Improving aeration for better treatment

Air is diffused into the wastewater. (Red lighting used for emphasis)

Air is diffused into the wastewater. (Red lighting used for emphasis)

Effective treatment of polluted water requires that air be mixed with the water. Air provides an aerobic environment and promotes the treatment of organic matter. At the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant, the aeration tanks:

Supply the necessary oxygen to microbes to degrade organic pollutants
Mix the wastewater so the microbes can contact the organic pollutants.

In 1998, WEP undertook a full upgrade to the aeration treatment system at Metro. It replaced a dated and deteriorating mechanical aeration system with a new diffused air system. The goal was to improve treatment and save energy to lower utility costs.

The new aeration system pumps air through more than five thousand ceramic diffusers that cover the floors of the eight aeration tanks. Workers also installed new air blowers and new controls.

The project began in 1998 and cost $6.8 million. This improvement in treatment corresponded to lower levels of ammonia in Onondaga Lake.

The new diffusers and controls were fully operational in December 1999. They are more efficient than the previous system in transferring oxygen to the wastewater. They have improved water quality and reduced energy consumption.