Biological treatment processes are an important component in many wastewater treatment

systems. They are one of the most efficient and effective ways of reducing organic material in
wastewater. There are quite a few of them that have been researched and used over several
decades. However, one of the most widely used conventional biological treatment process is
the activated sludge process (ASP). Many sewage treatment plants use ASP in their secondary
treatment steps due to the human and animal organic matter in the inlet waters of wastewater
treatment plants.
The term “activated sludge” comes from the fact that the sludge contains live bacteria and
protozoa
that actively digest and break down sewage. It is different from the sludge solids removed
following
a settling process in that way, with the addition of being odorless.
The process itself involves pumping the effluent from the primary treatment clarification step
into a
large tank that contains the activated sludge. The mixture is subjected to aeration, either from
submerged or surface aerators. This provides oxygen to the effluent that the bacteria can then use
to break down the organic waste material. After a sufficient amount of hydraulic retention time,
the
resulting slurry is pumped into a clarification system or tank to settle out the remaining solids.
The
treated water is pumped off from the top to any subsequent polishing filtration and disinfection
while
the sludge at the bottom is recirculated back to the ASP tank to reseed the leftover activated
sludge.
ASP has been proven to obtain decent results in the final quality of the treated water