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Case Study for Customer Location CAN122:

Audio Testimonial:

Reservoir or Lake Use:
This is a wastewater treatment plant servicing a small but fast growing town. The population was about 6,600 in 2006, representing a 12% increase from the 2001 census.

System Overview and Reservoir:
The wastewater treatment plant consists of a 4-cell extended aeration lagoon system. Cell 1 is a complete mixed aerated cell with a surface area of 1.24 acres, depth of 12 ft, and a volume of 3 MG. Cells 2 and 3 are partial mixed aerated cells. Cell 2 has a surface area of 2.9 acres, depth of 12 ft, and a volume of 11 MG. Cell 3 has a surface area of 8.97 acres, depth of 12 ft, and a volume of 28 MG. Cell 4 is a polishing cell with a surface area of 2.9 acres, depth of 12 ft, and a volume of 9 MG.  They had been using 2 x 60 hp and 2 x 100 hp centrifugal blowers 24 hrs/day. Water in the polishing pond was chlorinated prior to discharge. Design capacity of the plant is 5,000 m3/ day (or about 1.3 MGD), with a total detention time of about 40 days.

Reported Problem Before SolarBee Installation:
This facility was experiencing high energy and maintenance costs associated with operating the large blowers (240hp to 320hp). They also had problems of low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, sludge build up, short-circuiting, and difficulties meeting the local Environment standard effluent limits. High fecal coliform bacteria counts in the effluent necessitated high chlorine dosage in the polishing pond, requiring close monitoring of discharged chlorine residuals. And finally, they need to increase plant capacity due to rapid municipal growth.

SolarBee Installation:
Date: October 2004, installed a total of five (5) SB10000 units: one (1) in Cell 1, one (1) in Cell 2, two (2) in Cell 3, and one (1) in Cell 4.

Results:
Even though the wastewater treatment plant has been operating at 30% beyond design capacity since 2004, they have achieved significant improvements in water quality and energy savings since the SolarBees were installed. Average biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal improved from 88.1% to 95.4% (even though monthly BOD loading increased from 57 mg/L in 2004 to 172 mg/L in 2006), coliform counts are now below limits reducing chlorine dosage by 68% and keeping chlorine residuals in compliance, DO concentrations are higher and sludge digestion is better, and short-circuiting has been eliminated in the ponds. Furthermore, there has been a 30% reduction in energy use because of reduced aeration, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The town is very happy with the significant improvements in water quality and energy savings SolarBees have provided, as well as the ability to handle a waste load 30% greater than the design capacity without increasing costs or infrastructure.


SolarBee in the wastwater pond.

Updated: 05/03/2007

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