United States
                    Environmental Protection
                    Agency
Municipal Environmental Research
Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
                    Research and Development
EPA-600/S2-83-098 Jan. 1984
f/EPA          Project Summary
                    Evaluation of  Deep  Shaft
                    Biological  Wastewater
                    Treatment  Process  at  Ithaca,
                    New York

                    Donald E. Schwinn, Donald F. Storrier, and Robert Butterworth
                                                                                       s'
                      The  major objectives of this study
                    were to demonstrate the feasibility of
                    the  Deep Shaft biological treatment
                    process* and to evaluate its application
                    for the treatment of municipal wastewa-
                    ter.  A 757-mVday (0.2-mgd) pilot
                    plant facility was constructed at the
                    existing wastewater treatment plant
                    site in Ithaca, New  York, for this
                    purpose.
                      The Deep Shaft process was evaluated
                    under a variety of operating conditions
                    including raw wastewater and primary
                    effluent as influent  sources, constant
                    and diurnal  (varying)  flow patterns.
                    with and without polymer as a flotation
                    aid, and with alum added for phosphorus
                    removal.  Because  partially  ground
                    screenings and abnormally strong
                    anaerobic digester supernatant are
                    returned to the main plant headworks
                    at Ithaca, pilot plant influent characteris-
                    tics  were not the typical domestic raw
                    wastewater  or primary effluent that
                    had been anticipated when the site was
                    selected. Numerous operational prob-
                    lems also hindered the experimental
                    program;  however,  5  mo of reliable
                    operating  and performance data were
                    obtained on which to draw conclusions
                    about the  process.
                      This Project Summary was developed
                    by EPA's Municipal Environmental
                    Research  Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH,
                    to announce key findings of the research
                    'Mention of trade  names or commercial
                     products does not constitute endorsement or
                     recommendation for use.
project that is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).


Introduction
  The  Deep  Shaft biological treatment
process is a  high-rate activated sludge
process capable of operating at food-to-
mass (F/M)  loadings between 0.5 and
2.0 kg BOD5/day/kg MLVSS. High
volumetric loadings can be achieved
because the system is capable of carrying
and maintaining MLVSS concentrations
between 5,000 and 10,000 mg/L As a
result, the bioreactor volume (aeration
period) is much lower than that needed in
conventional  systems.
  Deep shafts are self-contained vertical
subsurface aeration reactors normally
between 90 and 250 m (300 and 800 ft)
deep with mean hydraulic retention
times (HRT) of  approximately 40 to 60
min for municipal-strength wastewater.
The HRT generally increases with increas-
ing wastewater strength.
  Basically, the  reactor  is divided into
downcomer  and riser sections. Raw
wastewater (after screening and degrit-
ting) and return sludge continuously enter
the downcomer section and flow down-
ward.  From  here the aerated liquid
passes into the riser section and flows
upward. A portion of the mixed liquor
overflows the shaft to a solids separation
process, and the remainder of the mixed
liquor is recirculated to the downcomer
section. Mixed liquor is circulated many

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times within the shaft during its residence
in the reactor. Compressed air is injected
into the Deep Shaft to provide the oxygen
needed for treatment and to serve as the
driving mechanism that maintains circu-
lation velocities.
  After the design of Eco I, improvements
in its operation and geometry led to the
development of Eco II.  Rather than the
one downcomer and one riser in  Eco I,
Eco  II uses a  multi-channel concept
featuring one primary and one secondary
downcomer and  one primary and three
secondary  risers to minimize  anoxic
zones in  the shaft and  to maximize the
driving force for inducing  flotation
clarification. The mixed liquor withdrawal
point was also relocated  from the  head
tank to the bottom of the largest secondary
riser to  increase the dissolved  gas
content of the mixed liquor being trans-
ferred to the flotation tank and to provide
maximum  treatment  time per  pass
following initial  contact of incoming
substrate, biomass, and injected air.
  Based  on the experience  gained with
Eco  I and II, a third generation system,
Eco  III, was  developed. The Eco II Deep
Shaft reactor configuration optimized the
biological profile inside the  reactor and
stabilized the hydraulic  flow pattern; the
air supply requirements, however, main-
tained liquid  circulation at peak flow
conditions. With the Eco III design, the air
flow rate is  controlled to match the in-
fluent wastewater flow;  the swirl tank
and an extensive amount of process con-
trol instrumentation are eliminated; and
the flotation unit is modified to strip and
release coarse air bubbles from the mixed
liquor feed stream and to promote better
flocculation of mixed liquor solids.


