Challenge
Due to its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Coast, Maryland’s Eastern Shore has been experiencing significant growth in both residential and commercial development. As part of this trend, a new housing development called Lakeside at Trappe was proposed in 2006. With an increase in population and new, stringent discharge limitations, the town’s existing 25-year-old wastewater treatment facility lacked the capacity to handle the additional load. Therefore, a new, innovative, and environmentally sustainable solution was needed.
Solution
With these tight effluent requirements, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was the solution. More specifically Innovatreat’s miniMBR® external tubular membrane bioreactor. Rauch Inc. took the lead in completing the permitting and public communication efforts that resulted in the approval of the new residential development and installation of this advanced nutrient removal wastewater treatment plant.
The miniMBR® boasts not only a novel, compact design compared to conventional MBR’s but also a highly power efficient, quiet, and clean environment for the operators.
Innovatreat developed a streamlined approach to the overarching plant controls. New to municipal wastewater, the miniSCADA+ control system was developed using ifm’s quad-core Linux-based industrial computer with a high-resolution touch screen interface, rather than the typical PLC/HMI. The process instruments and sensors communicate via IO-link with direct reporting using ethernet protocols. With the advancements in the control system, operators benefit from higher levels of automation and immediate access to data trends. This facilitates faster response to deviations to help maintain high quality effluent and high membrane permeability and plant performance.
The basis of the miniMBR®design is inherently modular and grounded in ease of use. It is operator friendly, incorporates automated membrane cleaning, is easy to expand, and due to the compact size, is easy to disguise from the public. The unsightly hallmarks of traditional wastewater plants are not present with Innovatreat’s miniMBR®.
Results
Effluent Results: The plant has been reliably meeting Maryland’s Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) effluent limits of < 10 mg/L BOD, < 10 mg/L TSS, < 3 mg/L total nitrogen, and <0.3 mg/L of total phosphorous.
