6 proven and cost-effective uses of archaea in wastewater treatment plants and infrastructure
Archaea beneficial microbes occur naturally on the earth to break down
organic waste, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they work well in sewage and
wastewater treatment. They are hardy, broad-spectrum and unlike chemical
products leave no collateral damage to the plant. They also result in higher
quality effluent to surface waters.
Here are six tested and proven ways the archaea beneficial microbes
work:
1) Odor problems:
Sprayed into manholes and wet wells where neighbors are complaining about
odors, archaea microbes mixed with water and sprayed or fogged into access
points creates nearly instant elimination of hydrogen sulfide odors. Plus the archaea
also settle onto vertical surfaces to metabolize and eliminate noxious
accumulation.
2) Ammonia spike reduction:
An archaea-based beneficial microbe consortium has demonstrated rapid and
dramatic effect in bringing ammonia levels down in WWTP/STP tanks.
3) Process boosts:
Secondary and tertiary treatment is all about creating optimum conditions for
natural microbial activity, so it only makes sense that we can use “probiotics”
to enhance and supercharge the processes. Decreased BOD and COD, decreased TSS,
and significantly lower levels of nitrogen and fecal coliforms all can be
achieved by the addition of small amounts of concentrated microbes at the right
points in the flow.
4) FOG cap elimination
and prevention of build-up in wet wells and lift stations. Typically, a
combination of added archaea and aggressive aeration can quickly break up even
the thickest, hardest, driest FOG cap, and without causing major problems
downstream. Products that break up grease into chunks can simply clog or jam
equipment, and chemicals can create the need to restart plant processes. And if you have more time, archaea can metabolize FOG caps at the
molecular level over days or weeks, instead of simply moving oils and grease
downstream.
5) Significant savings
from reduced sludge and less
electrical utility usage: Case studies indicate a 25-30% reduction in
accumulated sludge volume, with significant monetary savings on electrical
usage and process times as well as sludge processing and hauling costs.
6) Hydrogen sulfide
reduction and corrosion
reduction: Odors and maintenance work are a hassle, but premature equipment
and infrastructure failure can be a nightmare with massive budget and capex
impact. Archaea seeded at upstream points in the collection system are the most
cost-efficient way of minimizing excess hydrogen sulfide build up and the
corrosion side-effects on equipment and infrastructure.
One of our favorite client stories
is a municipality where the guys now use a tattered paper cup from their local coffee chain to toss some microbes into each of several lift
stations once or twice a week for the last few years. They used to have to pump
out each of the stations 6 or 7 times a year, often including sending a person
down the well to break up and shovel out a grease cap thick enough to stand on.
In addition to unobstructed float switches
and pumps, they said the odor complaints have been dramatically reduced as
well, and that the rate of corrosion damage has been lower too. Plus there’s no
added electrical usage from additional installed equipment. No pumps or spray
bars or other additives. The labor factor is not an issue either, because even
with SCADA input, they still would be periodically on site visiting the lift
stations, so the incremental time is literally seconds to toss in fresh
beneficial microbes while the crew are there.
Significant net-savings attained. Proven to
enhance existing processes. Reduced manual labor and oversight hassle.
Effective and cost-efficient product. That’s the benefit of putting trillions
of microbes to work with each scoop of powder tossed in. It just makes sense.
- A lifelong sailor and water lover, Kevin Mirise lives and works on the coast in Cohasset, near Boston, MA. He’s a Director at a bioremediation and biorestoration company that uses beneficial microbes to naturally eliminate contaminants from water and soil.
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