low-energy compressors.
5) Customizability
Like any wastewater system, lagoons can experience variable loading, changing flows, upset and more. Upgrade technologies should be easily adaptable to respond to short- and long-term operating conditions, including anticipated changes to population and regulatory requirements. To achieve this, consider modular systems that can be brought online as needed or easily expanded to accommodate the needs of the community or business.
BioCord Reactors check all the boxes
BioCord™ Reactors biological nutrient removal gives lagoon operators a simple and efficient way to dramatically increase capacity and performance of a wastewater lagoon or conventional activated sludge plant without expanding footprint. This low-energy, self-regulating process is ideal to help a plant achieve up to 99% ammonia reduction in difficult treatment conditions such as during cold weather or when experiencing high-strength or variable loading. The fixed-film, modular process is like a condominium for bacteria on which preferred, naturally occurring bacteria can thrive. BioCord reactors offer a flexible, modular design that can be customized to fit virtually any secondary treatment process and handle anticipated flow and loading parameters.
Learn more about BioCord Reactors for lagoon upgrades.
Contact us to discuss your wastewater treatment plant upgrade.
Partial lagoon cleanouts help balance performance and budgets
DATE POSTED: August 28, 2020
If you’re going to clean out a cell or two at your wastewater lagoon, there are circumstances when a partial cleanout might be the best, fastest way to quickly fix an urgent capacity or performance issue until the lagoon is ready for a full desludging.
Partial cleanouts, using the Bishop Solids Management Solution, can most often be completed while the lagoon remains in operation, so there’s no need to decommission the cell or disrupt the process flow. Bishop Water can quickly diagnose lagoon performance issues caused by excess sludge and determine the volume and locations of sludge that should be removed from the cell.
Once a plan is ready, the team can mobilise a dredge, its mobile polymer conditioning system and prepare a laydown area for Geotube® containers, are used to collect, dewater and consolidate the solids. Or, if the volume of sludge is small, they can be filled and removed inside 30-yard roll off boxes, making transportation and disposal fast and simple.
Partial sludge cleanouts can also become part of an ongoing lagoon maintenance program to ensure optimum performance. Rather than waiting until sludge accumulation reaches a critical level, lagoon operators or Bishop Water technicians can monitor sludge accumulation in the lagoon and when needed, proactively perform a partial cleanout to maintain an optimized level of performance.
Partial lagoon cleanouts have been used by many lagoon operators to achieve operational and economic benefits including:
- Quickly restore lost storage and treatment capacity in the lagoon;
- Correct flow issues caused by sludge accumulation that create short-circuiting of lagoon flow and reduced retention time;
- Defer the cost of a full lagoon cleanout over an extended period of time;
- Maximize the capacity and dewatering of each Geotube® container. Partially filled containers can remain onsite for continued filling at the next cleanout interval. They will experience significant volume reduction between fill intervals, which will reduce the number of containers needed as well as hauling and disposal costs.
Learn more about Bishop Solids Management Solutions for partial lagoon cleanouts.
Contact us to discuss your lagoon clean out needs.
Is your treatment plant suffering from washout?
DATE POSTED:
Every wastewater plant can experience washout—a condition where high hydraulic loading causes microorganisms to be flushed out of a treatment cell at a faster rate than they can be replenished. It most often happens during periods of peak sanitary flow or during wet weather and its occurrence may be on the rise as we experience more frequent and severe storms due to climate change. Inflow and infiltration can compound the problem adding more water to the sanitary system and further diluting the treatment process.
Diagnosing washout at your plant
Reducing retention times in primary, secondary and tertiary processes is the most common approach to enable the plant to accommodate the higher hydraulic loading and avoid the need to bypass one or all of the treatment steps. But due to the faster flow, operators may see a decline in the treated effluent quality.
The telling sign of washout is that even after the influent flow returns to normal levels, the quality of treated effluent may continue to suffer for many hours or even days after the event. This lag in performance indicates that a significant portion of the microbiological population has been lost to washout and the remainder is unable to provide adequate nutrient removal. The condition will continue until the microbiological population is re-established to the optimum level.
Fall washout = winter performance problems
In the warmer months, the microbiological population can rebound fairly quickly. But since temperature plays a major role in the rate of microbiological growth, a washout in the fall or winter can have serious long-term consequences to plant performance, particularly for wastewater lagoons or other plants where secondary treatment occurs outdoors. In these plants, the microbial population may not fully recover until the spring, which means the plant could have to operate at reduced capacity or face compliance issues through the cold-weather period.
Build a better home for bacteria
Bishop BioCord™ Reactors are a fixed-film technology that can help alleviate the washout problem. BioCord is like a condominium for bacteria, enabling the formation of a robust biofilm with preferred microorganisms that are strongly attached to the growth media and resistant to washout. Even though suspended microorganisms may be lost to washout, microorganisms in the BioCord reactors remain in the system and continue to provide treatment while also helping re-establish suspended bacteria to optimum levels.
The BioCord Reactor system is also designed to provide robust cold-weather performance. BioCord biofilm develops in layers enabling both BOD- and ammonia-reducing bacteria to coexist and thrive. Layering also helps insulate inner microorganisms from cold water to remain active during the winter and continuing to provide nutrient removal.
Learn more about BioCord Reactors.
Contact us to discuss your concerns about washout and other wastewater treatment needs.