Advancement in Continuous Flow Densified Sludge System Design and Operation

Nutrient management at water resource recovery facilities is crucial for addressing water quality issues in watersheds burdened by rapid urbanization and growing populations. Conventional biological nutrient removal (BNR) technologies can generally meet water quality goals, but they are energy intensive. Therefore, new approaches are needed to intensify treatment processes and reduce capital and operational costs. The objective of this project is to pave the way for full-scale implementation of continuous flow aerobic granulation to achieve process intensification in most common existing process configurations. This research aims to balance sludge settleability, low effluent suspended solids and turbidity, and favorable BNR kinetics in continuously flow densification processes. In addition, the project will build upon the existing state of knowledge on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) to develop design and operational guidelines for utilities interested in exploring the implementation of AGS in continuously flow BNR processes.