Monica Vergara Araya

• Nitrogen removal from wastewater is increasingly important to protect natural water sources and has proven a challenge for wastewater treatment plants in different countries. Strict discharge norms for nitrogen components and unfavourable wastewater quality are among the main challenges observed. An example WWTP (450,000 PECOD,120), representative of these challenges (i.e. strict discharge norm for NH4-N and TN, partially unfavourable wastewater composition for upstream denitrification) was modelled with the software SIMBA. The model was calibrated, and validated, using different statistical parameters. The model was used for dynamic simulation to test different operational and automation strategies, to improve nitrogen removal. The tested strategies considered the bypass of primary clarifiers, changes in the anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic reactors configuration, changes in the aeration system (DO setpoint, the inclusion of online sensors and different control approaches in the aeration loop), the adjustment of the internal recirculation rate, the implementation of intermittent denitrification, among others. The addition of an anaerobic digestion stage, considering the adjustment of the sludge age in the biological treatment and the treatment of the centrate (including nitrogen backload), was tested as well. To evaluate the strategies' performance, an evaluation criteria chart was created to select the best strategies from an overall perspective, considering the improvements or deterioration in norm compliance, aeration requirements, pollutant emissions to the environment, and biogas production (if applicable). The best overall results were obtained with strategies that aimed to improve the denitrification capacity (e.g. increase anoxic volume by reducing aerobic volume), adjusted the air requirements (e.g. inclusion of an NH4-N online measurement in the aeration control loop), and provided flexibility (e.g. intermittent denitrification). With the right combination of strategies, the norm compliance was significantly improved e.g. reduced from 31 to 4 in a year, as well as the emissions to the environment. The inclusion of an anaerobic digestion stage for sewage sludge treatment challenges the nitrogen removal even further, but similar optimisation strategies, based on the same approach were able to improve norm compliance. However, none of the combinations, with or without anaerobic digestion, achieved total norm compliance. Therefore, a different technology than A2/O, an SBR treatment stage was designed, providing increased operational flexibility. The A2/O system in the computer model was replaced by an SBR process. This showed the best results, based on the criteria previously defined, with total norm compliance. Based on the learnings of the design, redesign, and strategies tested, a guideline for an integral optimisation of nitrogen removal was developed, based on six pillars, considering a detailed WWTP operational analysis, the use of dynamic simulation as a tool, the testing of known and simple optimization approaches, the definition of clear and objective evaluation criteria, the consideration of anaerobic digestion (and the backload) and finally the re-evaluation of the type of technology for biological wastewater treatment.