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The CleanB® system treats Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) and a variety of organic wastes onsite on a semi‐continuous basis to produce Class B biosolids. The process eliminates the need for complex wastewater treatment infrastructure and requires only minutes to achieve results. CleanB® is environmentally responsible and economically viable for wastewater treatment plants of almost any size.
The CleanB® Process
Step 1 – Sludge Delivery
A WAS Pump feeds sludge at a maximum of 2% solids from the clarifier into the CleanB® Process Unit at a monitored and controlled flow rate.
Step 2 – CleanB® Chemistry Injection
The Chemistry Injection System delivers a flow-controlled dose of chlorine dioxide through BCR’s patented Generating System. The system adjusts for variations in the sludge flow rate. BCR’s Generating System is an innovative method for maintaining the desired chlorine dioxide concentration. Dosing is handled automatically by the SCADA Process Controls to ensure optimal disinfection and odor elimination.
Step 3 – CleanB® Disinfection
CleanB® chemistry mixes with the sludge stream in the Process Contact System, where disinfection occurs and odor-causing compounds are destroyed. The Process Contact System is a custom designed piping system engineered to fit compactly within a small footprint and provide the proper residence time for uniform disinfection. Upon exiting the CleanB® Process Contact System, treated biosolids are delivered to the dewatering equipment without the need for any additional pumping.
Step 4 – Dewatering
Following CleanB® treatment, Class B biosolids are dewatered using standard dewatering technology such as a centrifuge, screw press, or belt press. BCR can supply dewatering equipment, if needed. Or the client can use existing equipment or source its own dewatering equipment.
Step 5 – End Product Management
CleanB® treated biosolids are a Class B biosolids product that is safe for land application as set forth by Title 40 CFR Part 503. The biosolids can be land applied or used as feedstock at a compost facility. CleanB® reduces odors in the end product. By eliminating odors, CleanB® expands the number of viable land application sites to include locations with nearby residences.
CleanB® Benefits
Reduced capital costs: CleanB® requires minimal upfront capital to implement, and BCR offers flexible project approaches that can even eliminate upfront capital costs. The CleanB® system reduces infrastructure complexity by eliminating the need for digestion.
Reduced operating costs: The CleanB® solution uses chemistry rather than energy to achieve Class B standards. The end result is a reduction in energy and polymer costs.
Reduced energy requirements: By eliminating the need for digestion and other energy-intensive systems, CleanB® installations typically experience substantial energy savings, often reducing energy consumption by 90% or greater. Energy savings translate to operating cost savings and a reduced carbon footprint.
Improved dewatering of biosolids: CleanB® installations typically experience improved biosolids dewatering, often achieving 20% dryer solids while requiring up to 30% less polymer.
Reduction of odor issues: CleanB® effectively eliminates odor issues beginning with onsite treatment and continuing through transportation and end product disposition. CleanB® chemical treatment eliminates odorous compounds by oxidizing sulfides, sulfates, and mercaptans.
Enhanced regulatory Compliance: CleanB® simply and consistently meets U.S. EPA regulatory requirements for beneficial reuse of Class B biosolids in accordance with Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 503. Class B biosolids are created in minutes vs. 30-40 days for digestion.
CleanB® Biosolids
CleanB® treated biosolids meet Class B biosolids standards in accordance with Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 503 through Alternative 1: Monitoring of Indicator Organisms or Alternative 3: Biosolids Treated in a Process Equivalent to a PSRP. CleanB® biosolids meet Vector Attraction Reduction (VAR) requirements for land application through either Option 4: Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate (SOUR) or Option 10: Incorporation. Other options exist under a number of different situations, including the use of Option 4: Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate (SOUR) when used with extended aerobic processes, or Option 5: Aerobic treatment for at least 14 days above 104°F with an average temperature over 113°F when the material is processed at a compost facility.
