Liberzon, Jon

Jon Liberzon is Emerging Technologies Process Engineering Lead at Black Veatch. He has 13 years of industry experience in wastewater treatment, and sits on the boards of the California Water Environment Association and Global Water Stewardship. He holds a bachelors from the University fo Michigan, A Masters from The Technion Institute, and is currently a Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California Irvine.

Titles from this speaker

A New Strategy to Control NOB in the Mainstream Anammox Process using Centrate from Anaerobic Digester

Abstract

Introduction Since its discovery in the 1980s, significant research continues to be conducted in Anammox process where, anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria utilize nitrite as an electron acceptor to oxidize ammonia to N2 gas, with about 10% of nitrogen being converted to nitrate (1). While nitrite is essential for anammox, nitrogen in wastewater primarily exists in the form of ammonium, thus ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are employed to initially oxidize a portion of the ammonia to nitrite. Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) however, compete with AOBs by oxidize nitrite rapidly to nitrate and hinder the anammox process. In side-stream treatment, effective NOB suppression is possible due to elevated influent temperature, pH, and NH4 concentration. These merits however do not exist in mainstream. To overcome these limitations and achieve stable partial nitritation (PN), various methods to suppress NOB have been employed (2; 3). The goal of this research is to improve the performance of PN in the mainstream process with an innovative and repeatable strategy to control growth of NOB, by employing available resource at a treatment facility with minimal process disruption and using supernatant from an anaerobic digester (AD) presents the best solution for this. AD supernatant offers the advantages of; warm temperature and environment to instantaneously inhibit NOB as well as alkalinity to buffer pH changes. Method A lab-scale reactor was operated for 2 years to derive basic and optimized operational parameter Based on these results; a pilot plant was operated at the city of LA's Hyperion WWTP for 8 months. Lab-scale (Proof of concept): Three different media types with diverse surface areas (M-1, M-2, M-3) were used in the lab-scale reactors. The innovative NOB control protocol involved a 100% fill and decant cycle (fig 1.1a), DO/NH4 ratio target was maintained as 0.2. Instant introduction or AD supernatant when effluent nitrate concentrations consistently exceeded 5mg/L. Monitoring of free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA) was done to help stimulate the growth and performance of AOBs. Pilot Scale: Based on the optimized results from lab-scale operation, a 1.3 m3 pilot plant operation (fig 1.1b) was carried out in a similar manner using M-2 (highest PN performance media) and the secondary effluent of the Hyperion WWTP as the influent, with an average concentration of 50+/-3.5 mgNH4-N/L for about 250 days. Two (2) different supernatant exposure methods were tested in the pilot based on pH control. Results Fig 1.2 shows the effluent nitrogen concentrations over the operational period. The 100% fill and decant cycle strategy significantly helped in shortening the start-up phase relative to other mainstream processes (2). To optimize the PN performance and economically control NOBs, two different inhibition methods (mainly based on initial supernatant pH control) were adopted to monitor the time required between each inhibition reaction before effluent NO3-N exceeded the set mark of 5mg/L, at which point optimal PN is hindered. It was identified that employing exposure method I (no initial pH control) took fewer days and enhanced the inhibitory potential of NOB and help maintain effluent NO3-N levels below 5mg/L for longer periods relative to exposure method II. Supernatant exposure method II involved controlling initial pH of supernatant to 8.5 by dosing with phosphoric acid and this pH level maintained for first 10 hrs prior to an inhibition reaction. Since pH and temperature determine the reactors instantaneous FA and FNA concentrations, these were monitored for the two distinct exposure methods. Fig. 1.3 shows drastic reduction in NH4 and FA in the exposure method I. Thus, for mainstream PN processes at plants where AD is available, direct application of the AD supernatant without pH control in a regular and recurrent manner can successfully inhibit NOB while improving the performance of AOB in treating higher N-loads. To confirm the effectiveness of the inhibition reaction with AD supernatant a validation of AOB performance and a corresponding effective NOB inhibition was carried out for 20 hrs using NH4-N and NO2-N as the batch experiment substrate, respectively (Fig. 1.4). The minimal nitratation (fig. 1.4b) that occurred at relatively low NO2-N substrate levels confirms the successful inhibition and absence of NOBs after employing the innovative supernatant exposure inhibition reaction. Summary and Recommendation This research successfully achieved a stable mainstream PN operation at high N loading rate both in the lab-scale and pilot scale by employing a reliable, economical, and repeatable NOB inhibitory method, using AD supernatant. By implementing a 100% fill and decant sequence, relying on elevated AD supernatant temperatures, regular inhibition reaction could be carried out when effluent NO3-N recurrently exceeds 5 mg/L. This new strategy utilizes available plant resources, thereby reducing cost of employing alternative NOB inhibitory techniques. However, other control measures must be selected at those plants that do not have digesters. The next phase of this research involves direct application in the full-scale plant, identification of inhibitory sequence for a smooth operation in a full-scale plant as well as investigation of alternative environmentally friendly control measures for plants without ADs.

