Presentation Outline Project Background

Treatment Process Overview

Historic Operations

Operational Challenges

Regulatory Changes

Process Modifications

Steuben County Landfill/LTP Leachate Treatment Plant

New Bath Landfill

Old Bath Landfill

Steuben County Leachate Pre-Treatment Plant (LTP) Commissioned Late 1990s

Pretreatment of Leachate for New/Old Bath Landfills

Processes: Chemical Precipitation (pH Adjust)

Heavy Metals Biological Treatment (Sequencing Batch Reactors)

BOD (Biological) Ammonia (Nitrification)

Discharge to Village of Bath WWTP Industrial Discharge Permit 5 Mile Long Force Main 275’ Elevation Gain (many high points)

Industrial Discharge Permit Bath Operates Under “Mini” Pretreatment Program

Historically 5 Industrial Discharge Permits (Now 4)

Leachate Treatment Plant

Flow (110,000 gpd Max / 88,000 gpd – Ave)

BOD – 300 mg/L

TSS – 300 mg/L

Ammonia (NH3) – 50 mg/L

pH 5-9

Several “Monitor Only” Parameters

Steuben County LTP

EQ Tanks MRRs

SBRs

Leachate Treatment Process Steuben County Landfills

Outside Facilities: ~50% of Flow

IEQ Tanks

SBR A

SBR B

EEQ Tank

To Village of Bath WWTP

MRR A

IEQ Tank

MRR B

Force Main Discharge

~5 Miles 5” HDPE ~200 Elevation Gain

LTP

SBR - Jet Aeration SBR – Concept

Treatment Occurs in One Tank

2 SBRs (Alternating Sequenc) 354,000 Gallons ~18-22 Depth

PD Blowers Mix w/ Recirculation Pumps

Blowers: 1370 scfm Jet Pumps: ~6,000 gpm

Jets Provide High Transfer Mixing of Air/Leachate

Est. 300 lb/hr. O2 Delivery

Sequencing Batch Reactor 4 Phases/Cycle/SBR

React/Fill – 240 min. React – 700 min. Settle – 300 min. Decant (Effluent) – 60 min. Waste (Control MLSS)

~24 Hour Cycle Time/SBR

DO/pH Monitoring

Provisions for Chemical Addition

1,000,000 BTU/hr Boilers

SBR Advantages Conventional/Proven Treatment Process

All Processes Occur in Single Tank Aeration/Reaction

Settling/Decant

Sludge Removal

Provides Additional Equalization/Buffering 15% Volume Change/Cycle

Jet Aeration (vs. Diffused) Provides Effective Anoxic Mixing

Well Suited For Leachate High Turbulence Limited Clogging Potential

LTP: 20 Years of Operations Limited Chemical Addition/No /Change in Performance

Good Compliance Record

Outside Sources of Leachate Sought

Increased Flows/Loading to Plant EQ Tanks at Plant Provide Flexibility

Wet Weather Flows Ability to Recirculate (During Drought)

Source of Outside Revenue ($$) 5 non-Steuben County Operated LFs

PLUS Other Industrial Wastewaters

LTP: 20 Years of Challenges 20 Year Old Plant

Pump, Blower Replacements

Tank Recoating

SCADA/Instrumentation

Several Systems Not Longer Used

Flow/Loading Variability

Multiple Landfills

Seasonality/Variability of Leachate Low Flow/High Conc (Summer)

Insufficient Flows (e.g., Drought 2016) Have Operated w/ One SBR

High Flow (Spring/Winter)

Operator Turnover

Force Main Discharge Hydraulics

Nitrification Review Nitrification Ammonia Removal

Nitrification Reactions

NH3 NO2 (Nitrosomonas)

NH3 + 1.5 O2 => NO2- + H+ + H2O

NO2 NO3 (Nitrobacter)

~4.6 lb O2: 1 lb NH3

Consumes Alkalinity/lowers pH

~7.1 lb Alkalinity:1 lb NH3

Nitrification & Leachate Challenges Kinetics Inhibitory Conditions TDS/Conductivity Ammonia Heavy Metals (not significant)

