PATHOGEN AND NUTRIENT REMOVAL DURING

WASTEWATER TREATMENT AT A 21st CENTURY

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
Bradley Schmitz and Ian Pepper
The University of Arizona
 Objectives
• New WWTP Facility
• ADEQ Standards
• 20th Century WWTP vs. 21st Century WWTP
• WWTP Schematics and Processes
• Virus Removal
• Indicator Organisms
• Nitrogen & Phosphorous
• Future Research
 ADEQ Standards
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
• Govern direct reuse of reclaimed water
• Adopted “Purple Piping” Standards
• WWTP must monitor water to ensure Quality Standards
Class Uses Fecal Coliforms Total Nitrogen Turbidity by
(CFU/ml) (mg/l) Filtration
(NTU 24 hr avg)
A+ Open Access (uncontrolled) Not detectable < 10 ≤2
Never exceed 5
A Open Access (uncontrolled) Not detectable - -
B+ Restricted Access (controlled) < 200 < 10 -
B Restricted Access (controlled) < 200 - -

C Little human contact: < 1000 - -

irrigate sod farms, watering
non-dairy animals, etc.
 20th CENTURY WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANTS IN
TUCSON, ARIZONA
Plant Time Primary Secondary Fate
Treatment Treatment
Roger 20th Conventional Biological trickling Decommissioned
Rd Century filter in December 2013
Ina Rd 20th Conventional Activated sludge Updated in 2013,
Century renamed Tres Rios
 21st CENTURY WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANTS IN
TUCSON, ARIZONA
Plant Time Primary Secondary Fate
Treatment Treatment
Agua 21st Dissolved Air 4 Bardenpho Commissioned in
Nueva Century Flotation bioreactor basins January 2014

Tres Rios 21st Conventional 3 Bardenpho Upgraded from Ina Rd

West Century bioreactor basins by December 2013

Tres Rios 21st Conventional Bardenpho Upgraded from Ina Rd

East Century bioreactor basin by December 2013
+ modified
Ludzack-Ettinger
 VIRUS REMOVAL FROM FIVE
TREATMENT TRAINS:
ALL RECEIVING SIMILAR WASTEWATER

STUDY #1: August 2011 – July 2012

Influent and effluent samples collected from Roger Rd and Ina Rd
monthly for one year. Assayed for 11 different viruses using qPCR.
• relative abundance (incidence)
• seasonal variation
• extent of removal during treatment
20th Century WWTP

www.huntsvilleal.gov
 Traditional Secondary Treatment

http://www.jurby.com

Trickling Filter – effluent pumped through overhead sprayer onto filter bed, where
microbial biofilms aerobically decompose organic material

Aeration Tank (Activated Sludge) – primary effluent is pumped into tank with activated
sludge (bacteria-rich slurry) and oxygen is pumped into mixture to promote bacterial
growth/decomposition of organic material. Sludge from secondary clarifier is recycled
back into the aeration tank as a source for activated sludge.
 VIRUS REMOVAL FROM FIVE
TREATMENT TRAINS: ALL RECEIVING
SIMILAR WASTEWATER

STUDY #2: June 2014 – July 2015

Influent, primary treatment, secondary treatment and effluent
samples collected from Tres Rios and Agua Nueva monthly for one
year. Assayed for 7 different viruses using qPCR.
• relative abundance (incidence)
• seasonal variation
• extent of removal by various components of treatment train
 Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE)

Return Activated Sludge Sludge

Nitrate (Internal Mixed Liquor)

Anaerobic1 Anoxic2 Aerobic

Basin Basin I Basin II
• Denitrification3 • Nitrification4 Clarifier
Post-Primary • Microbes release • Decrease Total • Microbes Post- Secondary
soluble uptake Water
Water Phosphorous Nitrogen5
• Phosphorous Phosporous5 Transported to
Removal6 Disinfection

1 Anaerobic – no oxygen available

2 Anoxic – low oxygen availability, oxygen in unavailable forms
3 Denitrification – anaerobic microbes reduce Nitrate to Nitrous oxide and Nitrogen gas
( NO3-  NO2-  NO + N2O  N2 )
4 Nitrification - Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter oxidize Ammonium to Nitrite to Nitrate
( NH4+  NO2-  NO3- )
5 Decrease Total Nitrogen – microbes uptake available Nitrogen
6 Decrease Total Phosphorous – anaerobic microbes releasing soluble Phosphorous, then aerobic microbes uptake
Phosphorous in excess of microbial need
 Modified Bardenpho
(Each train can hold 3.95 million gallons)

Return Activated Sludge Sludge

Nitrate (Internal Mixed Liquor)

Anaerobic1 Anoxic2 Aerobic Anoxic2 Aerobic

Basin Basin I Basin II
Basin I Basin II
• Microbes release • Denitrification3 • Nitrification4 • Denitrification3 • Nitrification4 Clarifier
Post- • Decrease Total • Decrease Total
soluble • Decrease Total • Decrease Total
Primary Nitrogen5 Phosphorous6 Nitrogen5 Phosphorous6
Phosphorous
Water • Decrease Total • Decrease Total
Phosphorous6 Phosphorous6

