All wastewater treatment plants will experience operating problems from time to time, and some plants a lot more than others. Very few activated sludge plants have been completely free from foaming and bulking problems at some time and other plants suffer these problems on a routine basis. In a similar way poor solids removal, inefficient BOD removal, odour problems, inhibition and toxicity can all occur on a seemingly random basis. Routine sampling and chemical analysis from this is expensive, demanding and its interpretation is not always clear. By contrast microscopic examination of the microbial consortium in the treatment plant is simple, inexpensive and provides extensive information as to the likely causes of plant problems. The results can also be used to optimize the performance of the plant to ensure that effluent is as good as the plant is able to produce and that energy costs and sludge production are at a minimum. This paperback book with detailed contents of the training course is given to all delegates. 

PROGRAMME

The Protozoa

Introduction to floc morphology and protozoa

• What are they?
• What conditions do they like/dislike
• What they tell us about the process conditions
• Which protozoa are healthy for the plant

Lab session

• Using the microscope
• Floc structure
• Protozoa identification
• Filament numbers

Interpreting the results of microscopic examination

• Health of the plant,
• Changes that may have occurred in the influent,
• Process conditions (F/M, sludge age),
• Problems with the process (low O2, under/overloading,
• Nutrient deficiency,
• Toxicity

The Filaments

Filament identification

• Filament characteristics on wet mounts
• Cell size, shape, filament width, length, branching etc.
• Staining, Gram, Neisser, sulphur

Lab session

• Methods for identifying species
• Filament characteristics on wet mounts
• Identification charts
• Stained filament characteristics
• Gram and Neisser Staining

Control strategies for filamentous bacteria

• Chemical and physical strategies
  • Chlorination
  • PAC
  • Spray jetting

• Design considerations to eliminate filaments
  • selectors
  • floc loading
  • plug flow reactors