Pilot Scale Nutrient Removal Technology Optimization for Lagoon Wastewater Treatment System Upgrades

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The approximately 1000 operating lagoon wastewater treatment facilities in Canada are facing increasing pressure to exceed the federal discharge regulations and to meet stringent nitrogen, phosphorous and solids effluent discharge regulations. The critical challenge of modifying or upgrading these passive treatment facilities to achieve nutrient and solids removal has been to first achieve nitrification in these facilities at the very low temperatures characteristic of winter operation. With the recent demonstration of the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology as an economical means to achieve nitrification during winter operation at lagoon treatment facilities in Canada, this research endeavours to investigate the application of the MBBR technology in combination with the discfilter technology as an upgrade solution to lagoon facilities to meet stringent nitrogen, phosphorous and solids discharge regulations. The research will produce new fundamental knowledge with regard to nitrifying and denitrifying biofilm, biomass and microbiomes operating at low temperatures as there are currently no studies on nitrifying and denitrifying MBBR systems operated at low temperatures that are representative of passive treatment systems in Canada. The MBBR technology has been selected for this research due to its suitability as an up-grade technology for lagoon facilitates and its ability to achieve low temperature nitrification. In addition, the research will characterise the biologically produced solids of MBBR upgrade systems to lagoons and will optimize the operation of the discfilter technology for solids removal at lagoons. The study will be performed at the pilot scale with installations at two lagoon treatment facilities. The study will provide new fundamental knowledge necessary to effectively design and operate a low operator intensity, small footprint, economical upgrade MBBR and discfilter treatment train to achieve nutrient and solids removal at current lagoon systems in Canada. The knowledge created from this research project will ultimately reduce the risks to the environment, fisheries resources, and human health by decreasing the discharge of harmful deleterious substances in Canadian natural waters.