FULL SCALE DEMONSTRATION OF AN INNOVATIVE TRICKLING FILTER BNR PROCESS

In response to the Chesapeake Bay Initiative, the City of Salisbury elected to voluntarily participate in Maryland's Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Grants Program. The BNR program, as proposed in the BNR Grant Agreement, was based upon upgrading the city's existing 6.8 mgd biological treatment process (trickling filter process) utilizing innovative technology. The proposed innovation consisted of upgrading the existing process to an “anoxic/oxic two-stage trickling filter BNR process”, referred to hereafter as the A/O-TF process, in order to realize significant construction and operating cost savings. Construction cost savings of about 5 million in comparison to a new activated sludge BNR plant.The proposed A/O-TF process provided the opportunity to capitalize on major process advantages in comparison to the conventional activated sludge BNR process approach. A/O-TF process benefits include: construction cost savings of 5 million, lower O&M costs, lower energy consumption, significantly lower sludge production, and better process stability in response to significant weekday/weekend variations due to industrial loading.