Microvi Commissions First Commercial Sidestream Treatment System in the U.S. Pacific Coast Region at the Oro Loma/Castro Valley Sanitary Districts’ 12 MGD Treatment Plant
Microvi and Oro Loma/Castro Valley Sanitary Districts (OLSD/CVSan) are pleased to announce the commissioning of the first dewatered filtrate (sidestream) treatment system in the Pacific Coast Region of the United States. This full-scale 12 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) plant utilizes Microvi’s MNE technology to reduce OLSD’s nitrogen discharge to the San Francisco Bay by up to 400,000 pounds (lbs) per year.
The project was funded by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and OLSD/CVSan and represents a significant collaboration between Microvi, OLSD, CVSan, HDR Inc. (consulting engineer) and EKI Environment and Water Inc. (project design engineer). The system will reduce the nutrient load from OLSD by 8,000,000 lbs over 20 years. This project also established a local internship program to provide training and career pathways into the wastewater industry.
“Sidestream Treatment is a natural first step to addressing nutrient concerns in the San Francisco Bay and beyond. The stream is concentrated and warm – allowing for significant nutrient reductions with modest investment. Microvi’s technology could be a game changer for our industry as it allows targeted treatment to specific water quality concerns. We are pleased to partner with Microvi to make it happen. We are also grateful to the EPA for stoking innovation in our industry and helping to fund the work,” said Rita Duncan, Board President of Oro Loma Sanitary District.
“This groundbreaking project is a major milestone for Microvi and the industry as a whole. We are pleased to showcase our MNE technology for the removal of nitrogen at Oro Loma/CVSan’s 12 MGD plant. This installation will aid in efforts to protect the San Franscisco Bay from significant nitrogen discharge,” said Dr. Fatemeh Shirazi, CEO of Microvi. “We are committed to bringing our sustainable and transformative nitrogen solution to the other wastewater facilities in the Bay Area and across the globe.”
The sidestream is the liquid resulting from the dewatering of anaerobically digested biosolids, which is typically routed back into the facility’s treatment process. This stream can represent approximately 1% of the flow entering a wastewater facility but can comprise 20% or more of the nitrogen loading.
Nitrogen treatment in the sidestream is growing in prominence given its potential for significant reductions in capital and operating costs as well as reduced process risk. The treatment of high-strength ammonia allows alternative, more efficient microbiology to be utilized without complex processes requiring extensive online instrumentation and specialized operating resources. Microvi’s MNE technology for treatment of nitrogen simplifies the overall treatment process and can be retrofitted into existing infrastructure.
By treating this sidestream, the Microvi MNE technology will improve the reliability of nitrogen removal across the entire treatment process by advantageously converting ammonia only to nitrite, reducing energy consumption by 25% and reducing carbon dosing by 40%.
The heart of Microvi MNE technology is its novel biocatalytic composites (MNE biocatalysts) that intensify and extend the life of biological processes, while maintaining a controlled population of microorganisms at a much higher density than existing technologies. Despite the complexity of the MNE biocatalysts themselves, the design and operation of the systems are simple with no complex process controls. In addition, Microvi MNE does not produce additional solids and reduces energy and carbon requirements.
This project builds upon the successful demonstration of Microvi MNE at Oro Loma Sanitary District showing full Nitrogen removal in less than two hours. Microvi MNE has also been implemented for drinking water projects including Sunny Slope Water Company.
About Microvi
Microvi is a transformative biology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that delivers next-generation biotechnologies for the water, wastewater, bio-based chemicals, biofuels and biopharma industries. Microvi offers commercial technologies around the world to reduce waste, increase productivity and provide disruptive economics across the value chain. Learn more at www.microvi.com.
About Oro Loma Sanitary District
Oro Loma Sanitary District, formed on August 7, 1911, is one of the first agencies in Alameda County, California. As a special district, Oro Loma provides wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste and recycling services. The District serves several communities, including San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, and Fairview, as well as 40% of the City of San Leandro and small portions of Castro Valley and the City of Hayward. Oro Loma’s service area is located about 13 miles south of Oakland, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay.
About the EPA SFWQIF
For more information about EPA’s San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, visit: http://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/sf-bay-water-quality-improvement-fund
For more information about EPA’s Wetland Program Development Grants, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants
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