During my 28 years in wastewater treatment, I’ve worked at treatment plants in positions from utility worker to operations manager. One of my best jobs was with a Rural Water Association as a wastewater circuit rider. During that time, I met a fellow named Charlie who was having problems with a new sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment plant.
A circuit rider helps out-of-compliance plants get back into compliance. Charlie was having a tough time meeting the state and federal standards for nutrients discharged to a local creek. The facility was a two-tank SBR designed to meet advanced standards of 5-5-3-1 mg/l
