Discover how Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority upgraded its wastewater treatment system with Sanitaire ICEAS® technology to handle extreme flows, improve efficiency, and protect the Kiski River.

Howard County, Maryland, has taken a leading role in restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem through a $92 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment infrastructure. Central to this effort is the installation of Xylem’s Leopold elimi-NITE® 2.0 denitrification system, which significantly reduces nitrogen and phosphorus levels in effluent discharge. Combined with advanced UV disinfection and mixing technologies, the system's daily reductions include 37,000 pounds of suspended solids, helping to reverse decades of nutrient pollution and protect aquatic life in the Bay.

The new products cut energy costs in half as compared to the 5 previous floating mixers.

Soon after starting this biological treatment method, the membrane disc diffusers were found to be clogged with scale particles. However, this problem was satisfactorily solved by the Xylem’s mobile cleaning service: the Diffuser Liquid Cleaning Service.

In September 2021, the Veszprém wastewater treatment plant engaged Sanitaire to provide diffuser liquid cleaning service, which uses formic acid injected into the main aeration pipe to clean the diffuser membranes while they are operating.

At the start of 2021, the plant registered a decrease in air flow, accompanied by an increase in energy consumption by the blowers. Personnel suspected that the diffusers were clogged by calcium carbonate build-up from the water, causing significant head loss in the diffusers.