Nutrient Removal Performance Of A New Algal High Rate Pond Pilot Plant

Ponds are a major part of the global wastewater treatment infrastructure, but traditional pond designs are not meant to achieve high levels of nutrient removal. High rate ponds that grow microalgae with high productivity should be able to achieve low effluent nutrient concentrations if CO2 concentrations do not limit growth. Typical municipal wastewater, after primary sedimentation, does not contain sufficient carbon to allow full assimilation of the wastewater's soluble N and P. However, sparging the pond with flue gas (e.g., from an engine burning biogas) removes the CO2 limitation on growth. The low nitrogen concentrations achievable with this process may have higher This paper reports on results from the new Algae Field Station was constructed in 2011 at the municipal wastewater treatment facility in San Luis Obispo, California. The Field Station is comprised of nine 30-m2 and eight 4-m2 high rate ponds, allowing for extensive replicated research. The effluent of the 30-m2 ponds is pumped to tube settlers for algae-water separation.