Reducing Municipal Algae

SEASONAL ALGAE BLOOMS regularly overwhelmed a wastewater facility’s treatment system, disrupting solids removal and pushing up TSS. With a new DAF on the way and stricter permit limits ahead, operators needed a more stable, reliable chemical program.

BACKGROUND:‍

A municipal wastewater facility in Arkansas manages stormwater and runoff from surrounding drainage areas. Facing seasonal water quality swings and a new DAF system coming online, operators needed to stabilize performance while staying within permit limits for TSS, BOD, and fecal coliform.

PROBLEM:‍

Spring and summer algae blooms regularly disrupted treatment, stressing the polymer program and leading to inconsistent solids removal. Operators needed a solution that worked with their existing setup and delivered reliable results—without waiting for the new DAF system to solve it all.

APPROACH:‍

A bench-scale trial with CarboNet chemistry delivered fast results. A 10 ppm dose of SimplePrime 8850 coagulant paired with 5 ppm of SimpleFloc 3188C flocculant brought TSS from 21 ppm to <1 ppm. The chemistry was drop-in, required no system modifications, and prepared the plant for DAF operation. A contingency flocculant (SimpleFloc 3050A) was also recommended to manage seasonal variability.

RESULTS:‍

Operators achieved immediate, permit-level TSS. The chemistry reduced active ingredient load, simplified operations, and stabilized performance ahead of DAF commissioning.

Chemistry to compete

CarboNet’s NanoNet platform generates flocculants, coagulants, and targeting agents that that adjust in real time to changing wastewater conditions—cutting cost, dose rates, labor, and emissions.

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