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The Full-Scale Implementation of an Innovative Biological Ammonia Treatment Process
Citation:
Lytle, D., D. Williams, C. Muhlen, M. Pham, K. Kelty, M. Wildman, G. Lang, M. Wilcox, AND M. Kohne. The Full-Scale Implementation of an Innovative Biological Ammonia Treatment Process. Journal AWWA. American Water Works Association, Denver, CO, 107(12):E648-E665, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public on treating ammonia in drinking water.
Description:
Across the United States, high levels of ammonia in drinking water sources can be found, including small communities like Palo, Iowa (approximate population of 1,026). Although ammonia in water does not pose a direct health concern, ammonia nitrification can cause a number of issues and reduce the effectiveness of some treatment processes. In order to establish an effective treatment approach to remove ammonia from Palo’s water, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the city of Palo collaborated on a year-long, on-site pilot study to evaluate the use of an innovative biological ammonia removal drinking water treatment process. After the success of the pilot study, a full-scale treatment system based on the pilot system was built. The operations and effectiveness of the treatment plant were documented. This report includes discussion on the plant’s engineering design and future considerations for implementing such a system.
