Mainstream ANITA Mox Pilot Testing at

Los Angeles County Joint Water Pollution Control Plant

Meg Hollowed

Veolia Water Technologies

Presentation Outline

Background Sidestream vs. Mainstream

Deammonification

Agency and Facilities

ANITA Mox Process

LACSD Pilot Testing Activities Sidestream Testing at the JWPCP

Mainstream Testing at the JWPCP

Summary

Conventional Treatment PlantsMainstream

Sidestream

Deammonification Similar to terms like nitrification or denitrification

Nitrification

Conversion of ammonia to nitrite or nitrate

Bacteria called Ammonia or Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria

Denitrification

Conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas

Heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria

Deammonification

Conversion of ammonia to nitrogen gas

Bacteria required include Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria and Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (Anammox)

LACSD Wastewater Treatment Facilities

Joint Water Pollution Control Plant

N• Rated capacity: 400 MGD• Ocean-discharge; no effluent nitrogen limits• cBOD removal only (HPOAS)

Interest in Nitrogen Removal

May need to meet more stringent effluent nitrogen levelsRegulatory drivers

Water reuse

On-going program to evaluate nitrogen removal technologies

Districts’ Anammox Research

SidestreamAnammox Enrichment (2003, 2010-2011)

Pilot-Scale DEMON, Whittier Narrows WRP (2012-2013)

Pilot-Scale ANITA Mox, JWPCP (2013-2014)

Pilot-Scale ANITA Mox, Valencia WRP (2014)

MainstreamPilot-Scale ANITA Mox, JWPCP (2017-2018)

Mainstream Testing: Research Questions

• Does this process work for JWPCP?

• How well does this process work?• Effect of Feed C/N (bsCOD/NH4-N)

• How “finicky” is this process to operate? Is NOB competition an issue?Process robustness

Study still in progressResults presented are preliminary

Veolia’s ANITA Mox Process

Biofilm-based system Retains slow-growing organisms (i.e., AnAOBs)

Greater protection from shocks/toxicity

Environment for both aerobic/anaerobic organisms

High surface area/volume

Conventional Treatment Plants

Existing mainstream process for carbon removal (i.e. High rate A/S)

Process Flow Diagram

System retrofitted from 2013-2014 IFAS Pilot

ClarifierReactor

IFAS Pilot Layout

40’ Cargo Container

Feed Characteristics

Parameters UnitPrimary

Effluent*Secondary

Effluent

Nitrogen

TKN mg N/L 56 45

NH4 mg N/L 46 44

Organic matter

COD mg/L 395 49

sCOD mg/L 181 37

BOD mg/L 215 3

TSS mg/L 152 12

Alkalinity mg CaCO3/L 383 370

July 2016 Data, Medians*Fresh

Mainstream ANITA MoxOperational Parameters for NOB Control

• AerationDO Setpoint Intermittent Aeration

• SRT Sludge Wasting Rate

Test Phases Conducted To-Date

Phase Date Range Target Feed C/N

Type of Carbon

SupplementStatus

Startup 5/26/17 –7/11/17

BeverageManufacturin

g WasteCompleted

1 7/12/17 –9/11/17 ~ 0.5

Primary Effluent (Stored)

Completed

2 9/12/17 –11/21/17 ~ 1.0

Primary Effluent (Stored)

Completed

3 11/22/17 –12/15/17 ~ 0.75

Primary Effluent (Stored)

Completed

4 12/21/17 –now ~ 2.0

Primary Effluent (Fresh)

In Progress

Ammonia Removal Performance

Increase Feed C/N

Nitrogen Removal Performance

Increase Feed C/N

Effect of Feed C/N

Increasing the Feed C/N (Phase 1 2) Reduced effluent TIN by ~6 mgN/L

But also reduced the surface removal rate by ~20%

Phase Date Range Feed C/N

Effluent TIN

(mgN/L)

TN Removal

Efficiency

TN SARR(g/m2-d)

1 8/18/17~9/11/17

0.58 16.0 63% 1.1

2 10/9/17~10/25/17

1.0 9.7 77% 0.86

Sludge Settling Issues

Stability of Anammox Activity

Batch Activity testNo loss of activity

after 8 months

No need for augmentation

Operation with Selector and Fresh PE

Substantial P removal

P release pattern consistent with EBPR

Summary: Mainstream ANITA Mox Testing

Process enables nitrogen removal from low C/N wastewater without carbon addition

PerformanceHigher feed C/N appears to improve TIN removal

efficiency, at the expense of removal rate. Sludge settling can be an issue, which seems to

be somewhat alleviated by:Operating with an anaerobic selector

Eliminating primary effluent storage

Robustness Appears stable under mainstream conditions

Acknowledgements

Hong ZhaoMitch JohnsonSamuel Liang

Rich Dimassimo

JWPCP OperationsDave Frediani

Sejal Patel

Project TeamErik Krikorian

Tom KnappKen SmithJim Barry

Michael LiuNikos Melitas

JWPCP LaboratoryJoe KhouryJulie Sebata