Upgrading Lagoons to Remove:
Ammonia – Nitrification &
Phosphorus
MWEA Specialty Conference – January 23, 2015 Friday - 11:00 to 11:30am
Todd Latchaw
Nelson Environmental Inc.
www.nelsonenvironmental.com
Choosing an appropriate WWTF
SIMPLE
COMPLEX
Facultative lagoon
Aerated Lagoon
Aerated Lagoon with TAN/TP Removal
Mechanical Plant
Membranes (MBR)
Meets all anticipated effluent requirements (TAN, BOD, TSS, TP, TN)
You do not have to go high-tech to meet stringent
effluent requirements
Cold climate nitrification facts
Stops at temperatures below 4°C in conventional
treatment
Full nitrification
requires temperatures
at 8-10 °C
“Nitrification precedes Total
Nitrogen removal”
Lagoon effluent in
Northern USA & Canada is
typically < 1oC for 3 to 5 months
Nitrification occurs once cBOD levels
are low
(Back end of a lagoon system)
Nutrient Removal
Phosphorus Total Nitrogen
Ammonia
BOD TSS
Aerated or Facultative
Lagoons
(BOD & TSS Removal)
SAGR
(Nitrification)
AN-SAGR /
Effluent
Recycle
(Denitrification)
Coagulation/
Filtration
(TP Removal)
Treatment Process
Terminology
NH3 NH4+ TAN
(Total Ammonia)
Ammonia NH3?
Ammonium NH4+?
Ratio determined By pH and
Temperature
NH4+
NH3
“Ammonium”
“Un-ionized Ammonia” Toxic
Why is removing ammonia important?
Ammonia toxicity relation to temperature & pH
Total (NH3 + NH4+)
10 mg/L
10 mg/L
10 mg/L
pH 7.8 7.8 8.8
Temperature 5°C 20°C 20°C
Un-ionized Ammonia
0.078 mg/L
0.22 mg/L
2.00 mg/L
Example – Lagoon System that reduce TAN down to 10 mg/L
To return to a level of NH3 0.078 mg/L Requires an effluent TAN level of 0.4 mg/L
2.9 times more toxic
25.6 times more toxic
Influent Aerated or Facultative Ponds
CBOD/TSS removal
Effluent
Continuous discharge lagoons with TAN & TP Removal
SAGR
Nitrification/BOD & TSS Polishing & Disinfection
Tertiary Filtration
TP removal
POST – LAGOON NITRIFICATION AND EFFLUENT POLISHING
What is a SAGR?
Fully aerated coarse gravel bed reactor.
Stable dense rock media which is not susceptible to temperature shock
Designed for cold water treatment (0.5°C)
The SAGR removes ammonia through nitrification and provides BOD/TSS polishing & disinfection
Submerged Attached Growth Reactor Primary
Feed Secondary Feed
Zone 1
Zone 2
Collection Chamber
SAGR Aerated Lagoon
Retention Time 25 days
SAGR Demonstration Site Steinbach, MB
Lagoon Influent BOD: 150 to 180 mg/L
Demo Site: Avg. Flow Rate: 10,500 – 13,200 GPD (municipal)
Steinbach, MB Data
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0 1
9-J
ul-
08
2-A
ug-
08
16
-Au
g-0
8
30
-Au
g-0
8
13
-Se
p-0
8
27
-Se
p-0
8
11
-Oct
-08
25
-Oct
-08
8-N
ov-
08
22
-No
v-0
8
6-D
ec-
08
20
-De
c-0
8
3-J
an-0
9
17
-Jan
-09
31
-Jan
-09
14
-Fe
b-0
9
28
-Fe
b-0
9
14
-Mar
-09
28
-Mar
-09
11
-Ap
r-0
9
25
-Ap
r-0
9
9-M
ay-0
9
23
-May
-09
6-J
un
-09
20
-Ju
n-0
9
4-J
ul-
09
18
-Ju
l-0
9
1-A
ug-
09
15
-Au
g-0
9
29
-Au
g-0
9
mg/L (°C)
SAGR Following Aerated Lagoon Treatment Cycle
SAGR Influent TAN SAGR Effluent TAN SAGR Influent cBOD5
SAGR Effluent cBOD5 Water Temperature
SAGR Performance Data
Parameters SAGR Influent Averages
(mg/L)
SAGR Effluent Averages
(mg/L)
Removal
cBOD 47 2.1 95.5%
TSS 30 1.3 95.7%
TAN 24.9 0.12 99.5%
TKN 32.5 1.8 94.5%
FC (cfu /100 ml) 253000 13.5 99.99%
Average water temperature (°C)
0.3 1.0