Description of Ithaca Pilot Plant
Facilities
  The  Deep  Shaft pilot plant (Figure 1)
evaluated at  Ithaca was of the Eco II
design. Degritted raw wastewater or
primary effluent  was pumped from the
main treatment  plant  to  a  splitter box
located in the pilot plant building.  The
flow rate to the shaft was controlled by a
pneumatically  operated valve that could
be adjusted to provide a constant influent
flow rate or be varied automatically in a
diurnal flow pattern.
  After screening and flow measurement,
the wastewater flowed into the trough at
the  influent end of the flotation tank
where it was mixed with floating solids
skimmed off the top of the flotation tank.
Combined influent flow and return float
solids then  entered  a  holding  tank
adjacent to the shaft. Solids that sank to
the bottom of the flotation tank were
returned to the influent flow stream.
From  the  bottom of the holding tank,
influent wastewater  and return solids
were piped into the secondary downcomer
section of the  shaft.  The secondary
downpomer ends slightly above  mid-
depth of the shaft where it forms two U-
shaped sections and turns up into two
short secondary risers. Influent wastewa-
ter and  return solids entering  the
secondary downcomer are consequently
rapidly aspirated into the primary riser
through  these  two short secondary
risers.
  The steel shaft casing had  an inside
diameter of 44 cm (17.25 in.) and a depth
of 136 m  (446  ft). The inner concentric
primary downcomer had  an outside
diameter of 20 cm (8 in.) for slightly less
than the top half of the shaft, an outside
diameter of 30 cm (11.75 in.) for the
remainder of the shaft, and a depth of
133 m (436 ft). The annulus formed
between the outer casing and the inner
primary downcomer constituted the
primary riser.
  At  the  average  design  flow of  757
mVday (200,000 gpd), the  hydraulic
retention time in the shaft was approxi-
mately 39 min. Air was supplied to the
shaft from a 15-kW (20-hp) air compres-
sor through three lines, one injecting air
into the primary downcomer at a depth of
55 m (180 ft) and two injecting air into the
two short secondary  risers at  a depth of
60 m (196 ft).
  The head tank on top of the shaft was
designed for an operating  pressure of
2,800 kgf/m2 (4 psig). Off gases  plus
foam  generated within  the  reactor
overflowed the head tank and were piped
into the adjacent oxidation  tank. The
connecting pipe was submerged approxi-
mately 3 m (10 ft) below the water
surface in the oxidation tank. This liquid
head provided the back pressure in the
head tank to force  the aerated mixed
liquor through the secondary  riser
withdrawal pipe and out of the shaft.
   Mixed liquor  was discharged from the
shaft through the largest secondary riser,
bypassing the head tank, directly into  a
swirl tank. Here sufficient detention time
was  provided (10 to 15 sec at average
flow) to strip any large air bubbles that
would disrupt  flotation. Aerated mixed
liquor was piped from the swirl tank into
the flotation tank. The entrance to the
largest secondary riser was slightly
below the point at  which influent
wastewater was aspirated  into the
primary riser to avoid short-circuiting
untreated or partially treated wastewater
directly to the flotation tank.
  Floating solids  (float solids) were
drawn by scrapers towards the front end
of the flotation tank and collected on the
beach and pushed over into the influent
trough. There the solids mixed with the
influent and flowed to the holding tank.
Float solids were wasted through a hole
in the beach. The valve to control wasting
was operated manually or automatically
at preset timed intervals. Solids that had
sunk (sink solids) were collected by bot-
tom scrapers and a screw conveyor and
returned to the influent flow. Sink solids
were wasted by opening a valve on the
discharge pipe of the sink recycle pump.
  Clarified liquid overflowed an adjustable
weir at the end of the flotation tank into
an  effluent trough. Effluent was  piped
from there into  the  building  sump for
return to the main plant.

Operating  and  Performance
Results
Operational Characteristics
  Hydraulic  characteristics and opera-
tional data are summarized in Tables 1
and 2, respectively. The average influent
flow rate varied between 636  mVd
(168,000 gpd) and 757 mVd (200,000
gpd). The design flow was 757  mVd
(200,000  gpd). The  sustained peaking
factor for the diurnal flow periods ranged
from 1.4 to  1.6. The volumetric  organic
loading ranged from 2.2 to 4.9  kg BOD5/
day/m3 (137 to 304 lb/day/1000ft3), the
MLSS level  from 5,200 to 9,800 mg/L,
and the F/M loading  from 0.51 to 1.0 kg
BODs/day/kg MLVSS. The sludge reten-
tion time (SRT) varied from 1.0 to4.0days
based on shaft and head tank solids only.
  Only a limited amount of cold weather
operational data could be obtained, and
most of that was obtained while treating
primary effluent.  Influent  wastewater
temperatures ranged from 9° to 25°C.
BOD5, COD, and Suspended
Solids (SS) Removals
  Because of the numerous mechanical
breakdowns, excessive foaming, partial
shaft  blockages,  and  operational
problems at the main plant that occurred
throughout much  of  the study, there
were  only a few  time periods when a
normal, routine  operation was estab-
lished. The following results (Table 3)
obtained during such time frames were
considered to be more representative of
process performance and Deep Shaft ca-
pability and, therefore, were focused on
for  evaluation purposes. Percent reduc-
tions represent removals across the pilot
system only and do not account for any.