Changing Conditions 2016 Drought

Reseeding (Tank Maintenance) Temperature (15 deg C) Higher Oxygen Demand (4.6 lb O2/lb BOD) Alkalinity Requirements

Summer 2106

Summer 2106

~800 mg/L

Meanwhile…… Village of Bath WWTP 1.0 MGD (Permitted) <<0.5-0.8 MGD (Actual) Five SIUs (now 4) but only 1 Landfill

Revised SPDES Permit (Chesapeake Bay TMDLs) Total P: 1960 lb/yr Total N: 61,000 lb/yr

Upgrade completed 2016 Incorporated Anoxic Zones for Denitrification Long/Difficult Startup

Nitrogen Sources

Village of Bath WWTP Landfill Approached Spring 2016

“Fact Finding Mission”; New Monitoring Parameters TN TKN Nitrates/Nitrites TP

Industrial Users Will Have Modified Permits Landfill Likely to Have TN/TP Limits Awaiting Final Decision/New Permit Limits

Nitrification is NOT Nitrogen Removal NH3 NO3

Total Nitrogen Total Nitrogen = Organic N + NH3 + NO3+NO2

Raw Leachate: >99% NH3 (<100-2,000 mg/L) TKN ≈ NH3 NO3/NO2 = ND Total N ≈ NH3 (Typically)

Nitrification Removes Ammonia Nitrates

Denitrification Removes Nitrates Nitrogen Gas

Denitrification Uses Nitrates vs. Dissolved Oxygen Requires Anoxic (Low DO) Conditions (~0.3 mg/L)

Denitrification and SBRs SBRs (typically) well suited for Denitrification

Can Enhance Process (Provide Additional Alkalinity)

Typical Enhancements

Increased Anoxic Reaction

Carbon Source – Increase Denitrification Rate

Denitrifiers Tend to be More Resilient that Nitrifiers

May Effect Allowable Flow/Loadings

1 More Reaction Added

Desire for Outside Leachate/Revenue

Was it Already Happening?

Current Operating Parameters Have Substantial Idle Time

Settle ~ 5 Hours/Cycle

Decant ~ 1 Hour/Cycle

Idle ~ 2 Hours/Cycle

However, (currently) no Anoxic Mixing Capabilities

Total N and NO3/NO2 Sampling Initiated June 2016

Nitrate Hach Testing (2017)

Nitrogen Removal Evaluation

Period of Recirculation (No Discharge)

~20-60% N Removal

SBR (During Reaction)

Effluent Tank (Post Reaction)

Force Main Effluent ~ 12 Hours Retention

Raw Leachate

Village of Bath TMDL= 61,000 lb/yr

Effluent Tank

Total Nitrogen Removal Without Any Process Modifications, Some

Nitrogen Removal is Occurring

Current Conditions:

Settling, Decant, Idle Times Provide (Unmixed) Anoxic Conditions

Residual BOD provides carbon source

Long Retention Time in Force Main ~6-18 Hours

However…. No Guidance Provided on Future Permit Conditions

Process Enhancements Completed: In-House Testing Capabities (Total N)

Invaluable for Process Control/Contingencies

SCADA Upgrades (Summer 2017) New system to provide real-time monitoring/data collection for

DO/pH/others (likely ORP)

Increased Flexibility in Operations

Blower Performance/Efficiencies

Provide Opportunity for Pilot Testing

Remote Operations/Callouts

NEXT: Denitrification Pilot Testing Repurposing Exist Chemical Feed Systems

Apple Juice is Waiting

Summary SBR Proven Effective for “Moderate” Strength Leachate

For Steuben County: ~400-600 mg/L NH3 – Consistent Treatment Have Been Successful up to 800 mg/L NH3 Depends on Flow

Changing Conditions Signficant Challenge

Low Flows

Inadequate Loading

Chesapeake Bay TMDLs

What’s Next?

Denitrification Rate/Capacity is tbd

Questions?