This study explores achieving stable partial nitritation (PN) in the mainstream process using anaerobic digester centrate. Starting from a lab-scale reactor to a pilot scale at Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, it presents a strategy to control nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) by leveraging warm temperatures, instant NOB inhibition, and alkalinity buffer. The unique operational strategy favored ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and achieved a nitrogen loading rate of 2.2 kg-N/m3/d.

SpeakerDsane, Victory Fiifi

Presentation time

13:30:00

13:40:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionInnovations in Partial-Nitritation-Anammox Processes

Session number607

Session locationRoom 344

TopicIntermediate Level, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Nutrients, Research and Innovation

Author(s)

Dsane, Victory Fiifi, Rhu, Daehwan, Dsane, Victory Fiifi, Ghimire, Umesh, Kang, Shin Joh, Liberzon, Jon, Saneie, Shahrouzeh, Samar, Parviz, Sathyamoorthy, Sandeep

Author(s)V.F. Dsane1, D. Rhu2, U. Ghimire3, S.J. Kang4, P. Samar5, S. Saneie5, S. Sathyamoorthy6

Author affiliation(s)1TOMORROW WATER, CA, 2Tomorrowwater, CA, 3, MS, 4Water & Energy Advisors LLC, MI, 5City of Los Angeles, CA, 6, CA

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159628

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count17

Description: Cooking Without Gas: Reducing sludge management costs using THP (Thermal Hydrolysis...

Cooking Without Gas: Reducing sludge management costs using THP (Thermal Hydrolysis Process) in plants without anaerobic digestion

