Wastewater treatment system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009580-A1
Application number	US-201514795419-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The instant disclosure is directed towards methods of treating wastewater and related systems, where the system includes: an aerated zone comprising media (e.g. with sufficient surface area and porosity to sustain microbial growth and retain bacteria) and a non-aerated zone comprising compost, wherein the system is configured to remove emulsified oil (e.g. and grease) from a wastewater stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of treating wastewater, comprising:
flowing a wastewater stream comprising an emulsified oil content of not greater than 3500 mg/L through a chamber at a hydraulic retention time of not greater than 5 days, the chamber comprising: a bottom and at least one sidewall,
an influent end and an effluent end in liquid communication with a control volume in the tank, wherein the control volume is configured to retain the wastewater stream, the chamber comprising: an aerated zone and a non-aerated zone;
wherein the aerated zone includes:
a media configured to provide a surface for microorganisms to adhere to, wherein the media has an average surface area of not greater than 2.0 cm2/g; wherein the media comprises a porosity of not greater than 50%;

wherein the non-aerated portion includes compost; treating the wastewater in the chamber via the two zones to remove at least 85% of emulsified oil & grease from the wastewater stream to provide a treated water stream; and discharging the treated water stream from the chamber.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic retention time is from 0.5 days to 5 days.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic retention time is not greater than 0.5 days.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the media has an average surface area of not greater than 2.0 cm 2 /g.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the media comprises a porosity of at least 25% porosity to not greater than 50% porosity.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises an engineered wetland.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the engineered wetland is a subsurface flow wetland.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aerated zone is configured with an aeration system.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the aeration system is configured to provide oxygen-containing air to the wastewater in the aerated zone.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
treating further comprises treating via at least one of:
the microorganisms in the aerated portion;
adsorption onto the media;
the microorganisms in the compost portion; and
adsorption onto the compost; and combinations thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wastewater comprises a pH of 6.5 to not greater than 8.5.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises directing the water through a second zone of aerobic media.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to the discharging step, the method comprises: directing the polished wastewater stream through a sensor zone, where the sensor is configured to measure the oil content in the water.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to operate in cold weather conditions.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises removing at least 90% of PCBs from the wastewater stream.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises removing an average of 95% of PCBs from the wastewater stream.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises removing up to 92% of COD.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is configured to treat wastewater having an influent COD of 11,000 mg/L.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises removing up to 95% of oil and grease.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises removing oil from a wastewater stream to below 20 ppm.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises removing at least 50% ammonia from the wastewater stream.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is configured to reduce water toxicity.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes baffles in the first portion/zone.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes baffles in the second portion/zone.

25 . A method, comprising:
flowing wastewater having a first emulsified oil content of not greater than 3500 mg/L through an aerated zone having media therein, wherein via the aerated zone a portion of the emulsified oil is removed to provide a cleaned water stream; flowing the cleaned water stream having a second emulsified oil content through a non-aerated zone having compost therein, wherein the second emulsified oil content is lower than the first emulsified oil content, wherein via the non-aerated zone of compost a portion of the emulsified oil in the cleaned water stream is removed to provide a polished water stream, the polished water stream comprising a third emulsified oil content, wherein the third emulsified oil content is lower than the second emulsified oil content; and discharging a polished water stream from the non-aerated zone.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein prior to the discharging step, the method comprises: directing the polished wastewater stream through a sensor zone, where the sensor is configured to measure the oil content in the water.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the sensor is configured with a control system, wherein the control system is configured to redirect the water through a feedback loop to remove additional oil and grease.

Assignees

• Alcoa Inc

Inventors

• Elbicki Janean
• Parks Shannon
• Fulmer Dennis L
• Smith John R

Classifications

• C02F3/30 Primary

  Aerobic and anaerobic processes · CPC title

• C02F3/2813

  using anaerobic contact processes · CPC title

• C02F1/281

  using inorganic sorbents · CPC title

• C02F1/286

  using natural organic sorbents or derivatives thereof · CPC title

• C02F2003/008

  using anaerobic baffled reactors · CPC title