ROCKFORD, IL, Mar. 6, 2009 -- Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc. has partnered with the Colorado School of Mines' Advanced Water Technology Center (AQWATEC) and Mines' Small Flow Program to conduct field testing on the Aqua-Aerobic® MBR decentralized wastewater treatment system. The system consists of a full-scale Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), coupled with Koch PURON™ membranes. The main objective of the research project is to assess the performance of the decentralized system by treating one of the campus' housing community domestic wastewater sources (about 400 apartments). The focus of the testing is on the optimization of the treatment process for biological nutrient removal (BNR), membrane operation, and process adjustment for constant and seasonal flow patterns.
On February 17, 2009 Colorado School of Mines hosted a dedication event to celebrate the start-up of the research project. AQWATEC began testing the onsite Aqua-Aerobic® MBR system, which utilizes two alternating adjacent batch reactor trains with a flow capacity of 6-12 gallons per minute (gpm). Additionally, the school operates a bench-scale conventional MBR (10-15 gallons per hour), which complements the full-scale MBR system. It utilizes a smaller PURON™ hollow-fiber, submerged membrane module, and can be operated as needed to compare performance between various treatment schemes.
Preliminary studies revealed that the Aqua-Aerobic® MBR system is highly efficient for onsite non-potable reuse, or direct discharge to a stream in decentralized wastewater treatment applications. The system is suitable for flows of 5,000 to 50,000 gallons per day (gpd). Its advantages include enhanced BNR, low energy consumption, reuse quality effluent, and a small footprint.
The Colorado School of Mines is well known for its excellent engineering education and applied sciences, specializing in stewardship of the Earth's resources: earth, energy and environment.
Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture of wastewater treatment equipment and systems, and is dedicated to ongoing applied research, product development and research partnerships.
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