The limits and ultimate possibilities of technology of the activated sludge process

The (low loaded) biological nutrient removing activated sludge process is the generally accepted and applied municipal wastewater treatment method in the Netherlands. The hydraulical and biological flexibility, robustness and cost efficiency of the process for advanced removal of nutrients like nitr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science and technology 2008-01, Vol.58 (8), p.1671-1677
Main Authors: van Nieuwenhuijzen, A F, van Bentem, A G N, Buunnen, A, Reitsma, B A, Uijterlinde, C A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated sludge
Activated sludge process
Biological activity
Capacity
Effluent standards
Effluents
Influents
Mineral nutrients
Modelling
Models, Theoretical
Municipal wastewater
Nitrogen
Nutrient loading
Nutrient removal
Nutrients
Phosphorus
Quality
Receiving waters
Removal
Research projects
Sewage
Sludge
Surface water
Technology
Wastewater
Wastewater discharges
Wastewater disposal
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water treatment plants
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Summary:The (low loaded) biological nutrient removing activated sludge process is the generally accepted and applied municipal wastewater treatment method in the Netherlands. The hydraulical and biological flexibility, robustness and cost efficiency of the process for advanced removal of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus without (too much) chemicals results in a wide application of the activated sludge process within Dutch waterboards. Presumably, wastewater treatment plants will have to contribute to the improvement of the quality of the receiving surface waters by producing cleaner effluent. In this perspective, the Dutch research organisation STOWA initiated a research project entitled "The Boundaries of the Activated Sludge Process" to investigate the possibilities and limitations of activated sludge processes to improve the effluent quality. It is concluded that the activated sludge process as applied and operated at WWTP's in the Netherlands has the potential to perform even better than the current effluent discharge standards (10 mg Ntotal/l and 1 mg Ptotal/l). Reaching the B-quality effluent (
ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.2166/wst.2008.545