By avoiding digestion, CleanB® biosolids retain a higher nutrient content, making them a highly desirable beneficial reuse product. The biosolids have a near neutral pH, expanding the number of viable disposition sites compared to lime stabilization. CleanB® treatment oxidizes sulfides, sulfates, and mercaptans (odor-producing chemicals) and produces an end product free from foul odors. The odor-free nature of CleanB® biosolids further increases the desirability of the product and expands viable application sites to those in close proximity to residences.
Benefits of CleanB® Biosolids
CleanB® biosolids deliver numerous key advantages when compared to other Class B products produced through traditional management technologies:
Elimination of odor issues: CleanB® effectively eliminates odor issues associated with end product disposition. The CleanB® chemical treatment eliminates odorous compounds, producing a biosolids product with a pleasant, earthy smell. Land application can take place in close proximity to residences without generating nuisance odors or odor complaints.
Improved product quality: Eliminating digestion produces a more consistent end product and enhances nutrient retention in the biosolids, resulting in a more nutrient-rich, restorative Class B product.
Expanded disposition options: Regulatory restrictions can limit land application of the high pH material produced by lime stabilization, and few land application facilities can accept it. CleanB® produces a pH neutral product that expands the number of viable land application sites.
Simplified regulatory compliance: BCR maintains open communication with the U.S. EPA and state environmental agencies to ensure our end products achieve current and future regulatory compliance. CleanB® biosolids meet the U.S. EPA requirements for Class B biosolids suitable for a wide variety of permitted land application sites.
Reduced nutrient loss: Light textured (sandy) soils possess a low cation exchange capacity (CEC), resulting in nutrient loss. Adding CleanB® biosolids to the soil raises the CEC and enables the soil to better hold onto nutrients like potash and nitrogen which would otherwise leach out of the soil.
Improved plant survival and growth rates: Organic matter improves the aggregate strength of soils, making the soil more resistant to compaction, improving root penetration, and helping plants establish and sustain growth. Additional nitrogen fertilizer alone cannot compensate when organic matter is low. CleanB® biosolids add necessary organic material back to the soil.
City of Alachua CleanB® Treatment FacilityAlachua, FL
In 2010, The City of Alachua installed BCR’s CleanB® system to upgrade to an odor free Class B product. The CleanB® installation processes WAS from the City of Alachua’s wastewater treatment plant. WAS from the clarifier is sent to a single sludge holding tank for decanting. After sufficient quantities of waste activated sludge are accumulated the sludge is processed through the CleanB® system and dewatered. The dewatered Class B cake is then land applied to a permitted Class B land application site or composted. The biosolids facility was designed, permitted, and constructed by Haskell and BCR in 2010.
Berkeley County Public Service Sewer District, West VirginiaBerkeley, WV
- Baker Heights
- Inwood
- Opequon
- North Berkeley – Hedgesville
In April 2014, the Berkeley County Public Service Sewer District (BCPSSD) contracted with BCR Environmental to install CleanB® systems at four of its wastewater treatment plants to upgrade to Class B biosolids production. BCPSSD chose to install the CleanB® systems as a lower capital and operating cost alternative to aerobic digestion.
Berkeley County is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the largest estuary in the United States. Excessive nutrient runoff is a major challenge facing the bay, and the BCPSSD was seeking solutions that would reduce nutrient runoff as part of its overall improvement program. The CleanB® solution will allow BCPSSD to reduce its impact on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by producing an end product that will allow soils to better retain nutrients which could otherwise leach from the soil into the local water system.
The BCPSSD CleanB® systems will process Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) from the County’s wastewater treatment plants. Treated residuals will then be dewatered and beneficially reused. The CleanB® systems are outfitted with control systems and monitoring devices to record process parameters and ensure consistent, repeatable biosolids treatment.
CleanB® – Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, FloridaBCR completed a detailed financial analysis based on verified operating data comparing aerobic digestion operations to CleanB® at NAS Jacksonville. Data were collected over the first year of CleanB® operations to verify the results. The analysis indicates that CleanB® will save NAS Jacksonville approximately $146,500 per year on average over the next 20 years, primarily due to decreased energy consumption.