University of Manitoba Third Party Winter Operation Verification Data
(JANUARY 13 – APRIL 21, 2010)
Typical SAGR Applications Post Lagoon Nitrification Post Lagoon BOD/TSS
Airport De-icing Fluid Treatment Decentralized Treatment
Project Examples
SAGR projects
Steinbach (Demo), MB 0.010 MGD
Lloydminster (Demo), SK 0.017 MGD
Perth (Demo), ON 0.053 MGD
Blumenort (Demo), MB 0.016 MGD
Doaktown, NB 0.169 MGD
Dawson Creek, BC 1.058 MGD
Mentone, IN 0.120 MGD
Glencoe, ON 0.456 MGD
Long Plain FN, MB 0.264 MGD
Sylvan Lake, SD 0.045 MGD
Walker, IA 0.222 MGD
Lamar, MO 0.770 MGD
Shellbrook, SK 0.217 MGD
Balcarres, SK 0.085 MGD
Misipiwistik FN, MB 0.115 MGD
Greenbryre, SK 0.091 MGD
Kennard, IN 0.100 MGD
Guthrie School, ON 0.003 MGD
Kingsley, IA 0.300 MGD
Sundridge, ON 0.315 MGD
New London, IA 0.885 MGD
Colesburg, IA 0.241 MGD
Hull, IA 0.700 MGD
Buffalo, NY Airport* 1.216 MGD
Edmonton, AB Airport* 0.159 MGD
LI MacArthur Airport, NY* 0.144 MGD
Grand Rapids, MI Airport* 1.000 MGD
Completed Municipal SAGR Projects
Currently Under Construction
* Airport Glycol De-icing Treatment
Berne, IN 1.920 MGD
Completed Airport SAGR Projects
Mentone, Indiana
Facultative lagoon
Facultative lagoon
SAGR Beds for nitrification
Influent
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
TAN
(mg/
L)
(Total Ammonia)
WWTP Influent TAN SAGR Influent TAN SAGR Effluent TAN Limit
NPDES Permit Requirements: - cBOD5 = 25 mg/L - TSS = 70 mg/L -TAN = 9.6/10.4 mg/L (summer/winter) Design flow = 0.12 MGD (454 m3/day)
Mentone, Indiana Data
Mentone, Indiana
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
14-Aug-13 3-Oct-13 22-Nov-13 11-Jan-14 2-Mar-14 21-Apr-14 10-Jun-14 30-Jul-14 18-Sep-14 7-Nov-14 27-Dec-14
TAN
(m
g/L)
Mentone SAGR: Influent & Effluent TAN
WWTP Influent TAN SAGR Effluent TAN
Disk filter with alum addition for TP removal
SAGR for nitrification
Two (2) cell controlled discharge lagoon converted into a three (3) cell continuous discharge aerated
lagoon
Glencoe, Ontario
SAGR
Influent
Effluent
discharge
Alum
addition
Glencoe, Ontario
Disc Filter
Aerated
Lagoon
Glencoe, Ontario
0
2.5
5
7.5
10
12.5
15
17.5
20
22.5
25
27.5
30
TAN
(m
g/L)
& W
ate
r Te
mp
(°C
)
SAGR: Influent & Effluent TAN (2013-2014)
Influent SAGR TAN Effluent SAGR TAN Water Temperature
Permit Requirements: -TAN = 3 mg/L Design flow = 0.46 MGD
Glencoe, Ontario
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
TAN
(m
g/L)
Glencoe WWTP - Influent and Effluent TAN
4 Sample Moving Avg
Permit Requirements: - cBOD5 = 13.7 mg/L - TSS = 13.7 mg/L -TAN = 3 mg/L Design flow = 0.46 MGD (1746 m3/day)
Annual Step Feed
Lamar, MO (upgraded facility)
Single cell facultative lagoon
Two (2) SAGR beds for nitrification
Influent
Lamar, MO
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
TAN
(m
g/L)
Lamar SAGR®: Effluent TAN
Effluent TAN Missouri Proposed Limits
Lamar Effluent Requirements: - BOD = 10 mg/L
-TSS = 10 mg/L - TAN = 1/7 mg/L (summer/winter)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
TAN
(m
g/L)
Lamar SAGR: Influent and Effluent TAN
Effluent TAN Water Temperature (°C)
Effluent Requirements: - TAN = 1.3/2.8 mg/L (summer/winter)
Design Flow 2910 m3/Day (0.770 MGD)
Lamar, MO Data
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
TAN
mg/
L
