Significant water usage, nutrient deficiency, potentially inhibitory compounds, mill upsets, and stringent permit limits all pose challenges to successfully operating an activated sludge system treating Pulp & Paper wastewater. The overall objective of this Virtual Seminar is to provide attendees with in-depth knowledge on the factors that dictate performance of these complex systems. Those who attend will leave with an increased understanding of the activated sludge process as a whole and be better prepared to troubleshoot treatment problems as they arise.

Session 1: The Eight Biological Growth Pressures

Eight growth pressures: food, pH, inhibition/toxicity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, biomass, temperature, and retention time control the biological component of a wastewater treatment system. This session will cover each growth pressure in detail with an emphasis on monitoring and control. Focus will be given to the interrelationships among the growth pressures and how to use data as the starting point for system troubleshooting and optimization.

Session 2: Activated Sludge Process Control

The activated sludge treatment process requires continuous oversight by the operational team to ensure that compliance limits will be met. In addition to the eight biological growth pressures, several other parameters such as Food:Mass (F:M) and Mean Cell Residence Time (MCRT), or sludge age are routinely monitored. This session will provide an overview of process control as well as how to make correct adjustments to the F:M and MCRT in order to maintain adequate treatment.

Session 3: Primary and Secondary Clarification

Wastewater clarification is a critical component of the activated sludge treatment process. Failure to achieve adequate clarification can result in permit violations for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), as well as other parameters. This session will provide a clear understanding of how these process units function as well as actions that can be taken to address root causes of poor clarification.

Session 4: Troubleshooting

This session will be a roundtable discussion between the attendees and EBS Pulp & Paper activated sludge treatment experts including Dr. Cliff Lange, Mike Foster, and Robert Sackellares. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions pertaining to their treatment systems.

Speakers

Mike Foster

CEO and Principal Consultant

Richard Dolly

Director of Pulp and Paper

Tripp McElwee

Regional Consultant

Robert Sackellares

Principal Engineer, SAC Water Engineering Solutions