How Can We Create A More Effective Densified Sludge?

Meeting stricter effluent standards while managing higher flows and rising costs requires intensification strategies that improve treatment without adding infrastructure. True densified sludge offers a proven approach by producing more compact, faster-settling biomass that increases mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations and reduces sludge volume index (SVI). Through carefully controlled feast and famine cycles, operators can encourage the growth of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs), suppress filamentous bacteria, and promote the natural “glue” that allows sludge particles to densify. Strategic wasting further enhances this process by selectively removing lighter particles while favoring denser, more settleable biomass. Aqua TruDense, a time-based sequencing batch reactor, builds on these principles with precise phase control, enabling more efficient carbon storage, enhanced nutrient removal, and greater system stability. The results include a 20–25% capacity increase, improved nitrogen and phosphorus removal, and up to a 50% footprint reduction compared to conventional activated sludge. With its pure biology approach, this densified sludge technology delivers higher performance at lower operational cost.