Lamar, MO: SAGR Effluent TAN
Effluent SAGR TAN New Missouri DNR TAN Limits
Lamar, Missouri
Design Flow 2910 m3/Day (0.770 MGD)
Kennard, Indiana
Cell # 1 Partial Mix
Cell #2 Partial Mix
Cell #3 Partial Mix &
settling
Influent
Two (2) SAGR beds for nitrification
Kennard, Indiana
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
TAN
mg/
L
Kennard, IN: SAGR Influent & Effluent TAN
Raw Wastewater Effluent SAGR TAN
Berne, Indiana
Cell # 1 Aerated
(Partial Mix)
Cell # 2 Facultative Lagoon
Four (4) SAGR Beds For nitrification
Influent
Berne, Indiana
• Construction start-up in November 2014
TOTAL PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL
East Selkirk, MB Aerated lagoon with TP removal
Rapid mix tank for chemical dispersion and contact.
Slow mix tank for coagulation and flocculation.
Floc settles in cell 2
Disk Filter
The opTPhos Disk Filter is a user-friendly, small foot print, low backwash, high performance tertiary filter for both small and large flow applications.
The opTPhos Disk Filter removes suspended solids as small as 5 microns.
Sand Filter Process Diagram
Contact/Settling Tank
Lagoon Effluent Clean
Water
Reject Stream back to primary lagoon
Alum/ Ferric addition for TP
Carbon for TN
Sand bed
Sand cleaning chamber
Airlift pumps sand and removed solids to the top of the filter for cleaning
Alum In-house jar testing at 18°C
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Fin
al T
P C
on
c., m
g/L
Al to TP mole Ratio
Jar Testing: TP Removal vs. Al3+/TP mole ratio
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5a Trial 5b Trial 5c Trial 5d Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trail 9a Trial 9b
Trial 1: 1 min RM, 30
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 2: 1 min RM, 0
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 3: 0 min RM, 30
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 4: 1 min RM, 3
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 5a: 1 min RM,
30 min SM, 0 min settling
Trial 5b: 1 min RM, 30 min SM, 5 min settling
Trial 5c: 1 min RM,
30 min SM, 15 min settling
Trial 5d: 1 min RM,
30 min SM, 120min settling
Trial 6: 1 min RM,
60 min SM, 30 min Settling
Trial 7: 4 min RM, 0
min SM, 30 min Settling
Trial 8: 4 min RM, 30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Fin
al T
P C
on
c., m
g/L
Al to TP mole Ratio
Jar Testing: TP Removal vs. Al3+/TP mole ratio
Trial 10 Trial 11 Trial 12 Trial 13 Trial 17 Trial 18
Trial 10: 1 min RM, 30
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 11: 0 min RM,
30min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 12: 1 min RM, 4
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 13: 1 min RM, 0
min SM, 30 min settling
Trial 17: 4 min RM,
0min SM, 30 min Settling
Trial 18: 4 min RM,
30 min SM, 30 min Settling
Alum In-house jar testing at 0.5°C
SAGR process provides nitrification to
< 1mg/L ammonia at 100% design flow
Consistent BOD/TSS <5/10 mg/L
(lower with tertiary filtration)
Systems can handle significant variation in incoming water quality without upset
Phosphorus <1 mg/L
(or 0.3 mg/L if required)
ANSAGR TN removal to effluent levels <10 mg/l are being demonstrated
Your lagoons are likely paid for so use them
Conclusion
Questions?
www.nelsonenvironmental.com