Primary clarification is often one of the most expensive and space-consuming portions of the wastewater treatment process. But there are efficient alternatives starting to hit the market.

Building on the success of their AquaDisk platform, Aqua-Aerobic Systems developed the AquaPrime filter as an economical and efficient alternative to conventional primary clarification. Taking up only 15% of the footprint of conventional primary clarification, the removal efficiencies of this filter exceed 80% of influent TSS with a corresponding 45% removal of BOD. The greater BOD removal lessens the organic load to the secondary process and can be used to divert influent carbon to energy producing anaerobic digestion processes.

“AquaPrime  achieves the carbon diversion without chemical addition and physical removal of solids by three methods within one technology – including settling, filtration and floatable/scum removal,” says AquaPrime Product Manager John Dyson. “No other technology utilizes three methods to removal solids/carbon. In addition, it provides TSS and BOD removal without chemical addition and the cost of the chemical and additional solids handling.”

The AquaPrime system is designed for the treatment of primary wastewater and wet weather applications. This system utilizes a disk configuration and the OptiFiber PF-14 pile cloth filtration media to effectively filter high solids waste streams without the use of chemicals. The system’s high solids removal in comparison to conventional treatment puts the technology in the advanced primary treatment category, according to Dyson.

“AquaPrime is designed for advanced primary treatment applications. The technology can be used for peak wet weather flow treatment, high solids industrial applications, and tertiary filtration,” he says. “Depending on the application, the technology can be located in different parts of a wastewater facility, including after filtration/grit removal only or dual treatment after the secondary treatment process receiving secondary clarified effluent and excess peak wet weather flow over the biological treatment train capacity.”

AquaPrime provides reduced carbon loads to downstream secondary treatment process, resulting in aeration energy savings of approximately 20 to 30%, increased capacity in existing secondary treatment processes, reduced basin size for the secondary process, and increased primary solids for anaerobic digestion for increase biogas production (by up to 30 to 40%) to be used for energy production or heating within the facility.  “AquaPrime technology meets the needs of the industry because we are providing advance treatment resulting in savings in footprint, construction costs and making wastewater facilities more self-sustaining and efficient,” says Dyson. 

800-940-5008; www.aqua-aerobic.com