Deammonification Technology Upgraded

World Water Works, Inc., an innovator in wastewater treatment, has recently upgraded its deammonification (DEMON™) technology to include a micro-screen, replacing the hydrocyclones previously in place in the system. This micro-screen can be operated in either continuous or SBR mode and provides a stronger physical barrier to retain more than 95 percent of the anammox in the system.

The size of the micro-screen allows the opportunity for the anammox to grow to 2 millimeter granules. An anammox granule has a higher density than other bacteria within the system, which helps the product to easily settle.

“While DEMON was a great technology prior to this enhancement, we are excited about the new productivity levels the micro-screen brings,” said Chandler Johnson, chief technology officer for World Water Works. “As innovators in wastewater treatment, we strive to continuously improve our technologies to better serve our clients.”

The hydrocyclones were previously used to retain the anammox under gravimetric forces. The heavier material would be retained and sent back into the system while the light portion was wasted. The hydrocyclones require a specific pressure to gain the necessary cyclonic action in order to retain the anammox. While World Water Works’ DEMON technology was still retaining nearly 80 percent of the anammox, the technology had room to improve with the inclusion of the micro-screen, which has demonstrated loading rates of up to 1.4 kg N/m3 per day while still achieving the same process efficiency.

The Strass Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) recently implemented the updated technology at their facility in Strass, Austria. When using the hydrocyclones, they were operating with a loading rate in the 0.7-1.0 kg N/m3 per day range. Once the new micro-screen was inserted, the facility’s capacity was increased by nearly 50 percent. For a new system, this would translate to a smaller footprint.