In 2012, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville installed BCR’s CleanB® system at its wastewater treatment plant. Since start-up of the CleanB®, NAS Jacksonville has experienced a 95% reduction in energy consumption for biosolids treatment and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 480 tons per year.
Background
NAS Jacksonville, the largest Navy base in the Southeast and the third largest in the nation, was seeking energy efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies to reduce energy consumption as part of its efforts to meet the United States Navy’s aggressive energy reform targets.
NAS Jacksonville, the largest Navy base in the Southeast and the third largest in the nation, was seeking energy efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies to reduce energy consumption as part of its efforts to meet the United States Navy’s aggressive energy reform targets.
In 2012, the base upgraded its wastewater treatment facility by installing a CleanB® solution to eliminate the need for aerobic digestion and achieve U.S. EPA Class B biosolids standards for beneficial reuse.
The CleanB® Solution
CleanB® is a simple process that meets pathogen and vector attraction reduction requirements as defined by 40 CFR Part 503. The system is highly scalable, has a small footprint, and may be mobilized or permanently installed onsite. Every CleanB® system is outfitted with a control system and monitoring devices to record process parameters and ensure efficient operation.
The CleanB® solution provided NAS Jacksonville an environmentally sustainable approach to achieving its goals of reducing both energy consumption and overall costs.
Project Summary
The CleanB® system was integrated into the NAS Jacksonville wastewater treatment plant as follows:
- The existing aerobic digester was taken offline, eliminating a substantial source of energy consumption
- A CleanB® unit was installed to treat waste activated sludge from the clarifier to Class B standards prior to dewatering
Following installation of the CleanB® solution, NAS Jacksonville has experienced numerous benefits, including:
- Energy cost savings of approximately $75,000 for the first year of CleanB® operations
- A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 480 tons in the first year of operation with a projected reduction of 9,653 tons over the next 20 years
- Improved dewatering of biosolids resulting in approximately 12 fewer truckloads of biosolids in the first year
- A 71% decrease in polymer consumption
- Total operating cost savings of approximately $105,000 in the first year of operation and cumulative savings of approximately $2.9 million over the next 20 years
NAS Jacksonville Financial Analysis
BCR completed a detailed financial analysis based on verified operating data comparing aerobic digestion operations to CleanB® at NAS Jacksonville. Data were collected over the first year of CleanB® operations to verify the results. The analysis indicates that CleanB® will save NAS Jacksonville approximately $146,500 per year on average over the next 20 years, primarily due to decreased energy consumption.
Projections based on verified operating data show that annual energy savings will average almost $107,000 over the next 20 years compared to previous aerobic digestion operations.
The total projected GHG reduction is 9,653 tons over the next 20 years. This number considers energy reduction, reduced hauling, and the elimination of aerobic digestion.
CleanB® enhances dewatering, decreasing the total volume of biosolids. This results in 13 fewer truckloads per year and average annual savings of over $10,000 on hauling and disposition.
Total projected annual operating cost savings at NAS Jacksonville translate to paybacks on the equipment and the entire installation of 5.0 and 6.5 years, respectively.
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority Implements BCR’S Turnkey SolutionFt. Pierce, FLBCR’s Clean B® solution will drive environmental benefits, while reducing operating costs by 30% annually.
On December 10, 2014 The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) held the grand opening for implementation of BCR’s Clean B®system at the City’s Island Water Reclamation Facility.
The state-of-the-art system includes Clean B® TM disinfection, stabilization, dewatering, transportation and disposition of biosolids. The Clean B® treatment system is patented by BCR based in Jacksonville. The system converts municipal biosolids to odor-free stabilized Class B material in a fraction of the normal time and cos of traditional digestion systems. Class B biosolids have significantly reduced levels of pathogens and vector attraction, which help protect public health and the environment.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit revision on August 26, 2014, to allow construction and subsequent operation of the system at FPUA’s Island Water Reclamation Facility treatment plant. The finished product allows biosolids generated by the facility to be applied beneficially to land, transferred to a DEP-approved biosolids treatment facility and/or used as a biofuel. In the first year alone, the system is expected to save FPUA approximately $190,000 annually by reducing energy consumption, simplifying treatment operations and lowering operating costs.
