Pharmaceuticals

CHALLENGES

Due to new sewage regulations, a pharmaceutical formulations production site was required to treat its industrial wastewater prior to discharge to the municipal sewage system. Several challenges had to be addressed:

• Drastic variations in inlet concentrations and composition due to changes in production.
• Limited area for WWTP installation.
• Fast erection period.
• Stable process that ensure compliance with stringent discharge standards.
• Proximity to a residential area.

SOLUTION

The new WWTP included equalization tank, preliminary screen, two stage Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), DAF and sludge handling system. Also, in order to avoid an odor nuisance, an air emissions treatment system was installed. The buildup works lasted for 8 months and included: production of tanks and biological reactors, installation of equipment, introducing Aqwise biomass carriers and commissioning. The usage of fine-bubble diffusers (unique to Aqwise) enabled reduction of operational costs.

RESULTS

After a startup that lasted for 3 weeks, the AGAR® MBBR & DAF produced a high quality effluent achieving more than 80% reduction of COD levels. The System is operated for last 3 years presenting stable and robust process.

SUMMARY

The new WWTP enabled the client to comply with new discharge regulations, the WWTP, based on the AGAR® MBBR technology, was erected in several months and achieved the required standards after 3 weeks of startup. The system coped well with the constant changes in inlet composition and concentrations. In addition, it was proved that the MBBR is a stable process that can cope with toxic compounds and hydraulic shock.

• 
  Durable & Flexible Process
• 
  Low Capital Investment
• 
  Small Footprint
• 
  Quick Installation