Abstract

1. Introduction Since 2019, 4.1M wet tons of sludge cake were produced annually at WRRFs in South Korea. Following the elimination of ocean dumping as a disposal strategy in 2006, sludge management costs have climbed significantly. As of 2018, sludge disposal reached an average of $120 USD/wet ton (MOE & KECO, 2021). In 2019, only 67 out of 4,216 Korean WRRFs larger than 500 m3/d (132,000 gpd) included anaerobic digesters (MOE, 2020). Since digestor projects cannot be deployed quickly or cheaply enough to keep up with rising disposal costs, alternative sludge reduction processes are being sought by public agencies. The thermal hydrolysis process (THP), traditionally applied as a pre-treatment for anaerobic digestion, can also be applied as a sludge cake minimization strategy in the absence of digestors. This paper describes recent pilot and full-scale demonstrations of this concept, including identification of new optimal operating setpoints specific to this application, as well as downstream dewatering performance and economic impacts. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Thermal Hydrolysis Process This paper describes a new thermal hydrolysis process (THP) developed and commercialized by BKT/Tomorrow Water. The process, trade-named Draco, is a three-stage, batch process comprised of a pre-heating tank followed by reactor and decompression tanks. Steam is used to build heat and pressure in the reactor vessel, causing cell lysis and improving the dewaterability of cellular sludges. The Draco process is differentiated by the inclusion of a paddle mixer in the pre-heating and reactor tanks, novel steam sparger configuration, and the use of novel temperature setpoints (as described below). 2.2 Pilot testing A containerized Draco THP pilot was deployed to a municipal WRRF in Dangjin (Korea) to process 2 wet tons/d of undigested biological sludge cake from August to October, 2021 (Figure 1). The pilot was fed mixed primary and waste activated sludge (WAS) which had been dewatered to 20.0±1.2% dry solids (DS) and fed without dilution into the Draco process. To optimize the temperature setpoint for hydrolysis of undigested sludges, influent dewatered cake was processed at either 170, 180, 190 or 200oC for 30 min. Capillary Suction Time (CST) was measured following THP as a measure of dewaterability in thermally processed sludges. To assist in optimization and selection of dewatering equipment, the 190oC-processed sludge product from the Draco THP pilot was fed into either a plate-and-frame filter press (operated at 15 bar) or a belt filter press (operated at 15, 30 and 50 bar.) The plate-and-frame filter press was operated without any chemical addition, while the belt filter press was operated with addition of cationic polyacrylamide polymer at 0.64%/kg dry solids. 2.2 Full scale operation A full-scale Draco THP system combined with a plate-and-frame filter press was installed at a slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant in Gimhae, S. Korea. This integrated sludge minimization system, operating since June of 2019, processes roughly 50 wet tons/d of dewatered WAS containing 14.8±0.5% DS. Upstream, the slaughterhouse's wastewater is treated by a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), and sludge wasted from this SBR has similar characteristics to undigested municipal WAS. Sludge was fed undiluted into the Draco THP and processed over more than 2 years. 3. Results 3.1 Pilot Results Over three months of pilot testing, normalized capillary suction time (NCST) decreased as the processing temperature increased, while specific capillary suction time (SCST) increased with temperature (Figure 2). This suggests that higher THP temperatures produce better downstream dewatering performance. At the same time, the marginal improvements in dewatering indicators (NCST, SCST) between 190oC and 200oC were relatively minor, while the added steam energy required to meet the higher setpoint was significant. As such, 190oC was selected as the optimal temperature setpoint for this application. In subsequent dewatering testing with hydrolyzed pilot sludge, dewatered cake from the plate-and-frame filter press averaged 52.8% DS, while cakes from the belt filter press ranged from 37-41% DS, dependent on belt pressure (Table 1). Based on the higher dewatering performance and lack of chemical inputs required for the plate-and-frame press, this equipment was selected for an upcoming full-scale installation over the belt filter press. Table 2 lists the average filtrate quality of the plate-and-frame press in the pilot, which needs to be sent back to the head of the wastewater plant for treatment in full-scale installations. 3.2 Full-scale results Over 27 months of operation, the full-scale Draco process increased the dry solids content of dewatered WAS from 14.8±0.5% to 53%±1.1%. The intermediate-stage solids content of the thermally hydrolyzed sludge was 11.8±0.7% at the output of the decompression tank, and was subsequently dewatered in the press to over 50% solids. Dewatered cake following the Draco process was compact and easily handled (Figure 3). By installing a THP plus filter press, this plant reduced its overall sludge cake output to disposal by 80% (by volume). This translated into a 67.6% reduction in sludge disposal costs, even after energy costs of the THP process were factored in (Table 3). 4. Discussion and Conclusions This paper describes the optimization and application of a combined THP and dewatering process intended for use at WRRFs which do not anaerobically digest their sludge. Pilot testing demonstrated that dewaterability of municipal THP sludge increases with increasing THP temperatures from 170oC up to 190oC. At higher temperatures of 190-200oC, the marginal benefit in dewaterability was outweighed by the marginal cost in energy requirements. The combination of Draco THP at 190oC, coupled with a plate-and-frame dewatering press, was able to consistently achieve sludge cake dryness over 50% in both pilot and full-scale installations. Sludge cakes above 50% DS are much easier to process in thermal sludge dryers, due to the avoidance of a plastic 'sticky phase' occurring between DS 35-50% (Peeters, B., 2010). As this study demonstrates, plants which utilize sludge dryers can benefit significantly from the addition of a THP, since THP allows dryers to be fed a much lower-moisture cake (up to 30% less moisture), reducing the amount of energy required in thermal drying and dramatically reducing the size of dryer required. Compared to the energy required to dry a typical dewatered cake from 20% to 90% DS, drying post-THP cake (at >50% DS) to the same moisture content saves about 40% in total energy inputs, even after factoring in the energy required for hydrolysis and dewatering. These results suggest that Draco THP, paired with the right dewatering press, can serve as a cost-effective strategy for reducing sludge volumes and disposal challenges, even for WRRFs without anaerobic digestors. At the Gimhae plant, application of this process reduced sludge volumes by 80% and cut disposal costs by 68%, achieving a simple payback of 4-6 years.

This paper was presented at the WEF Residuals and Biosolids Conference in Columbus, Ohio, May 24-27, 2022.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

14:00:00

14:30:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

Session number12

Session locationGreater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio

TopicAnaerobic Digestion, Dewatering, THP

Author(s)

G. Jeong

Author(s)G. Jeong1; M. Cha2; Y. Choi3; J. Choi4; J. Liberzon5

Author affiliation(s)BKT Co. Ltd.; 1BKT Co. Ltd.; 2BKT Co. Ltd.; 3BKT Co. Ltd.; 4Tomorrow Water; 5

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date May 2022

DOI10.2175/193864718825158430

Volume / Issue

Content sourceResiduals and Biosolids

Word count18

Description: Development of World's Largest Dual-Use High-Rate Primary & Wet Weather Filter...