“It has been a pleasure collaborating with the Ft. Pierce Utility Authority on this new project,” said Michael Bechtold, professional engineer with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “The department applauds FPUA for constructing an environmentally sound alternative for the biosolids treatment of their waste product from the Water Reclamation Facility. Biosolids can be a useful product when provided sufficient treatment. By complying with the department’s rules and regulations, the process turns a waste product into a valuable resource.”
“Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has a long history of implementing environmentally conscious programs in our wastewater, water and energy programs,” said Bill Thiess, Director of Utilities at FPUA. “This new system will not only conserve energy but will also process wastewater that is more environmentally friendly, keeping Fort Pierce beautiful for all to enjoy.”
Loganville WWTP – Loganville, GALoganville, Ga,In 2016, the City of Loganville, Georgia installed BCR’s CleanB® solution at its 1.5 MGD wastewater treatment plant. Prior to the CleanB® installation, the facility used a sequence batch reactor (SBR) followed by a digester. Due to strong residential growth rates in the area, the facility had to plan for a significant increase in their average daily flow. The estimated flow increase would far exceed their digester capacity and put the City at risk of meeting Class B disinfection requirements. The facility also brings in septic sludge periodically and had issues with odors both at the facility and disposition sites.
The decision to install a CleanB® system addressed capacity, regulatory, and odor concerns. Currently, the facility uses the existing digester (fed from the SBR) as a pass-through “wide-spot” to feed the CleanB® system, which allows for operational flexibility. The CleanB® consistently meets Class B and VAR requirements, and the dewatered end-product is beneficially reused. The treated WAS is dewatered using an existing Centrysis centrifuge. In addition to eliminating foul odors, increasing capacity and decreasing regulatory risks, the facility has realized significant costs savings due to: 1) significantly lowering the digester blower output, 2) decreased polymer consumption and 3) increasing cake solids from 18% to 22%, significantly reducing hauling and disposition costs.
Upper Mill Creek WWTP, Butler County, OHButler County OHIn October 2020, a permanent CleanB® system was installed at Upper Mill Creek WRF, Butler County, Ohio, allowing the facility to dispose of their biosolids at a nearby landfill, significantly reducing hauling and tipping fees. The CleanB® also creates a Class B biosolid per 40 CFR 503 regulations, allowing for multiple outlet possibilities for Class B biosolids disposal, limiting long-term risks of landfill acceptance.
While the process does not reduce the degradable organic fraction of the biosolids, it essentially eliminates malodors typically associated with biosolids processing. In areas where land application is practical year-round, careful management of the logistics of hauling and spreading help prevent odors from forming. If the material cannot be land applied on an annual basis, CleanB® treatment can add significant benefits and value when combined with additional treatment, such as traditional aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion or a dryer. The CleanB® pre-treatment process can provide a viable option for increasing digester performance and capacity, increasing volatile solids destruction in aerobic digest for both anaerobic ana aerobic digestion, increasing methane production for anaerobic digesters, reducing odors and enhancing dryer performance for facilities with (or without) a long-term storage program.
Vero Beach WWTP, Vero Beach, FL 2018Vero Beach, FL
In March of 2018, the City of Vero Beach installed a CleanB® system to help the facility reduce odor due to the close proximity to homes and receiving multiple odor complaints. Other factors that lead the City to install a CleanB® system was to reduce costs, improve regulatory compliance and simplify operations
In 2010, The City of Alachua installed BCR’s CleanB® system to upgrade to an odor free Class B product. The CleanB® installation processes WAS from the City of Alachua’s wastewater treatment plant. WAS from the clarifier is sent to a single sludge holding tank for decanting. After sufficient quantities of waste activated sludge are accumulated the sludge is processed through the CleanB® system and dewatered. The dewatered Class B cake is then land applied to a permitted Class B land application site or composted. The biosolids facility was designed, permitted, and constructed by Haskell and BCR in 2010.
