Nazareth Borough, Pennsylvania WWTP Achieves High Treatment Efficiency Using the ABJ ICEAS Process

Introduction The Nazareth Boroughs Municipal Authority (NBMA) Wastewater Treatment Plant in Nazareth, PA has produced high quality effluent since 1990 with 95 99% removal of BOD5, Suspended Solids and Ammonia while treating an average daily flow of 1 mgd. The plant uses the ABJ ICEAS process. This process is a variant of a sequential batch reactor activated sludge biological process where raw wastewater is continuously received with intermittent effluent discharge. The ICEAS process provides flow equalization, biological oxidation, nitrification and denitrification in a single tank. The process operates on time cycles consisting of aeration, sedimentation and decantation phases using a PLC base control system. Background Nazareth Borough is located in eastern PA, north of Bethlehem. In the late 1980s, the Nazareth Borough 500,000-gpd trickling filter treatment plant, built in1929 was severely overloaded due to increased population, collection of storm runoff and infiltration in an aging collection system. In addition, the plant could not meet the NPDES permit requiring stringent effluent ammonia limits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. The Nazareth Borough Municipal Authority (NBMA) evaluated a number of alternatives for a new wastewater treatment plant. Based upon the Sequencing Batch Reactors Summary Report issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1986, NMBA found that the Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) Systems were evaluated to have less capital and operating costs than conventional activated sludge plants. Additionally, the SBR basins have flexibility to accommodated peak flows and shock organic loads without degradation of effluent quality. After evaluating several SBR systems, NBMA selected the ABJ ICEAS process because of its simplicity of construction and operation, capability to receive continuous influent, ability to operate with one tank operation and significant savings in capital and operating costs compared to other SBR systems. The ICEAS Process The technology of Sequential Batch Reactors (SBR) is not new. Ardern and Lockett (1914, 1915) wrote about it at the turn of the century as did Pasveer later (1960). The concept of using an activated sludge for treatment goes back decades as well. However, both systems have suffered from limitations. Specifically, the SBR required flow diversion from the basin to allow settling and decanting. This meant the process required two or more tanks and/or large equalization basins. SBRs have also suffered from the lack of an effective decanter. Activated sludge and extended aeration, on the other hand required considerable

equipment (clarifiers, pumps and controls) and land area on which to place the equipment. They are also subject to washout during periods of high flow. The modern Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based control systems and heightened need for nutrient removal contributed to the renewed interest in SBR technology. With its proprietary design and the patented decanter, the ICEAS process eliminated all the limitations. The ICEAS process allows continuous inflow of wastewater while using a single basin. Flow to the ICEAS basin is not interrupted at any time. A basin can be taken out of service for maintenance with flow diverted to other basins. The ICEAS process is a time-controlled repetition of cycles that consist of three sequential phases: Aeration, Settle and Decant. It carries out the steps of flow equalization, biological oxidation, nitrification, denitrification, biological phosphorous removal and solids/liquid separation in the same basin. Unlike other SBR systems, ICEAS does not require influent control valves or another basin to hold diverted flow. Since the ICEAS process fills continuously, it does not require Fill or Idle phases, thereby simplifying the process. A PLC controls the entire ICEAS process. It automatically coordinates all the equipment and phases of the cycle. The system is pre-programmed to automatically switch to a storm cycle when the inflow reaches a certain level. The ICEAS process can be designed to accommodate up to six times the average daily flow without effluent degradation. A man-machine interface allows the ICEAS operator to monitor the process cycle status. The operator can adjust the sludge wasting time and the length of aeration time per cycle to respond to varying load conditions. This operational flexibility is especially advantageous during start-up when there is usually a low influent load. The ICEAS process allows continuous flow into the basin without hydraulic short-circuiting during the decant phase. In order to accomplish this, a baffle wall that separates the ICEAS basin into two sections, the prereact and the main react zone is constructed. Wastewater flows continuously into the pre-react zone and is directed down through the openings at the bottom of the baffle wall into the sludge blanket at the bottom of the main react zone. The pre-react zone provides pre-treatment of the wastewater before it enters the main react zone. In the pre-react zone, there is a high amount of BOD in a small volume. This situation creates a high Food to Microorganism Ratio (F:M). The high F:M encourages the maximum biosorption of food by the microorganisms. The pre-react zone therefore acts as an organic selector increasing the proliferation of the most desirable microorganisms. This organic selection process inhibits the filamentous growth that causes sludge bulking. Nielsen et al (1988) discusses the difficulty of avoiding filamentous growth and the resulting bulking sludge in continuously fed systems that do not use a selector zone. Influent flows into the ICEAS basin throughout each phase of the cycle. During AERATION, air is supplied to the basin including the pre-react zone to supply the oxygen used by the microorganisms to consume the organics in the wastewater. During SETTLE, solids/liquids separation occurs. The solids settle to the bottom of the basin leaving the clear water on the top. During DECANT, the ABJ decanter lowers into the basin, skims off the uppermost liquid in the basin and discharges it. Sludge is automatically wasted during the decant phase of each cycle. In a two basin ICEAS plant operating on a 4 hour cycle, the sequence for each basin is 2 hours out of the phase with the other basin. When one basin is aerating, the other basin is settling or decanting and vice