Development of World's Largest Dual-Use High-Rate Primary & Wet Weather Filter using Floating Media

Abstract

Advanced primary treatment technologies provide an attractive alternative to primary settling tanks in that they generally provide greater TSS and BOD removal on smaller process footprints. While many plants would benefit from improved primary performance, some carbon-limited BNR plants may forgo advanced primary treatment in order to maximize the quantity of BOD entering their secondary process. At the same time, many WRRFs struggle with excess wet weather flows which overwhelm existing treatment capacity. Auxiliary high-rate filtration systems have been used to manage these excess flows, but represent a costly capital investment that may sit idle most of the year. This paper presents 5 months of full-scale data from a unique, high-rate filtration system designed to process peak flows during wet weather and perform advanced primary treatment for the remainder of the year. By utilizing a novel media, this system minimizes BOD capture during dry weather flow without sacrificing wet weather performance, thus maintaining stable denitrification in the downstream biological treatment process. The multi-year development of this novel process is also described, from piloting of various media types to installation of dedicated primary filter and wet weather filter installations, and finally the construction of a combined dual-use filter with a peak capacity of 190 MGD.

This paper presents 5 months of full-scale data from a unique, high-rate filtration system designed to process peak flows during wet weather and perform advanced primary treatment for the remainder of the year. By utilizing a novel synthetic floating media, this system minimizes BOD capture during dry weather without sacrificing wet weather performance, thus maintaining stable denitrification in downstream processes. The multi-year development of this novel process is also described, from piloting to installation of dedicated primary filter and wet weather filter installations, and finally the construction of a combined dual-use filter with a peak capacity of 190 MGD.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

14:05:00

14:15:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionWet Weather Treatment Innovations

Session number506

TopicFacility Operations and Maintenance, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Resilience, Disaster Planning and Recovery

Author(s)

Jon Liberzon

Author(s)J. Liberzon1; D. Kim2; B. Choi3; J. Kim4; Y. yune5; B. Lee6; D. Rhu7;

Author affiliation(s)Tomorrow Water, Anaheim, CA1,7BKTCo. Ltd., 25 Yuseong-daero 1184beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, KR2,3,4,5,6

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2021

DOI10.2175/193864718825158166

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count15

Description: Insights from Full-scale Primary Sludge Fermentation for Carbon Management and...

Insights from Full-scale Primary Sludge Fermentation for Carbon Management and Nutrient Removal

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater require sufficient organic carbon in the form of readily biodegradable carbon (rbCOD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA), which are often limited in influent. Primary sludge (PS) fermentation has been applied for decades in a variety of configurations (Table 1) to produce rbCOD and VFA while also providing sludge reduction benefits1. Despite their widespread application, there is a lack of unified guidance for PS fermenter design, operation, and monitoring and limited information on tradeoffs of different elutriation mechanisms (e.g. solids vs dilute feed). While fermenters are ultimately intended to increase nutrient removal performance, unoptimized fermenters may act as internal sources of additional nitrogen and phosphorus that outweigh the benefits of increased carbon availability. This work will synthesize findings from full-scale PS fermenters (Table 2) to
1) Compare fermentation performance and key performance indicators of different types of PS fermenters and elutriation mechanisms
2) Provide guidance for monitoring PS fermenters to maximize understanding of carbon and nutrient contributions to the mainstream An example case study is provided for Eagles Point Water Resource Recovery Facility and similar analyses will be performed for the facilities in Table 2.

Eagles Point Case Study
#Eagles Point Water Resource Recovery Facility in Cottage Grove, Minnesota is operated by Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (Met Council). This facility, which utilizes biological phosphorus removal in an A2O configuration, has an average design flow of 10 MGD and a 1 mg/L total phosphorus (TP) effluent permit limit. Eagles Point has operated a PS fermenter (~90,000 gal gravity thickener with recirculating elutriation pump) since 2004. As part of a recent transition to low DO operation in the mainstream, staff collected weekly NH4, PO4, and filtered COD samples from the gravity thickener overflow (fermentate). During this period, influent BOD:TP ratios averaged 36, meeting recommended levels without the PS fermenter addition. The PS flow to the thickener and thickened sludge pumping were stable this sample collection period at 0.22 &PLUSMN; 0.03 MGD and 23 &PLUSMN; 2 gpd, respectively. Fermenter sludge blanket levels ranged from 1.5ft to over 9ft during this period with an HRT of ~0.4 d.

