ECOfluid’s proprietary USBF® technology delivers high wastewater treatment efficiency, including biological nutrient removal (BNR), at very competitive capital and operating costs.

The integrated USBF® bioreactor incorporates anoxic and aerobic compartments, and upflow sludge blanket filter/clarifier. Operation of a USBF® plant is simple and self-regulating. Here is how it works:

1. Influent wastewater (1) enters the anoxic compartment of the bioreactor where it mixes with activated sludge recycled from the bottom of the sludge blanket filter (2). Mixed and moved in a plug flow manner, the mixed liquor flows into the aerobic compartment (3).
2. After aeration, mixture of microbial cells and water enters the USBF® filter at the bottom (4). As it rises within the filter towards the effluent overflow trough at the top, upward velocity decreases as the cross-sectional area of the filter increases. No longer supported by the decreased upward velocity, the flocs of cells become stationary and thus form a filtering media themselves. Becoming larger and heavier by contact and agglomeration, the flocs eventually descend to the bottom of the filter and are subsequently recycled back into the anoxic compartment (2). Filtered effluent overflows into a treated effluent overflow trough and is discharged from the system (5). A high degree of filtering efficiency is achieved as even very fine particles are filtered out.
3. Incoming nitrogen is removed by nitrification and denitrification processes. All USBF® integrated bioreactors are designed for complete nitrification of ammonia to nitrate. The technology’s single-sludge denitrification uses an endogenous carbon source to maintain the denitrifiers. Influent is mixed with recycled activated sludge in the anoxic compartment providing the carbon source needed for denitrification.
4. Incoming phosphorus is reduced by biological phosphorus uptake, also known as luxury uptake, where the cells store more energy in the form of phosphorus than needed for their survival. Unlike most other methods of clarification, the sludge blanket filter maintains oxide conditions, which enable phosphorus retention by the cells and its subsequent removal with excess sludge.

USBF® benefits

• Simple and easy to operate
• BNR capability
• Minimal moving parts gravity flow through
• Capital and operating costs effective
• Reduced odour and noise
• Modular
• Hydraulic swing flows self-regulating