versa. This allows one blower to be used for both basins by simply opening and closing motorized air valves to the basins. A four basin ICEAS process operating on a 4 hour cycle is sequenced so that two basins are aerating, one basin is settling and one basin is decanting at any point in time. Blowers and aeration systems provide oxygen to the pre-react and the main react zone. Until the mid 1990s most ICEAS plants used coarse bubble aeration systems. However, concerns of high operation costs have resulted in increased usage of energy efficient, fixed grid fine bubble aeration systems. The decanter consists of a trough with multiple downcomers connecting to a collector pipe. The decanter travels downward from the park position, above design top water level to the design bottom water level (BWL). The decanter has end position limit switches to indicate that it has reached the BWL or the park position. The decanters are driven by variable frequency drives to keep the discharge rate relatively constant. After the decanter has reached the BWL, it will travel upward and aeration will begin after the decanter has risen for a fixed period of has reached the park position. A float in front of the weir prevents surface scum or floatables from entering in the decanter. The ICEAS control system has a man machine interface that enables the plant operator to monitor the system status and to change operating variable such as sludge wasting time and aeration time per cycle. Hand-off-auto switches are provided at the control panel for the aeration blowers, pumps and air valves. A local control station is provided at the basin for manually raising and lowering the decanter. The Nazareth plant flow sheet includes mechanically cleaned bar screen, aerated grit chamber, influent pumps, ICEAS two basin system, two sludge holding tanks (aerobic digesters), a chlorine contact tank and a portable belt press. The Nazareth ABJ ICEAS process was designed based upon the following influent and effluent conditions: Influent Conditions: Average Daily Flow Peak Dry Weather Flow Peak Wet Weather Flow BOD5 TSS NH3-N Effluent Conditions: BOD5 SS NH3-N ABJ ICEAS Process Design Criteria: F:M Ratio SVI (after 60 min. settling) Normal Cycle Storm Cycle Number of ICEAS Tanks ICEAS Tank Width ICEAS Tank Length ICEAS Top Water Level ICEAS Bottom Water Level 1.3 mgd 2.4 mgd 2.6 mgd 220 mg/l 250 mg/l 40 mg/l Summer 10 mg/l 30 mg/l 1.5 mg/l Winter 20 mg/l 30 mg/l 4.5 mg/l

0.05 lb. BOD5/lb. MLSS/day 150 mg/gm 6 4 hour/cycle/day 8 3 hour/cycle/day 2 47 ft. 141 ft. 15 ft. 11.9 ft.

Sludge Holding Tanks Number of SHT Tanks SHT Tank Width SHT Tank Length SHT Top Water Level

2 47 ft. 60 ft. 15 ft.