In recent years, staff noted that mainstream P removal performance did not seem to correlate with fermenter operation, in that effluent P concentrations did not increase during maintenance periods when the fermenter was offline. Data collected during the low DO transition provides additional context for these observations. On a mass basis, fermentate contributed 22 ± 5 lbs/day PO4-P to the anaerobic zone, while influent wastewater accounted for 166 &PLUSMN; 7 lbs/day. As expected, there was a strong positive correlation between fermentate filtered COD and fermentate PO4 at a consistent ~32:1 COD to P ratio (Figure 1). Assuming a VFA to sCOD ratio of 0.6:1 in PS fermentate2, the VFA to P ratio (19:1) in the produced fermentate is theoretically sufficient to uptake more P in the mainstream anaerobic zone than is recycled from the fermentate itself. However, fermentate P concentrations were positively correlated with effluent P (Figure 1). While effluent P was maintained at low levels regardless of the fermenter contribution, this result suggests a minimal or even net negative effect of the PS fermenter on mainstream P removal.

An additional consideration is temperature, which can have competing effects on fermenter performance and nutrient removal. Fermenter temperature was not measured, but influent wastewater temperature was positively correlated with both fermentate COD and effluent P. Higher ambient and water temperatures improve fermentation, resulting in increased COD outputs1, but also tend to favor microbes that compete with phosphate accumulating organisms (PAO) for rbCOD, leading to worse P removal3,4. Surprisingly, no relationship was found between fermentate COD and sludge blanket levels, suggesting that temperature was the main driver of fermenter productivity rather than SRT (Figure 2). Further sampling to be performed this year will provide a more complete accounting of carbon contributions from the fermenter. This case study highlights the value in routine nutrient monitoring of fermentate and demonstrates a gravity thickener PS fermenter that provided minimal or net negative effects to mainstream nutrient removal performance.

Significance for audience
PS fermenters are widely adopted and provide an 'internal' source of carbon for nutrient removal facilities. However, as demonstrated at Eagles Point, PS fermenters may introduce nutrient loadings back to the mainstream that are not neutralized by increased carbon availability. As facilities continue to meet lower effluent nutrient limits, accounting for internal nutrient recycles in addition to internal carbon recycles is critical. This presentation will use multiple case studies to evaluate the value proposition of PS fermenters, tradeoffs of PS fermenter configurations, and recommendations for monitoring strategies. We will also facilitate knowledge sharing of PS fermenter operation and monitoring through open discussion with participants.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2025, held September 27-October 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation time

10:30:00

10:45:00

Session time

10:30:00

12:00:00

SessionFull-Scale Primary Sludge Fermentation

Session locationMcCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

TopicLiquid Stream Treatment - Nutrient Removal and Recovery

Author(s)

Farmer, McKenna, Pifer, Leah, Liberzon, Jon, deBarbadillo, Christine, Prater, Trevor, Hogan, Kelsey, Pinkerton, Lee, Menniti, Adrienne, Schauer, Peter, Downing, Leon

Author(s)M. Farmer1, L. Pifer1, J. Liberzon1, C. deBarbadillo1, T. Prater2, K. Hogan2, L. Pinkerton2, A. Menniti3, P. Schauer3, L. Downing1

Author affiliation(s)Black & Veatch1, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services2, Clean Water Services3

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825160079

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count13

Membranes Vs Concrete: Defining the value and limitations of hybrid MABR retrofits

Abstract

The capability of membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs) to be retrofit into existing basins provides a unique value proposition for legacy WRRFs with tightening regulations or capacity limitations. For plants seeking more nitrogen removal, MABRs allow for development of long-SRT biofilms which can both nitrify and denitrify, decoupling nitrification capacity from the aerobic SRT of the suspended biomass. This adds nitrification capacity without altering the plant's suspended biomass inventory or increasing loading on secondary clarifiers. Placement of MABRs in unaerated zones also allows this technology to be coupled with low-DO aeration controls and simultaneous nitrification-denitrification configurations that don't require mixed liquor recycles (IMLR). In combination, these intensified process configurations allow for low-energy and carbon-efficient treatment in addition to retrofittable capacity increases.

