The Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Membrane Bioreactor for

Energy-Efficient Wastewater Reuse

Perry L. McCarty Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Stanford University

2

Compact water recycling

systems

Distributed treatment system planning

Energy-positive wastewater treatment

Open water unit process wetlands

Ecosystem rehabilitation

Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure NSF Engineering Research Center

Research Issues

ReNUWIt Leadership Team

3

Stanford, UC Berkeley, New Mexico State, Colorado Sch. of Mines

Seeking Sustainable Solutions

Economic & social benefits Save energy & water

Increase resiliency & resource recovery

Enhance acceptance & the urban environment

4

Codiga Resource Recovery Center

Wastewater and Waste Organics

High Value

Products

Stanford’s Pilot-scale test bed facility

Director Craig

Criddle

Prof. Jaeho Bae

Prof. Jon Kim

Chungheon Shin

Question

• Can we treat municipal wastewater 100% anaerobically to achieve net energy production while meeting effluent quality standards, and at lower cost than by conventional aerobic treatment ?

Fludized Bed Anaerobic Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters

Objective – High SRT and short HRT

Staged Anaerobic Fluidized MBR (SAF-MBR)

Kim et al., Environ. Science & Technology, 45:576(2011)

Influent

TCOD

523

mg/L

Recycle

Permeate

Effluent

TCOD

60

mg/L

GAC Particles

First Stage Second Stage

with membrane

Influent

Methane Methane

Recycle

Effluent

Permeate

Fluidized Bed Reactor Membrane Bioreactor

Membranes

12 m3/day (6 h HRT) SAF-MBR Pilot Plant Treating South Korea

Primary Effluent

Pilot SAF-MBR Operation • Wastewater characteristics

– COD 300 ± 60 mg/L

– BOD5 160 ± 45 mg/L

• Hydraulic Retention Time

– AFBR 2 hours

– AFMBR 2.6 to 4.8 hours

– Total 4.6 to 6.8 hours

• AFMBR Flowrate 4 to 7 m3/d

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

0 100 200 300 400 500

Pe

rce

nt

Re

mo

val

Day of Operation

Percent BOD5 Removal

20- 15

14- 8

15- 25

26- 32

25- 14

13- 9

Temp. Range oC }

Shin et al., Bioresource Technology, 159, 95-103 (2014)

05

1015202530354045

0 100 200 300 400 500

mg

/L

Day of Operation

SAF-MBR Effluent BOD5

} Temp. Range oC

Shin et al., Bioresource Technology, 159, 95-103 (2014)

20- 15

14- 8

15- 25

26- 32

25- 14

13- 09

05

1015202530354045

0 100 200 300 400 500

mg

/L

Day of Operation

SAF-MBR Effluent BOD5

} Temp. Range oC

Shin et al., Bioresource Technology, 159, 95-103 (2014)

20- 15

14- 8

15- 25

26- 32

25- 14

13- 09

USA EPA Upper Limit

Biosoids Production

0.05 kg VSS/kg COD and

already digested and

less than half that from aerobic

treatment

Shin et al., Bioresource Technology, 159, 95-103 (2014)

Superior removal of pharmaceuticals: Anaerobic (SAF-MBR) vs aerobic treatment

SAF-MBR at Stanford McCurry et al., Environ. Sci. & Technol. Letter, 1:459, 2014

Monterey County Water

Recycling Project

Water Reclamation Plant

Irrigated land

Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency Recovers Water, Energy, and Nutrient Resources

• Largest irrigated crop wastewater recycle in U.S.

• Produces 76,000 m3/day recycled water

• Irrigates 5,000 hectares

• Through anaerobic biosolids treatment and cogeneration, produces 50% of WWTP’s energy needs

• No energy wasted for nitrogen oxidation – all is used as plant fertilizer

Monterey Water Reclamation Plant

Google - 2014

Monterey Water Reclamation Plant

SAF-MBR Footprint

Google - 2014

Thank you!