A wastewater treatment site in Africa used a continuous flow variant of a sequencing batch reactor. Effluent quality was poor.
Modelling was used to assess changes in the aeration and decant cycles, and also to look at the effects of changing the point at which wastewater entered the reactor. The reactors were known to have leaking valves, both on the inlet distribution system and the outlet, and the effect of fixing the valves was included in the modelling.
A simplified sequencing scheme was recommended which both improved performance and reduced the reliance on the inlet valves to distribute flow at different points during the operating cycles.
