Upgrade of three municipal wastewater treatment lagoons using a high surface area media

Lagoon-based municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are facing difficulties meeting the needs of rapid population growth as well as the more stringent requirements of discharge permits. Three municipal WWTPs were modified using a high surface area media with upgraded fine-bubble aeration systems. Performance data collected showed very promising results in terms of five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonia (NH3) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal. Two-year average ammonia effluents were 4.1 mg·L−1 for Columbia WWTP, 4 mg·L−1 for Larchmont WWTP and 2.1 mg·L−1 for Laurelville WWTP, respectively. Two-year average BOD5 effluents were 6.8, 4.9 and 2.7 mg·L−1, and TSS effluents were 15.0, 9.6 and 7.5 mg·L−1. The systems also showed low fecal coliform (FC) levels in their effluents.