Anaerobic Digestion of Thickened Septage at Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Anaerobic Digestion of thickened septage was investigated in this study. Thickening could reduce the volume of septage to be treated to about 40% with 12hr HRT. The VS and BOD removal efficiencies were respectively 28 to 45%, and 75% when digested the thickened septage with 30 day HRT Or $1.4kgVS/m^3/d$. The BOD removal efficiency could be increased to about 90% with subsequent settling tank with about 6 hours HRT. The gas production rate was 0.22 to $0.35m^3gas/kgVSadd$($0.75m^3gas/kgVSrm$), or $1.32m^3gas/kgBOD_{rm}$. In addition, the supernatant of thickener could be returned to the aeration tank treating domestic sewage. In this case, a BOD loading rate of 0.5 to $0.7kgBOD/m^3/d$ or 0.5kgBOD/kgMLVSS/d was proposed for 80% BOD reduction.