Aeration Tank: An activated sludge process where air is added into the water to encourage microbial growth. The microbes in the water feed on the organic material and form flocs that then settle out.

Overview of a large outdoor aeration tank

There are two main ways that air is added into the water and they are through blowers and mixers. There are various types of both blowers and mixers.

An example of a blower in a tank

An example of both mixers and blowers in a tank

Aeration is the part of the process that has the most potential recommendations. It is also a rather common practice in industrial applications that can help to reduce BOD.

Possible recommendations are:

  • Injecting Pure Oxygen instead of Air
  • Replace Coarse Bubble Diffusers with Finer Pore Diffusers
  • Install Dissolved Oxygen Probes
  • Automatic Dissolved Oxygen Controls
  • Replace Positive Displacement with Centrifugal Pumps
  • Install VFD on Blowers