Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal within Membrane Bioreactors

Several Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) facilities have been constructed with the intent of providing Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR), and several additional such plants are being designed and constructed. Full-scale plant information is now available for process designers to better understand the unique design and operating issues associated with the incorporation of EBPR designs in MBRs. This paper presents an overview of prior full-scale experience, defines four Fundamental Design Issues, and then presents the process flow diagrams and descriptions of the BNR and EBPR process designs that have evolved to date for MBRs. The paper then presents two innovative process designs currently being implemented in California and Nevada, and that may represent significant breakthroughs in process design for MBR systems.