Nematodes are a metazoan commonly found in wastewater treatment processes in small numbers. It is believed that nematodes typically enter wastewater treatment processes through attachment to soil associated with inflow and infiltration.
Most nematodes found in wastewater treatment plants are typically 2-3 microns in length and prey on floc particles and bacteria, such as fecal bacteria. Nematodes are aerobic organisms and their growth is inhibited in anoxic and anaerobic environments. While nematodes tend to be found more frequently in systems with higher sludge retention times, we don’t recommend trying to correlate them to sludge age, food-to-microorganism ratio, or use their presence
