AquaSBR® Replaces 60 Year Old Treatment Plant At Moab, UT

Facing rapid population growth, rising tourism, aging infrastructure, and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, the City of Moab needed a wastewater treatment solution capable of supporting long-term operational demands while maintaining exceptional effluent quality.

After evaluating multiple treatment technologies, Moab selected the AquaSBR® Sequencing Batch Reactor system to replace its aging 60-year-old facility. The advanced treatment process was chosen for its ability to efficiently manage highly variable hydraulic and organic loads while providing simplified maintenance and operational flexibility.

Commissioned in 2018, the new facility introduced the first SBR plant in Utah and quickly demonstrated significant performance improvements. The dual-basin system treats varying flow conditions while consistently producing effluent quality well below permit requirements. Plant operators reported greater than 99% efficiency for both biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS), with nitrogen levels significantly below permit thresholds.

The AquaSBR system offers several operational advantages, including retrievable equipment for simplified maintenance, automated process control, reduced installation costs, elimination of return activated sludge pumping, and a compact footprint that supports future expansion. Its flexible operating strategy also allows facilities to adapt to changing loading conditions and nutrient removal requirements.

For Moab, the modernization project delivered more than regulatory compliance. It provided a scalable, operator-friendly treatment platform capable of supporting a growing community while improving reliability, reducing maintenance challenges, and helping position the facility as a model for advanced wastewater treatment performance.