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ETV Program Report: Big Fish Septage and High Strength Waste Water Treatment System
Citation:
NSF International. ETV Program Report: Big Fish Septage and High Strength Waste Water Treatment System. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-10/137, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Verification testing of the Big Fish Environmental Septage and High Strength Wastewater Processing System for treatment of high-strength wastewater was conducted at the Big Fish facility in Charlevoix, Michigan. Testing was conducted over a 13-month period to address different climatic and waste strength conditions and to gain sufficient data to evaluate the performance and operational requirements of the system. The system is designed to produce Exceptional Quality (EQ) Class A Biosolids (per 40 CFR Part 503 and the EPA document – A Plain English Guide to the EPA Part 503 Biosolids Rule) and a treated effluent meeting requirements for discharge to most secondary wastewater treatment plants. The Big Fish System consists of screening and grit removal ahead of lime treatment, followed by flocculation, thickening and solids dewatering by a heated screw press. The design target is for 40 – 50% solids concentration and a pH neutralized filtrate that can be treated with an aerobic biological system consisting of aeration, settling and effluent discharge tanks prior to discharge. During testing, the System received a mix of septage waste, secondary sludge from WWTPs, local commercial grease interceptor waste containing fats, oils and grease (FOG), portable toilet waste and fruit processing waste with a concentration typical of septage/high strength wastewater. Effluent from the treatment process was discharged to the Charlevoix WWTP and was well under typical domestic wastewater strength. Based on data collected during the verification test, all batches of biosolids produced by the treatment system met the requirements to be classified as EQ Class A Biosolids. During testing, the system experienced an upset condition, most likely from a delivery of highly concentrated fruit waste. The System was operated in normal aeration recycle mode, without additional waste loading or effluent discharge, for 20 days and recovered to a discharge effluent typical of the normal system performance. There were no major mechanical component failures or major downtime periods during the verification test. The Big Fish System was found to be easily operated and required only routine maintenance over the course of the verification.
URLs/Downloads:
ETV Program Report: Big Fish Septage and High Strength Waste WatVERIFICATION STATEMENT