Wastewater Treatment Plant Achieves 99.9% Hydrogen Sulfide Removal

Challenge

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was in need of a solution to address high inlet contaminant loadings at multiple locations throughout the plant as well as meet high odor removal efficiency requirements using only biological treatment.  The Blue River WWTP is the largest wastewater treatment plant in the metropolitan region treating an average of 75 million gallons per day (MGD).

Solution

After evaluating requirements, it was determined that a dual-stage BTF-Bioscubber biological odor control system from Evoqua Water Technologies would be an ideal solution. Evoqua’ odor control system was designed to include both structured and randomly packed biological media.  The design also allows the system to be operated in both single-stage or dual-stage modes.

Evoqua’s BTF-Bioscrubber​ biological odor control system is an advanced, non-hazardous biological air treatment system which integrates equipment, media, and the NUCIRC process for optimal performance and flexibility. The NUCIRC process skid allows operation in recirculation and/or once-through modes to deliver accelerated acclimation that is ideal for odor control and hydrogen sulfide removal.

During the single-stage mode, a recirculation pump continuously circulates the sump liquid over the media beds. In dual-stage mode, the recirculation pump continuously circulates the irrigation over the lower beds (first stage), while a smaller stream of makeup water is intermittently sprayed over the top bed (second stage). This dual-stage process results in the growth of an extremely robust and efficient biomass to achieve very high odor removal capabilities.  This process responds more quickly to variations in odor inlet concentrations versus the more common single pass, intermittent irrigation technology available in the industry.  The BTF-Bioscrubber biological odor control system can also be operated in intermittent mode for low hydrogen sulfide broad spectrum odor applications. 

Results

Throughout the performance testing period, Evoqua’s BTF-Bioscrubber odor control system consistently achieved a 99.9% reduction in hydrogen sulfide, while also providing treatment for the removal of organic sulfur compounds such a methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide.  While achieving these high odor removal efficiencies, this single vessel was treating a flow-rate of close to 14,000 CFM with no increase in pressure differential during the monitored time. 

Over the past two decades, Evoqua Water Technologies has been a leader in the development of biological vapor phase odor control technologies and has over three decades of experience providing chemical and dry media odor control scrubbing systems. Evoqua currently has over 2000 vapor phase odor control installations in 45+ countries and is also one of North America’s preeminent liquid phase odor control solution’s provider. Our team of odor control experts can help support municipalities and industrial treatment facilities with optimum odor control solutions to meet the most challenging requirements.