ABJ ICEAS Equipment Included One (1) stainless influent splitter box with adjustable weirs and manually operated slide gates Two (2) SANITAIRE coarse bubble aeration systems Two (2) 14 diameter motorized air control valves Two (2) 100 hp centrifugal blowers each rated at 2,500 scfm @ 6.7 psig Two (2) 24 stainless steel decanters with 2 hp electromechanical actuators Two (2) 1 hp submersible waste sludge pumps each rated at 50 gpm @ 2 ft. TDH One (1) Control Panel with Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Man-Machine Interface (MMI) One (1) Motor Control Center Sludge Holding Tank Equipment Included Two (2) coarse bubble aeration systems Two (2) 60 hp centrifugal blowers each rated at 1,100 scfm @ 7.5 psig The plant operating staff consists of a manager, an office secretary, a laboratory technician and two other employees. The plant staff is responsible for 39 miles of sewer in addition to the operation of the plant. Except for scheduled process analysis, very little labor is involved with the daily operation of the ICEAS process. The plant is unmanned during the evening and on the weekends except for about an hour a day on the weekend to take the necessary samples. The blowers and pumps are serviced in accordance with the respective manufacturers recommendations. The decanter actuators are lubricated monthly. The ABJ ICEAS basins have been in operation since August 1990. The plant has consistently met its effluent requirements. In 1997 NBMA was given an award for excellence of operation and maintenance. NBMA was one of five plants receiving the award among 3,700 municipal authorities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. The plant conducts all their laboratory tests work in house. Once a year, the plant participates in an EPA Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR)/Quality Assurance (QA) laboratory performance evaluation. In fact, NBMA received an Eastern Water Pollution Control Operators Association excellence award for laboratory performance. The only time the ABJ ICEAS basins were drained occurred when a modification was made to the decanter floats. The coarse bubble aerating system was checked and was found to be in good working order. Changes in the waste sludge times per cycle and occasional centrifugal blower inlet valve positions are the only adjustments that the operator makes to the process. The plant keeps meticulous records of the influent and effluent characteristics and operating parameters. Listed below is a typical range used by plant personnel to troubleshoot the process. Influent pH Effluent pH Influent Alkalinity Effluent Alkalinity F:M (based on MLVSS) F:M (based on MLSS) 6.8 8.0 6.8 - .8.0 150 300 mg/l as CaCO3 75-130 mg/l as CaCO3 0.04 0.07 lb. BOD5/lb. MLVSS/day 0.03 0.05 lb./ BOD5/lb. MLSS/day

MCRT (MLVSS) SVI MLVSS MLSS Basin Water Temp. Basin DO 10 minutes before end of Aeration DO after chlorination Sludge Yield

25 30 days 120 160 2,800 3,900 mg/l 3,500 4,500 mg/l 10 24 C 2 8 mg/l 6 9 mg/l 0.7 lb. MLSS/lb. BOD5

Since the operating parameters are relatively consistent, the plant operator can quickly detect unusual conditions. Normally, the MLSS in the ICEAS basins have + 80% volatiles and the SVI is 125 150 ml/g. In February 1998, the plant operator noticed that the MLSS contained 58 65% volatiles and the SVI was in the range of 65 75ml/g. Later it was found that there was a sinkhole, which caused a break in the influent pipe and earth was coming into the line. The plant receives occasional municipal septage and holding tank waste. They do not accept industrial septage waste. The plant found that the formaldehyde in portable toilet waste from the local racetrack upset the biomass in the ICEAS basins. The plant discontinued accepting the racetrack waste until the formaldehyde was replaced with a biological friendly substitute. The septage and holding tank waste enters the plant at the headworks. Nazareth Plant Performance In 1998, the average daily influent flow rate to the Nazareth plant was 0.939 mgd with a maximum flow of 3.071 mgd. Since the ICEAS process was installed, the plant has consistently produced high quality effluent. Operating Results for 1998 BOD5 TSS Ammonia-Nitrogen Influent 246 mg/l 230 mg/l 23.9 mg/l Effluent 2 mg/l 3 mg/l 0.5 mg/l % Removal 99 99 98 Limit 10 mg/l 30 mg/l 1.5 mg/l Summer 4.5 mg/l Winter

Reference: Ardern, E., and Lockett, W.T. (1914). Experimentation on the oxidation of sewage with the aid of filters. Journal Soc. Chem., Inc., 33, 523. Ardern, E., and Lockett, W.T. (1915). Experimentation on the oxidation of sewage without the aid of filters. Journal Soc. Chem., Inc., 34, 937. Brown, A.D., and Jones, S.G.B. (1984). U.S. Patent No. 4,468,327 Effluent Treatment Byrne, R., Cardinal, P. Young, S., (1987) Operating results from the first large scale Intermittent Cycle Extended Aeration System in the United States. Presentation at the WPCF Conference, Philadelphia, PA F.X. Browne Associates, Inc. (1987) Evaluation of Sequencing Batch Reactors Prepared for F & M Associates and Nazareth Borough Municipal Authority. Khararjian, H., Callaway, W., Cardinal, P., Meany, J., (1990) Intermittent Cycle Extended Aeration Ssytem (ICEAS) For Small Wastewater Treatment Plants, Water Science Technology, vol 22. No. 3. Nielsen, J.S., and Thompson, M.D. (1988). Operating experiences at a large continuously fed, intermittenntly decanted activated sludge plant. Journal WPCF, 60, 199. Pasveer, A. (1960). A simplified method for the purification of comparatively small amounts of sewage and industrial wastes. Purdue University Engineering Bulletin Wxt. Ser. N, 106, 328. Water Environment Federation, Manual of Practice No. 8 Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (1992)