- Baker Heights
- Inwood
- Opequon
- North Berkeley – Hedgesville
In April 2014, the Berkeley County Public Service Sewer District (BCPSSD) contracted with BCR Environmental to install CleanB® systems at four of its wastewater treatment plants to upgrade to Class B biosolids production. BCPSSD chose to install the CleanB® systems as a lower capital and operating cost alternative to aerobic digestion.
Berkeley County is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the largest estuary in the United States. Excessive nutrient runoff is a major challenge facing the bay, and the BCPSSD was seeking solutions that would reduce nutrient runoff as part of its overall improvement program. The CleanB® solution will allow BCPSSD to reduce its impact on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by producing an end product that will allow soils to better retain nutrients which could otherwise leach from the soil into the local water system.
The BCPSSD CleanB® systems will process Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) from the County’s wastewater treatment plants. Treated residuals will then be dewatered and beneficially reused. The CleanB® systems are outfitted with control systems and monitoring devices to record process parameters and ensure consistent, repeatable biosolids treatment.
BCR completed a detailed financial analysis based on verified operating data comparing aerobic digestion operations to CleanB® at NAS Jacksonville. Data were collected over the first year of CleanB® operations to verify the results. The analysis indicates that CleanB® will save NAS Jacksonville approximately $146,500 per year on average over the next 20 years, primarily due to decreased energy consumption.
In 2012, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville installed BCR’s CleanB® system at its wastewater treatment plant. Since start-up of the CleanB®, NAS Jacksonville has experienced a 95% reduction in energy consumption for biosolids treatment and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 480 tons per year.
Background
NAS Jacksonville, the largest Navy base in the Southeast and the third largest in the nation, was seeking energy efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies to reduce energy consumption as part of its efforts to meet the United States Navy’s aggressive energy reform targets.
NAS Jacksonville, the largest Navy base in the Southeast and the third largest in the nation, was seeking energy efficient and environmentally sustainable technologies to reduce energy consumption as part of its efforts to meet the United States Navy’s aggressive energy reform targets.
In 2012, the base upgraded its wastewater treatment facility by installing a CleanB® solution to eliminate the need for aerobic digestion and achieve U.S. EPA Class B biosolids standards for beneficial reuse.
The CleanB® Solution
CleanB® is a simple process that meets pathogen and vector attraction reduction requirements as defined by 40 CFR Part 503. The system is highly scalable, has a small footprint, and may be mobilized or permanently installed onsite. Every CleanB® system is outfitted with a control system and monitoring devices to record process parameters and ensure efficient operation.
The CleanB® solution provided NAS Jacksonville an environmentally sustainable approach to achieving its goals of reducing both energy consumption and overall costs.
Project Summary
The CleanB® system was integrated into the NAS Jacksonville wastewater treatment plant as follows:
- The existing aerobic digester was taken offline, eliminating a substantial source of energy consumption
- A CleanB® unit was installed to treat waste activated sludge from the clarifier to Class B standards prior to dewatering
Following installation of the CleanB® solution, NAS Jacksonville has experienced numerous benefits, including:
- Energy cost savings of approximately $75,000 for the first year of CleanB® operations
- A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 480 tons in the first year of operation with a projected reduction of 9,653 tons over the next 20 years
- Improved dewatering of biosolids resulting in approximately 12 fewer truckloads of biosolids in the first year
- A 71% decrease in polymer consumption
- Total operating cost savings of approximately $105,000 in the first year of operation and cumulative savings of approximately $2.9 million over the next 20 years
NAS Jacksonville Financial Analysis
BCR completed a detailed financial analysis based on verified operating data comparing aerobic digestion operations to CleanB® at NAS Jacksonville. Data were collected over the first year of CleanB® operations to verify the results. The analysis indicates that CleanB® will save NAS Jacksonville approximately $146,500 per year on average over the next 20 years, primarily due to decreased energy consumption.