These benefits, described in the literature mainly in general terms, are now being realized with implementation of full-scale hybrid MABR retrofits. Using a combination of historical data and process modeling, this paper quantifies the benefits and identifies design best-practices for spiral-configured MABR retrofits, both for a real installation in Israel, and more generally, for a typical North American plant located in the temperate climate zone.

Roughly two years of water quality and operational data were analyzed from a hybrid, spiral MABR retrofit in the anoxic zone of the Maayan Tzvi WRRF, an A2O plant operated at low-DO setpoints (DO<0.5 mg/L) and without IMLR. Performance results, as measured by the quantity of ammonia oxidized by MABR versus suspended growth at the plant, demonstrate that MABR met or exceeded the expectations established by earlier piloting, though the impact of the MABR was somewhat variable over time (Fig. 1). Influent, effluent and operational data were used to develop SUMO models of this plant in both MABR and 'conventional' (no MABR) configurations. Using real-world data within a dynamic process model allowed for investigation of factors contributing to biofilm nitrification rates, which can serve as a measure of process efficiency and operational performance.

SUMO analysis found that, for a membrane configuration designed to nitrify 30% of influent NH4 (as is the vendor's standard,) performance improved with decreased organics loading and increased NH4 loading, but only up to a maximum of 10 g N/d*m2 (Fig. 2, 3). At higher NH4 loadings and concentrations (such as may occur in dry regions with established water conservation programs), modelled system performance diminished during diurnal periods of increasing nitrogen loading (roughly 11:00-19:00 in this dataset). This finding suggests that for certain periods of the day in these geographies, nitrification may not be substrate-limited as generally assumed, but rather limited by some other factor. Oxygen limitation is one potential contributor, as nitrification rates rebounded when modelled rates of oxygen transfer through the membrane were set well-above the data-derived values. Previous findings of similar inhibitory effects at full scale identified low ORP or high sulfur concentrations as likely factors (Uri-Carreño et al. 2023), however neither were reflected in this study's modeling results. While additional high-resolution sampling of full-scale retrofits would help to confirm these findings, they nonetheless suggest that designers consider using IMLR, equalization, increased membrane area, or other techniques for maintaining instantaneous MABR substrate loadings below a threshold value of 10 g N/d*m2 throughout the diurnal cycle to avoid inhibitory effects on performance when using these commercially available membranes.

When considering the benefits of MABR to designers, this study found that in temperate regions (design water temperature of 15°C), addition of MABRs tasked with removal of up to 30% of influent ammonia reduces the required aerobic SRT of the suspended biomass system by two full days, while maintaining a 2x nitrification safety factor (Fig. 4). This represents a 25% reduction in the required secondary clarifier capacity (achieved through reduction in MLSS), or a 14% reduction in the aerobic basin concrete volume (Fig. 5). In both cases, reducing the need to construct additional basin volume or clarifiers results in GHG emission savings above and beyond the savings in aeration energy. In warm (>30°C) climates, by contrast, this benefit is lost. By combining MABR with low-DO operation, a total energy savings of 30% can be achieved regardless of climate (Fig. 6), while also producing a small (roughly 3mg/L) improvement in effluent total nitrogen.

This study combines modeling with fullscale data from a successful hybrid MABR retrofit to identify design factors which influence the performance of such systems under various temperature and loading regimes. This information will be useful to designers wishing to maximize the value derived from MABR retrofits of existing assets. By translating dynamic performance metrics into reductions in minimum aerobic SRT, this study also helps to define the value proposition of MABR capital investments as compared to construction of additional tankage. As understanding of this value proposition improves, MABR is likely to become a more widely adopted technology for retrofit of capacity-constrained BNR plants.

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2025, held September 27-October 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Presentation time

14:00:00

14:30:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionExploring the Capability and Flexibility of MABRs

Session locationMcCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA

TopicLiquid Stream Treatment - Nutrient Removal and Recovery

Author(s)

Liberzon, Jon, Gutenberger, Gretchen, Pifer, Leah, Cecconi, Francesca, Nathan, Neri, Ben Yosef, Chever, Downing, Leon

Author(s)J. Liberzon1, G. Gutenberger1, L. Pifer1, F. Cecconi1, N. Nathan2, C. Ben Yosef2, L. Downing1

Author affiliation(s)Black & Veatch1, Fluence Corporation2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Sep 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825160006

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count13

Description: Novel Integrated High-Rate Filtration and Fixed-Film Biological Reactor Demonstrates...

