Wastewater Treatment Solutions

Operational efficiency is a top priority for wastewater treatment plants, and advanced wastewater treatment technology, including resource recovery solutions that recover brown grease, play a critical role in minimizing O&M expenses. Here’s how:

1. Counterbalancing Energy Costs: Brown grease adversely affects aeration basins, as does an accumulation of it cause pumps to work harder. These are just two examples of how brown grease contributes to higher energy costs. By recovering brown grease in the collection system (before it affects aeration basins and downstream pumps), wastewater treatment plants can significantly offset their energy costs when they convert it to low carbon-intensity biodiesel using REA’s FOG-to-Biodiesel micro-refinery.
2. Mitigation of Equipment Clogging and Pipe Blockages: Installation of REA’s proprietary Grease Recovery Units upstream from chronically troubled portions of the collection system reduces maintenance calls to service clogged equipment and blocked pipes attributed to FOG. Its impact on other infrastructure, such as pump stations and clarifiers, is also mitigated by REA’s Grease Recovery Units.
3. Lower Chemical Usage: Chemicals, such as emulsifiers and defoamers, are commonly used by wastewater treatment operators for FOG management. This practice and its associated cost can be virtually eliminated by implementing the Total FOG Solutions® platform.
4. Reduced Biosolids Management Costs: FOG increases biosolids volume, which drives up disposal costs. In addition, feeding FOG to anaerobic digesters can cause disruptive foaming and suppress biogas production. Advanced digestion processes such as the use of glycerin (a byproduct of biodiesel production) as a co-substrate provides the dual benefit of optimizing sludge volume reduction and biogas production.
5. Optimized Infrastructure Performance: Minimizing brown grease exposure to wastewater treatment plant infrastructure reduces the need for chemical treatments, which cause issues like scaling and corrosion. Brown grease also facilitates H2S in anaerobic environments, further highlighting the importance of recovering it in a timely manner in the collection system.

Energy neutrality is no longer an altruistic goal for wastewater treatment plants. With a shift in strategy and the implementation of advanced wastewater treatment technology, plant operators have proven the success of applying resource recovery programs as a pathway to achieving energy neutrality.

Key steps toward achieving energy neutrality include:

1. Audit Energy Consumption: Conduct detailed assessments to identify energy-saving opportunities across plant operations.
2. Optimize Processes: Install energy-efficient equipment and optimize process controls to reduce baseline energy consumption.
3. Incorporate Renewable Energy: Leverage renewable energy technology, such as Total FOG Solutions®, in conjunction with biogas recovery and solar to offset energy costs.
4. Commit to Continuous Improvement: Instill a culture of continuous improvement backed by performance assessments and upgrades to plant infrastructure.