Description
What can BugJuice do for your digester?
The catalysts in BugJuice convert insoluble BOD to soluble simple sugars and materials so the bacteria can digest it. This process promotes great sludge reduction.
Many new wastewater treatment plants do not have primary treatment. This means the aeration basin catches everything including hard-to-digest fats, surfactants, paper products, and complex chemistries sent by industries.
In other words, all the insoluble BOD goes into the digester or sludge storage tank, and BugJuice is going to significantly reduce it.
The Story Behind BugJuice
Four years ago we visited Jim, a watewater operator who wanted a product to put in his aerobic digester to reduce sludge and save hauling costs. Our lab researched and ran tests to understand why certain materials and solids were not breaking down properly. It took two years to create a biochemical catalyst this powerful and helpful to the bacteria.
We took it to Jim, and it improved his settling and reduced his hauling by 40%. Jim and many operators continue to use our BugJuice and swear by it.
This municipality operates a 300,000 gpd activated sludge plant. All of their solids from their plant goes into one of two 100,000 gallon digestors.
Monthly one of the digestors is hauled off to a field for land application. It costs roughly $4000 per month to haul sludge.
The Case Study graphs show how their percent solids and wasting schedule compares before and after treatment.
The operator says in a small city everything you can do to save money helps. “BugJuice saves us about $24,000 per year in hauling. A savings my Mayor appreciates.”
Dosage Rate:
Sludge Reduction in Digester or Storage Tank:
Note: Pour dose all at once over aeration or mixing.
When used as a complement to AQUABACxt:
1 pint per 100,000 GPD into the front end of plant until red worms are gone.
Correctional Facility Sludge Storage
Challenge
A wastewater treatment plant located at a correctional facility in Wisconsin operates an oxidation ditch with a primary flow of 150,000 gallons per day. They have two sludge storage tanks that were filled to the brim. This caused them to haul sludge often, costing them thousands of dollars each year.
Solution
To reduce hauling, this summer (2014) the operators applied 5 gallons of BugJuice initially and then dropped back to ½ a gallon per week. The biochemical catalysts went to work by degrading the immense sludge buildup caused by papers and grease from the correctional facility.
Results
By November 2014, the sludge levels dropped two-thirds. The sludge thickened and went from 1.4% to 3%. The operator calculated a savings of $17,000 in sludge hauling costs.
Chicagoland Wastewater Treatment plant, USA
Flow: 1 MGD
Waste Type: Municipal
Incoming BOD 150-200
Challenge
Improve belt press dewatering of activated sludge
A municipal wastewater operator called looking to improve his belt press dewatering. He said “It’s not dewatering properly. Instead of a nice solid cake we have a slimy mess, and our belt filter press keeps blinding “. He went on to explain that despite increasing their polymer use the situation wasn’t improving.
Problems like blinding of the belt press are often related to the health of the biological populations, filaments, zooglea and polysaccharide formation all play a role. The operator sent a sample to our lab and we found the filaments Nocardia and Microthrix, in addition we found high levels of polysaccharide slime. All three are common in systems with high fats, oils and grease and long sludge ages.
Solution
BugJuice
Results
The biocatalysts in BugJuice convert insoluble BOD to soluble BOD that is assimulated by bacteria. In this case grease and surfactants is what we had to breakdown. For this 1 MGD plant, the operator used 2.5 gallons per week for the first month and then dropped back to 1 gallon of BugJuice per week per digester. BugJuice is added straight into the digester. Within two weeks the sludge began dewatering better. In four weeks their sludge cake solids increased from 8% to 13%, a huge improvement in density and quality.
BugJuice increased the percent solids by first breaking down the fats, oils, grease, paper, waxes and surfactants that had refused to break down before. The bacteria in the digester were then able to utilize the newly-soluble BOD sources, reducing polysaccarides to further refine the sludge. The result is a sludge that isn’t blinding the press, is holding less moisture, and can be compacted into a better cake. The cost of BugJuice has been more than offset by the decrease in hauling costs and lower polymer bills.
Testimonials
“What the heck is in this stuff, my settling has improved and I am hauling about 1/2 of what I was!” – Pat
“We were always having problems getting our digester to settle, BugJuice really helped, we really saved on polymer too. Our polymer use has been cut in half since using the Bug Juice. With the price of polymer going up and up, using the Bug Juice to reduce our sludge production really pays off. I highly recommend it. Bug Juice Rocks.” – Jeff, Winnebago County, IL
“I know it’s working because I am decanting more water. With the price of gas, this is much cheaper than hauling,” – Guy
Bruce Neerhof –
Fantastic product! Increased my aerobic digester sludge from 1.7% to 3.7%. Cut my sludge hauling by half! If you don’t completely empty your digester when hauling, the remaing sludge with bug juice will reseed and very addtional product is needed to maintain.