1 Anaerobic – no oxygen available Post- Secondary

2 Anoxic – low oxygen availability, oxygen in unavailable forms Water Transported
3 Denitrification – anaerobic microbes reduce Nitrate to Nitrous oxide and Nitrogen gas to Disinfection
( NO3-  NO2-  NO + N2O  N2 )
4 Nitrification - Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter oxidize Ammonium to Nitrite to Nitrate
( NH4+  NO2-  NO3- )
5 Decrease Total Nitrogen – microbes uptake available Nitrogen
6 Decrease Total Phosphorous – anaerobic microbes releasing soluble Phosphorous, then aerobic
microbes uptake Phosphorous in excess of microbial need
 Autosampler Location
* Sludge removed at primary and secondary clarifiers
RAS = Return Activated Sludge
IMLR = Internal Mixed Liquor Recycle
BNRAS = Biological Nutrient Removal Activated Sludge
1 Bardenpho Process includes five stages
(Anaerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic)
2 Modified Ludzack-Ettinger includes five stages
(Anaerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic)
3 Disk Filtration: fixed disk filters with rotating
backwash system treat post-secondary effluent
to capture remaining solids
 Autosampler Location
* Sludge removed at primary and secondary clarifiers
WAS = Waste Activated Sludge
RAS = Return Activated Sludge
IMLR = Internal Mixed Liquor Recycle
BNRAS = Biological Nutrient Removal Activated Sludge
1 Dissolved Air Flotation: primary treatment dissolving
microscopic air bubbles into wastewater under pressure
followed by surface skimming to combine grit removal,
flocculation, solids liquids separation, and solids
thickening
2 Bardenpho: five stage nitrification and denitrification
process with integrated step feed
(Anaerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic, Anoxic, Aerobic)
 Maximum virus removal (log copies/L)
A) Influent to secondary treatment
PMMoV Aichi GII Noro Entero Adeno JC Polyoma BK Polyoma
Tres Rios (East) 1.6 5.0 5.1 5.7 4.5 4.6 4.7
Tres Rios (West) 5.8 6.2 5.4 5.7 6.0 4.6 5.1
Agua Nueva 1.3 2.5 2.2 2.8 5.0 4.4 5.1

B) Influent to final effluent after disinfection

PMMoV Aichi GII Noro Entero Adeno JC Polyoma BK Polyoma
Tres Rios 5.7 6.2 5.4 5.7 6.0 5.7 5.1
Agua Nueva 1.2 1.2 5.1 5.4 1.9 5.4 2.8
 Removal of all viruses (log copies/L)
Tres Rios East (7 virus assays per month for 3 months = 21 assays)
After 2° Treatment Complete removal for 9/21 assays (42.9%)
Tres Rios West (7 virus assays per month for 3 months = 21 assays)
After 2° Treatment Complete removal for 16/21 assays (76.2%)
Final Effluent (after disinfection of Complete removal for 17/21 assays (81.0%)
East and West trains combined)
Agua Nueva (7 virus assays per month for 3 months = 21 assays)
After 2° Treatment Complete removal for 5/21 assays (23.9%)
Final Effluent (after disinfection) Complete removal for 5/21 assays (23.8%)
 Comparison of virus removal from all
treatment trains
WWTP GII Norovirus JC Polyoma
(log10 removal : copies/L) (log10 removal : copies/L)
Ina Rd 1.65 0.98
Roger Rd 2.57 2.56
Tres Rios 5.40 5.70
Agua Nueva 5.10 5.40
 REMOVAL OF OTHER ORGANISMS
WWTP E.Coli Total Coliforms Coliphage
Tres Rios 1.21 x 101 2.91 x 102 Non-detect
Agua Nueva 1.46 x 101 3.45 x 102 Non-detect
Roger Rd Detected in 75% --
Ina Rd of all samples at --
levels of 102
MPN/100 ml
ADEQ Reclaimed Water Quality Standards Fecal Coliforms
CLASS 4/7 Daily Samples Single Sample Maximum
A+ No Detectable < 23
A No Detectable < 23
B+ < 200 < 800
B < 200 < 800
C < 1,000 < 4,000
http://www.dec.ny.gov/regs/4590.html#16131
NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS
FINAL EFFLUENT (mg/L)
Parameter Agua Nueva Roger Road

Ammonia 1 -2 26 - 28
Nitrate 4-5 <1

Kjeldahl 2-5 30 - 40
Total N 5-9 30 - 40

Total P 4.5 - 5 3 – 3.5

 SUMMARY
• Bardenpho process more effective for virus and E.coli
removal than activated sludge or trickling filter
processes
• Bardenpho process more effective for N & P removal
than the conventional processes
• Based on incidence, lack of removal during wastewater
treatment and lack of seasonality with respect to
abundance, the Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV) is
a strong candidate to be a conservative indicator of
sewage pollution
 FUTURE RESEARCH AT WWTP
1. Are viruses being completely removed during WWTP process,
or are they being rerouted to biosolids?
 Analyze biosolids to quantify virus RNA/DNA present.
 Determine virus inactivation in biosolids via cell culture.