How To Achieve Your Wastewater Treatment Goals With ATP Testing

By Dave Tracey

Of all the questions that I’ve been asked when speaking with prospective clients in wastewater treatment, the one that I can count on is:

“Where should I test and how often do I need to run it?”

The first half is easy: Run tests anywhere that you currently run MLSS tests, as well as anywhere else that you’re curious about the state of your biomass. Of course, this includes the bioreactor itself to keep your finger on the pulse of the microbes in the process, but could also include up front to detect toxicity, and towards the end to see if effluent carryover is occurring.

The second half of the question is a bit more difficult to nail down. Routine testing at all key locations throughout the day, every day will give you a full understanding of the process at all times – but may not be feasible for everyone. As such, testing frequency should be tied directly to process goals in terms of how often the data is obtained to adequately understand what’s going on.