HIGH-TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON THE ACTIVATED SLUDGE
PROCESS TREATING INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS
Michael L. Duke, Senior Project Engineer
Michael E. Templeton, Engineer
W. Wesley Eckenfelder, Jr., Chairman of the Board
AWARE, Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee 37235
Joe C. Stowe, Jr., Facilities Director
Hopewell Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility
Hopewell, Virginia 23860
The City of Hopewed operates a combined municipal/industrial wastewater treatment
plant in Hopewell, Virginia. The treatment plant utilizes the pure oxygen activated sludge
process to treat the wastewater generated by four industries, the City of Hopewed and Fort
Lee. The treatment facility also receives an aluminum hydroxide-mixed particulate sludge
from a local water treatment plant.
AWARE completed a facility evaluation in March 1979. One major conclusion of the
evaluation was that over a significant portion of the year, the aeration basin temperatures
reach levels above those generally acceptable for biological treatment.
OBJECTIVES OF INVESTIGATION
AWARE was retained by the Regional Facility to determine the effects of these high
temperatures on treatment efficiency. Specifically, the objectives of the studies were to:
1. determine the optimum operating temperature;
2. define the maximum operating temperature;
3. determine the feasibility of operating the existing system in a thermophilic mode; and
4. determine maximum organic loading capabilities.
SCOPE OF PROJECT
The pilot study consisted of a series of experiments designed to test the effects of temperature on biological treatment. The experimental phases were: (a) acclimation and start-up;
and (b) analysis of temperature effect on the rate of BOD removal, effluent TSS, and
clarification.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
The entirety of the investigation was conducted at the Regional Facility. Operational and
performance monitoring tests were conducted by AWARE personnel. Analytical support was
provided by the Hopewed Regional Facility Laboratory.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
The study was divided into two tasks: (a) analysis of the effect of temperature on the rate
of soluble BOD removal; and (b) determination of the effect of temperature on solids
separation.
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