Novel Integrated High-Rate Filtration and Fixed-Film Biological Reactor Demonstrates Simultaneous TSS and BOD Removal in Wet Weather Peak Flows

Abstract

Wet weather poses significant risks to WRRFs, especially when increased flows cause plants to exceed design capacities. This paper presents results from a 13-month pilot of a new technology for rapid treatment of excess flows. The pilot, performed at a blending permit plant in Genesee County, Michigan, tested two distinct configurations of the Proteus™ up-flow media filter: a primary filtration (PF) reactor for removal of suspended solids (TSS) and particulate biological oxygen demand (BOD), and a biological (B) reactor equipped with aeration for biofilm growth and oxidation of BOD. Both utilize a new, X-shaped polypropylene media designed specifically to filter high-solids primary influent. In both reactors, sensors tracked flow rate, TSS, bed pressure, reactor DO, and temperature. Composite samples tracked a range of water quality factors including BOD, TSS, COD, nutrients, microbiological indicators and chlorine demand. To emulate the variability of wet weather flows, some weeks of testing diluted raw water while others amended influent with primary sludge. When processing plant influent, the PF reactor processed up to 133 gpm, achieving average TSS removal of 78%, BOD removal of 69% and COD removal of 67% at empty bed contact times (EBCTs) of 5-13 minutes. When processing primary effluent, the same reactor removed 71% of TSS, 51% of BOD and 56% of COD. The biological (B) reactor processed up to 64 gpm, achieving TSS removal of 84%, BOD removal of 81% and COD removal of 78% at EBCTs of 10-30 minutes in screened raw water. Treatment of primary effluent yielded equivalent TSS removal, but reduced BOD and COD removals of 60% and 58%, respectively. BOD removal improved with increasing EBCTs and higher loadings. The biological configuration also showed improved removal performance for total and fecal coliforms, chlorine demand and nutrients. In Spring 2020, the pilot captured a real wet weather blending event. Despite two weeks of minimal feeding prior to wet weather, the biological reactor maintained effluent TSS/BOD below 22/20 mg/L. These results demonstrate that a combined primary/biological filter can provide rapid treatment of excess flows, providing a new treatment option for utilities dealing with challenging wet weather conditions.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

10:10:00

10:30:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:30:00

SessionThe Rain is Coming: Are you Ready for Wet Weather Treatment?

Session number305

TopicFacility Operations and Maintenance, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design, Resilience, Disaster Planning and Recovery, Stormwater, Green Infrastructure, and Wet Weather

Author(s)

J. GoergenA. RivardJ. LiberzonD. RhuS. KangG. Daigger

Author(s)J. Goergen1; A. Rivard1; J. Liberzon2; D. Rhu2; S. Kang3; G. Daigger4;

Author affiliation(s)Genesse County Drain Commissioner WWS1; Tomorrow Water (BKT)2; Water & Energy Advisors3; University of Michigan4

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2020

DOI10.2175/193864718825157889

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count20

Description: Quenching Big-data's Thirst: A Novel Water Recycling Strategy for Datacenter Cooling...

Quenching Big-data's Thirst: A Novel Water Recycling Strategy for Datacenter Cooling & Community Reuse

Abstract

Data centers will compete with other growing businesses for space, energy and water. This will pose a real challenge to build data center in locations where water supply sources and spaces are limited such as California, Arizona and Nevada. Tomorrow Water (TW) in partnership with Arcadis has developed CoFlow™ concept along with a patent pending cooling approach to build DCs at water reclamation/water resource recovery facilities which creates space for data center, eliminates potable water demand and significantly reduces energy consumptions for cooling. A desktop study has completed by Arcadis to assess the technical and economic feasibility of CoFlow™ for a large data center provider. The study indicated that CoFlow was feasible and economically attractive option for reducing water and carbon footprint of data center operation while generating a revenue stream from the land lease

This paper summarizes a highly sustainable concept to build (co-locate) data centers (DCs) at water reclamation/water resource recovery facilities which allow exchanging water and cooling capacities between the data centers and water reclamation facilities.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

14:00:00

14:20:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionThe Future of Datacenters: From Water Users to Water Stewards

Session locationRoom S501d - Level 5

TopicIntermediate Level, Sustainability and Climate Change, Water Reuse and Reclamation

Author(s)

Erdal, Ufuk

Author(s)U. Erdal 1; J. Liberzon 2 ; U. Erdal 1;

Author affiliation(s)Arcadis 1; Tomorrow Water 2 ; Arcadis 1;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159112

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count15

Description: The Media is the Message: New Primary Treatment Process Based on Synthetic Media...

