Article by Shahab Azizi and Grecia Hernandez
Overview of New Wastewater Discharge Permit
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has adopted a new NPDES permit that requires wastewater treatment plants to reduce nitrogen discharges by 40% from 2022 levels. This significant regulatory shift will impact nearly three dozen facilities across the Bay Area, with compliance deadlines fast approaching.
Why This Matters
Excessive nutrients—primarily nitrogen—contribute to harmful algal blooms (HABs), which deplete oxygen levels and threaten marine life. A devastating 2022 algal bloom resulted in massive fish kills, affecting both the environment and local industries reliant on the Bay. The new permit, effective October 1, 2024, is a crucial step in protecting water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and economic activities connected to the Bay.
Compliance Challenges
Achieving compliance will require significant investment, with studies estimating regionwide costs nearing $11 billion. By April 1, 2025, wastewater treatment plants must submit preliminary compliance plans, making it essential to explore viable solutions now.
Key Compliance Requirements
- Reduction Target: Facilities must achieve a 40% decrease in nitrogen discharge.
- Compliance Timeline: Facilities must meet reduction targets within the specified regulatory timeframe.
- Monitoring & Reporting: Enhanced monitoring and reporting measures will be implemented to track compliance.
- Technology & Process Changes: Facilities may need to adopt advanced treatment technologies or optimize existing processes to meet the required standards.
Finding the Right Approach
Wherever you are with your nutrient removal journey, Lincus is ready to work with every level of your organization to drive decisions that ultimately help optimize operations.
You may already have a biological nutrient removal system and are looking for ways to improve the system’s effectiveness. Maybe you only nitrify and do not denitrify, or you are concerned about the geographical footprint of the systems needed to comply with the new regulations. Perhaps you are concerned about the additional work that must be handled by your already overstretched staff, or worried about the cost of build out and subsequent additional operational expenses.
Lincus has worked with multiple wastewater treatment plants in different parts of the nation to tailor unique solutions to fit their needs. Whether a plant is struggling to get its nitrates under control, facing capacity challenges, operating at the fringes of its design intent due to changing influent parameters, or updating its operations to comply with new rules, our team brings a depth of experience working with plants to design solutions that address multiple priorities.
Optimizing Nutrient Removal
Nutrient removal is typically handled through a biological nutrient removal process. The first step in the process is to fully nitrify incoming nitrogen load and then denitrify to remove the nitrogen load from the effluent. Nitrification of incoming nitrogen load is an incredibly energy intensive process in the activated sludge treatment process. The bugs first convert incoming nitrogen load into nitrites and then to nitrate in the presence of oxygen which is provided by a blower or a mechanical aerator. The denitrification process converts the nitrates into nitrogen gas under anoxic conditions. There are several opportunities to optimize this process.
Ammonia Based Aeration Control (ABAC): Optimizes aeration needs and hence energy expenditure in function of incoming ammonium load.
Internal Mixed Liquor Recycle Control: Optimizes the operation of the internal mixed liquor recycle pump system in function of nitrate loads to optimize the denitrification process while reducing energy demand.
Chemically Enhanced Primary Sedimentation (CEPS): While this measure is primarily targeting the influent carbon load, it also aids with Phosphorous removal at the primary treatment stage.
Membrane Bio-reactor Optimization (MBR): MBRs are generally popular with plants that have high effluent quality needs but lack the geographical footprint necessary to install elaborate treatment systems. MBRs have historically used more energy per treated gallon compared to traditional activated sludge systems. However, through improvements in controls and equipment efficiency, their energy consumption is now at par with traditional systems while delivering a higher quality effluent.
Mixing Technologies: There is a fair amount of mixing necessary to prevent settling. Mixing is usually handled using submersible mixers. Energy efficient mixing options are available and have been successfully deployed in various treatment plants.
Advanced Technologies: Depending on customer’s interest and needs, Lincus can also pursue technologies such as DEMON® Deammonification or Chemitec Oxysmart to enhance process performance.
How Lincus Can Help
As a consulting group specializing in wastewater treatment optimization, Lincus offers comprehensive support to facilities adapting to these new regulations. Our services include:
Incentives and Funding Support
- Rebate and Incentive Programs: Identifying financial incentives for energy-efficient nitrogen-reducing technologies.
- Grant Application Assistance: Helping facilities secure funding for necessary infrastructure upgrades.
- Financing Support: Helping facilities secure 0% interest financing through their utility providers to implement the identified energy-efficient solutions.
- Operational Cost Savings Analysis: Providing detailed assessments of cost savings from implementing energy-efficient solutions.
Additional steps:
- Conduct initial assessments of impacted facilities to determine opportunities.
- Collaborate with facility operators to develop tailored nitrogen reduction strategies.
- Work with regulatory agencies to ensure alignment with compliance requirements and incentive eligibility.
- Implement monitoring frameworks to track progress and report on improvements.
Lincus is committed to supporting wastewater treatment plants in achieving compliance while optimizing operations and reducing costs. Contact us today to explore tailored, cost-effective solutions—and discover how energy-saving upgrades can qualify for valuable incentives.