Problem: The 9.5 mgd Goleta Sanitation District Water Resource Recovery Facility near Santa Barbara, California, faced high surfactant concentrations due to low-flow drought conditions and pandemic-level surfactant use. The surfactants made biological treatment inefficient and expensive, risking permit violations. The district faced millions of dollars in upgrades to address the problem conventionally.
Solution: The facility piloted the NBG 6 nanobubble generator from Molaear after learning about its successful surfactant removal at a nearby facility. Nanobubbles produce hydroxyl radicals that partially oxidize the surfactants and FOG in wastewater and reduce upsets in the biological process. The NBG 6 was installed between the
