Before we walk through how to help your customers optimize their WAS holding systems, it’s important to understand how they work.
How does a WAS Holding System work?
Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) holding systems are a common part of operations in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). A WAS holding system, typically in the form of a sludge tank or lagoon, holds sludge after it has been wasted or removed from a clarifier. WAS systems may have aeration and mixing to help digest more sludge before hauling. Some systems will only hold sludge until it’s hauled away (liquid disposal), while others will concentrate the sludge by periodically allowing the sludge to settle and remove water from the top (decanting). After the sludge leaves the WAS holding system, it’s dewatered through a sludge press and disposed of or hauled as liquid.
Getting to the Bottom of It
If you ask an operator if they have any pains or issues, they may say, “I don’t”. However, they may not know if they do if their system has consistently under-performed and it’s always been that way. Typically, until they see a 20-50% reduction in sludge hauling along with reduced odor and labor costs, they may continue to think that everything’s working as it should.
How a Superior Bioaugmentation Solution Can Optimize a WAS Holding System
Through the process of bioaugmentation, our Biotifx® microbial-based product line reduces the amount of sludge disposal needed, making the system more efficient and treatment more cost effective (Figure 1). The bacterial strains in Biotifx were scientifically selected for their ability to degrade a broad range of organic material, increase sludge digestion, homogenize the sludge composition to allow for better dewatering and improve settling.
Figure 1. Biotifx and WAS Holding System Economics Table
MDG Has You and Your Customer’s ‘Bac’ with Bacillus
As evident in this case study, Biotifx can help a facility save significantly on costs by reducing sludge disposal, labor, odors and chemical usage and improve the quality of life for operators. For more information about how to rollout our Biotifx program within your company and provide solutions for WAS holding systems and other key high-cost challenges, contact us and one of our wastewater experts will reach out to you.