Projections based on verified operating data show that annual energy savings will average almost $107,000 over the next 20 years compared to previous aerobic digestion operations.
The total projected GHG reduction is 9,653 tons over the next 20 years. This number considers energy reduction, reduced hauling, and the elimination of aerobic digestion.
CleanB® enhances dewatering, decreasing the total volume of biosolids. This results in 13 fewer truckloads per year and average annual savings of over $10,000 on hauling and disposition.
Total projected annual operating cost savings at NAS Jacksonville translate to paybacks on the equipment and the entire installation of 5.0 and 6.5 years, respectively.
BCR’s Clean B® solution will drive environmental benefits, while reducing operating costs by 30% annually.
On December 10, 2014 The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) held the grand opening for implementation of BCR’s Clean B®system at the City’s Island Water Reclamation Facility.
The state-of-the-art system includes Clean B® TM disinfection, stabilization, dewatering, transportation and disposition of biosolids. The Clean B® treatment system is patented by BCR based in Jacksonville. The system converts municipal biosolids to odor-free stabilized Class B material in a fraction of the normal time and cos of traditional digestion systems. Class B biosolids have significantly reduced levels of pathogens and vector attraction, which help protect public health and the environment.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit revision on August 26, 2014, to allow construction and subsequent operation of the system at FPUA’s Island Water Reclamation Facility treatment plant. The finished product allows biosolids generated by the facility to be applied beneficially to land, transferred to a DEP-approved biosolids treatment facility and/or used as a biofuel. In the first year alone, the system is expected to save FPUA approximately $190,000 annually by reducing energy consumption, simplifying treatment operations and lowering operating costs.
“It has been a pleasure collaborating with the Ft. Pierce Utility Authority on this new project,” said Michael Bechtold, professional engineer with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “The department applauds FPUA for constructing an environmentally sound alternative for the biosolids treatment of their waste product from the Water Reclamation Facility. Biosolids can be a useful product when provided sufficient treatment. By complying with the department’s rules and regulations, the process turns a waste product into a valuable resource.”
“Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has a long history of implementing environmentally conscious programs in our wastewater, water and energy programs,” said Bill Thiess, Director of Utilities at FPUA. “This new system will not only conserve energy but will also process wastewater that is more environmentally friendly, keeping Fort Pierce beautiful for all to enjoy.”
In 2016, the City of Loganville, Georgia installed BCR’s CleanB® solution at its 1.5 MGD wastewater treatment plant. Prior to the CleanB® installation, the facility used a sequence batch reactor (SBR) followed by a digester. Due to strong residential growth rates in the area, the facility had to plan for a significant increase in their average daily flow. The estimated flow increase would far exceed their digester capacity and put the City at risk of meeting Class B disinfection requirements. The facility also brings in septic sludge periodically and had issues with odors both at the facility and disposition sites.
The decision to install a CleanB® system addressed capacity, regulatory, and odor concerns. Currently, the facility uses the existing digester (fed from the SBR) as a pass-through “wide-spot” to feed the CleanB® system, which allows for operational flexibility. The CleanB® consistently meets Class B and VAR requirements, and the dewatered end-product is beneficially reused. The treated WAS is dewatered using an existing Centrysis centrifuge. In addition to eliminating foul odors, increasing capacity and decreasing regulatory risks, the facility has realized significant costs savings due to: 1) significantly lowering the digester blower output, 2) decreased polymer consumption and 3) increasing cake solids from 18% to 22%, significantly reducing hauling and disposition costs.
In October 2020, a permanent CleanB® system was installed at Upper Mill Creek WRF, Butler County, Ohio, allowing the facility to dispose of their biosolids at a nearby landfill, significantly reducing hauling and tipping fees. The CleanB® also creates a Class B biosolid per 40 CFR 503 regulations, allowing for multiple outlet possibilities for Class B biosolids disposal, limiting long-term risks of landfill acceptance.