The Media is the Message: New Primary Treatment Process Based on Synthetic Media Biofiltration Allows for a More Sustainable and Resilient Alternative to CEPT in a Retrofittable Package

Abstract

This paper was presented at WEFTEC 2023 in Chicago, IL.

A new deep-bed primary filter was developed in Korea and transferred to North America as a more sustainable carbon diversion strategy than traditional chemically-enhanced primary treatment. This technology has been proven at scale and adapted to new markets by employing new configurations such as a biological split bed and retrofittable design.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

13:30:00

14:00:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionPrimary Treatment Technologies: Should We Settle for Conventional Primary Sedimentation?

Session locationRoom S501a - Level 5

TopicEnergy Production, Conservation, and Management, Facility Operations and Maintenance, Intermediate Level, Municipal Wastewater Treatment Design

Author(s)

Liberzon, Jonathan

Author(s)J. Liberzon 1; D. Rhu 2 ; M. Magruder 3; L.S. Downing 4; G.T. Daigger 5;

Author affiliation(s)Tomorrow Water 1; Tomorrow Water 2 ; Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District 3; Black & Veatch 4; University of Michigan 5;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159002

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count29

Description: Two-Stage Partial-Nitritation/Anammox Process Demonstrates Stable and Efficient...

Two-Stage Partial-Nitritation/Anammox Process Demonstrates Stable and Efficient Treatment of High-Strength Industrial Digestate

Abstract

This paper presents data from two and a half years of pilot testing which demonstrate performance of a two-stage deammonification configuration in treating high-strength reject streams from industrial co-digestion. In order to minimize inhibition by free ammonia (FA), the volumetric exchange rate of the air-lift granulation reactor for partial nitritation (PN-AGR) was limited to 40-50% for each reaction cycle. The PN-AGR was operated between 137 mg-NH3/L (at the start of the react cycle) and 7.8 mg-NH3/L (at the end of the react cycle), and the moving-bed biofilm reactor for Anammox (A-MBBR) was kept at a temperature of 35℃ and pH of 7.5. Accordingly, average FA concentrations in the A-MBBR were limited to 6.6 mg-NH3/L, preventing inhibition. The two-stage AMX® process, consisting of the PN-AGR followed by the A-MBBR, achieved significantly higher NLR (average 1.42 kg N/m3d) and NRR (average 1.26 kg N/m3d) than common single-stage PN/A processes, despite high influent concentrations of nitrogen, solids, salinity and COD. This process also achieved COD, SS and TN removal efficiencies of 82%, 89% and 89%, respectively, without pretreatment or dilution for over two years, under fluctuating influent quality. This supports the use of a two-stage deammonification process for treatment of high-strength reject streams from industrial co-digestion.

This paper presents data from 2.5 years of pilot testing of a two-stage deammonification configuration in treating high-strength reject streams from industrial co-digestion. The process, consisting of an airlift granulated partial nitritation reactor and a moving-bed biofilm reactor for Anammox, achieved COD, SS and TN removal efficiencies of 82%, 89% and 89%, respectively, without pretreatment or dilution for over two years, coping with fluctuating influent quality. Strategies for avoidance of free ammonia inhibition are also discussed. These results support the use of a two-stage deammonification process for treatment of high-strength reject streams from industrial co-digestion.

SpeakerLiberzon, Jon

Presentation time

16:10:00

16:15:00

Session time

16:00:00

17:00:00

SessionIntegrating Anaerobic Processes into Industrial WWTPs

Session number115

TopicEnergy Production, Conservation, and Management, Global Perspectives, Industrial Issues and Treatment Technologies, Nutrients

Author(s)

Jon Liberzon

Author(s)J. Liberzon3; M. Jung1; T. Oh2; Y. Lim4; S. Kim7; S. Kang5; G. Daigger6;

Author affiliation(s)BKT Co. Ltd., KR1,2,4Department of Environmental System Engineering, Korea University, Sejong, KR1,7Tomorrow Water (BKT), Anaheim, CA3Water & Energy Advisors. Llc., Ann Arbor, MI 5Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI6

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2021

DOI10.2175/193864718825158005

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count13