This organic biological control is well suited for the natural fluctuations in flow that characterize municipal wastewater lagoons. Once the granular sludge bed reactor is established, bacteria grow and die in direct response to the level of nutrients coming into the lagoon. Produced gas rises and gently mixes the water column, continuously feeding the granules to increase their productivity. Surface biosolids are delivered to the bed, liquefied and then turned into gas by the bacteria immobilized in and on the granules. The bacteria form synergistic anaerobic biofilms in tight, mineral-based granules, forming a granular sludge bed reactor over the entire bottom of the lagoon. Known as biodredging, the process selects for the indigenous bacteria that are in the lagoon and already adapted to local conditions and the wastewater substrate. The Blue Frog System (Absolute Aeration) is a hybrid technology that uses biological processes to enhance organic solids digestion.
“They explained how their system would save us money and keep us from having to continuously dredge the lagoons. “We were literally about to sign the contract to dredge the pond when we got the call from Blue Frog,” says Mayor Larry Godwin. After a year in operation, the process eliminated the solids buildup and enabled the plant to restore permit compliance.Ĭeleste’s leaders were just days away from investing more than $150,000 to mechanically dredge a section of one wastewater lagoon when they learned about a more affordable alternative that promised long-term, environmentally sustainable results.
Strong odors forced neighbors a mile or more downwind to close their windows.Ĭeleste, a city of 800, 10 miles northwest of Greenville in Hunt County, addressed the issue with an innovative hybrid aeration and digestion technology. In 2011, the Texas city of Celeste experienced severe solids accumulation in its wastewater treatment lagoon, causing dramatic loss of retention time and significant discharge permit exceedances. An aerator with a specialized engineered biofilm is used for ammonia reduction.