While the process does not reduce the degradable organic fraction of the biosolids, it essentially eliminates malodors typically associated with biosolids processing. In areas where land application is practical year-round, careful management of the logistics of hauling and spreading help prevent odors from forming. If the material cannot be land applied on an annual basis, CleanB® treatment can add significant benefits and value when combined with additional treatment, such as traditional aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion or a dryer. The CleanB® pre-treatment process can provide a viable option for increasing digester performance and capacity, increasing volatile solids destruction in aerobic digest for both anaerobic ana aerobic digestion, increasing methane production for anaerobic digesters, reducing odors and enhancing dryer performance for facilities with (or without) a long-term storage program.
In March of 2018, the City of Vero Beach installed a CleanB® system to help the facility reduce odor due to the close proximity to homes and receiving multiple odor complaints. Other factors that lead the City to install a CleanB® system was to reduce costs, improve regulatory compliance and simplify operations
The CleanB® Pretreatment Process
Step 1 – Sludge Delivery
A WAS Pump feeds sludge at a maximum of 2% solids from the clarifier into the CleanB® Process Unit at a monitored and controlled flow rate.
Step 2 – CleanB® Chemistry Injection
The Chemistry Injection System delivers a flow-controlled dose of chlorine dioxide through BCR’s patented Generating System. The system adjusts for variations in the sludge flow rate. BCR’s Generating System is an innovative method for maintaining the desired chlorine dioxide concentration. Dosing is handled automatically by the SCADA Process Controls to ensure optimal disinfection and odor elimination.
Step 3 – CleanB® Disinfection
CleanB® chemistry mixes with the sludge stream in the Process Contact System, where disinfection occurs and odor-causing compounds are destroyed. The Process Contact System is a custom designed piping system engineered to fit compactly within a small footprint and provide the proper residence time for uniform disinfection. Upon exiting the CleanB® Process Contact System, treated biosolids are delivered to the dewatering equipment without the need for any additional pumping.
Step 4 – Dewatered for composting, landfill acceptance, or dryer operations OR Step 5
Following CleanB® treatment, Class B biosolids are dewatered using standard dewatering technology such as a centrifuge, screw press, or belt press. BCR can supply dewatering equipment, if needed. Or the client can use existing equipment or source its own dewatering equipment.
Step 5 – Digestion
CleanB® pretreated biosolids are transferred to an aerobic or anaerobic digester to increase methane production, increase capacity, improve dewatering, and/or meet VAR requirements in a fraction of the time.
CleanB® Pretreatment Benefits
The CleanB® Pretreatment system treats Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) in the same way as the patented CleanB® system, however, it is used to enhance other processes. These processes include drying, aerobic digestion , anaerobic digestion and composting operations.
Drying: The dewatered material after CleanB® Pretreatment has higher cake solids, contains less polymer, and has a higher particle size distribution making drying operations more efficient and reduces energy demands by up to 30%. In addition, the odors associated with dryer processes are virtually eliminated, eradicating the need for other expensive and costly odor reduction systems.
Aerobic Digestion: CleanB® pretreatment prior to an aerobic digester allows for VSR to be achieved in as little as 7 days, less than half the time when compared to traditional digestion that takes multiple weeks. This makes CleanB® Pretreatment an ideal fit for facilities operating at or near capacity and/or have trouble meeting VAR and disinfection requirements. Other benefits include increased cake solids, decreased odors and decreased polymer consumption.
Anaerobic Digestion: The CleanB® pretreatment system can be used to treat the sludge stream (WAS portion only) entering an anerobic digester. The patented process and chemistry increases methane production by up to 30% and increases volatile solids reduction (VSR).
Composting: CleanB® pretreatment makes composting operations more efficient and reduces risks in a multitude of ways:
- Improved dewaterability improves handling of the material for mixing with green waste;
- Odors are substantially reduced during the entire composting process and end product;
- A small residual of beneficial organisms are left after CleanB® pretreatment, lowering the competition for a food source, and as a result, time to temperature takes place in as little as 24 hours as opposed to several days, increasing facility capacity and improving operations.
