WEF/WERF Demonstrated Processes for Limit of Technology Nutrient Removal: Achievable Limits and Statistical Reliability

Saturday, October 18, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
1 day, 0.6 CEUs

“Limit of Technology” or LOT is defined as achieving less than a TN of 3 mg/L and/or a TP of 0.1 mg/L. The purpose of this workshop is to provide an expansion in knowledge about the more well developed technologies that equal or approach LOT. One of the goal’s of the sponsoring WEF Wastewater Design Committee (MWTDC) to foster knowledge development in critical areas facing our industry. This presentation of this workshop constitutes the second challenge the MWTDC has undertaken.

The purpose of this workshop is to be a vehicle for capturing knowledge about LOT technologies for nutrient removal. It is not specifically organized as a training vehicle, although much will be learned from comparing and contrasting nutrient removal technologies.

The focus of the workshop is on reliability of attaining very low levels of nutrients in effluents.  Since the burden of LOT will fall on the operating agencies, the focus is on operations experience. To gain access to this data and to hear from the “horse’s mouth” we have exclusively invited plant managers and operations supervisors to discuss their plants, deliver their data and summarize their experience with these technologies. The nutrient removal processes they will describe will have already been demonstrated at full-scale, so that “real” plant performance can be portrayed. Operating to LOT levels requires more precise control and different operating strategies than for lesser degrees of treatment.

Every presentation and paper will contain the following:

• Effluent requirements including statistical bases (e.g. max day or average month or average annual, etc.)
• Description of wastewater treatment plant
• Statistical summary of operating data
• Discussion of operations, process control strategies and operating problems
• Conclusions

All presentations will characterize their operating data, as far as possible, on a common basis. For example, frequency distributions for monthly, weekly and daily average data.  Statistics on wastewater temperature will also be provided. In this way, the most practical means for considering plant reliability and statistics in permit writing will be captured. Two final presentations of the day will address appropriate statistical measures for evaluation and permitting of LOT plants as well as comparing and contrasting the performance of the plants reviewed during the day with the aim of drafting responses to critical questions such as:

• Which plants have produced the lowest levels of N or P with the greatest
reliability?  Are these separate stage plants or combined plants?
• Are fixed film or suspended growth plants more reliable?
• Can we assess whether minimum wastewater temperature plays a role in answering LOT technology questions?
• What must be done to improve reliability?
• What plant features ease the operator’s tasks?
• What be done to improve operability?
• What types of statistical measures of performance should be incorporated into permits that make both economic and environmental sense?

A closing panel would discuss these conclusions and seek audience participation as well and the conclusions of the workshop will be captured for use in WERF’s nutrient challenge research.

Chair
Denny S. Parker, Brown and Caldwell

Co-Chairs
Sudhir Murthy, Washington, DC Water and Sewer Authority
JB Neethling, HDR, Inc. and WERF Nutrient Challenge PI

Speakers
Randall Gray, Reno Sparks
Dwayne Phillips, River Oaks
Jon Meyer, Fiesta Village
Tim Madhanagopal, Orange County’s Eastern Regional WWTP
Kevin Selock, WSSC Parkway
Doug Drury, Las Vegas Co.
Carlo Spani, Clean Water Services
Walt Bailey, Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant
Chris Maher, Breckenridge
Richard Porter, Gwinnett County
John Machisko, Innovative Water Solutions (Cauley Creek)
Charles Bott, Virginia Military Institute