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                  'oam Transfer Line
   Foam
Oxidation
    Tank
      Secondary
      Downcomer
                                                               sf~^
                                            Head              \~)
                                             Tank
                      Primary
                    Downcomer^
                                                   . Secondary
                                           Primary     Riser
                                            Riser
                                                                                    Intermittent Waste
                                                                                     Bottom Sludge
Figure 1.    Schematic of deep shaft system at Ithaca. New York.

Table 1.    Pilot Plant Hydraulic Characteristics

                                        Influent Flow Rate
                                                                                              Solids Separation Unitf
Operating Mode*
(Dates)
                                 m3/day (gpd)
Peak/Avg.
Bioreactor\        HRT            Overflow Rate
 HFtT (min)          (hr)         m3/day/m2 (gpd/f?)
flaw Wastewater
 Constant flow - N.P.
  06/10/80-07/10/80
 Constant flow • W.P.
  05/19/80-06/09/80

 Diurnal flow - N.P.
  07/14/80-07/31/80
  08/01 / 80-08/31 /80
  09/01/80-09/31/80
  10/01/80-10/20/80
 • 02/19/81-02/28/81
  03/01/81-03/31/81
  04/01/81-04/10/81
  05/31/81-06/30/81
  07/01/81-07/31/81
  08/01 /81 -08/28/81

Primary Effluent
 Constant flow - N.P.
  It/09/80-11/21/80

 Diurnal flow - N.P.
  12/07/80-12/12/80
  01/24/81 -01/30/81

 Diurnal flow - W.P.
  12/14/80-01/12/81

 Diurnal flow - W.A.
  01/13/81-01/23/81
                                681 (180,000)

                                703 (186,000)
                                 708 (187,000)
                                 708 (187,000)
                                 711 (188,000)
                                 714 (189,000)
                                 753 (199,000)
                                 726 (192.OOO)
                                 723(191,000)
                                 652(173,000)
                                 738 (195.00O)
                                 636 (168,000)
                                 757 (200.OOO)
                                703 (186,000)
                                737 (195,000)
                                745 (197,000)
                                745 (197,OOO)
   1.0

   1.0
   1.6
   1.6
   1.6
   1.6
   1.4
   1.4
   1.4
   1.4
   1.4
   1.4
   1.0
   1.4
   1.4
   1.4
                                                        1.4
    50

    48
    48
    48
    48
    47
    45
    47
    47
    52
    46
    53
                      45
    48
    46
                      45


                      45
5.2

5.1
5.1
5.1
5.0
5.0
4.7
4.9
4.9
5.5
4.8
5.6
                   4.7
5.1
4.8
                   4.8


                   4.8
18.1 (444)

18.7(459)
18.8 (462)
18.8 (462)
18.9 (464)
19.1 (467)
20.0(491)
19.3 (474)
19.3 (472)
17.4(427)
19.6(481)
16.9(415)
                20.1 (494)
18.7(459)
19.6(481)
                 19.8 (486)


                 19.8 (486)
*N.P. = no polymer;'W.P = with polymer; W.A. = with alum.
^Based on influent flow.

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Table 2.    Pilot Plant Operations Data Summary
Operating Mode*
(Dates)
Raw Wastewater
Constant flow - N.P.
06 7 1 0/80-07/10/80
Constant flow-W.P.
05/19/80-06/09/80
Diurnal flow - N.P.
07/1 4/80-07/3 1/80
08/01/80-08/31/80
09/01/80-09/30/80
10/01/80-10/20/80
02/19/81-02/28/81
03/01/81-03/31/81
04/01/81-04/10/81
05/31/81-06/30/81
07/01/81-07/31/81
08/01/81-08/28/81
Inf. Temp. Chem. Dose
(°C) (mg/L)


19-23 —

16-20 1.5-2.8

24-25 —
23-25 —
23-25 —
27-23 —
11-14 —
11-13 —
11-16 —
19-22 —
22-25 —
24-25 —
Vol. Org.
Loading^


3.3 (205)

2.5 (154)

2.8(174)
2.8(173)
3.9 (245)
4.4 (275)
3.3 (204)
4.9 (304)
4.4 (270)
2.5(159)
3.7(233)
2.6(164)

(mg/L)


5.700

5,210

7.817
6.408
8.633
6.931
5.700
6.908
7.151
8.261
7.772
9.771
MLSS
(% Vol.)


67

69

64
64
67
70
72
75
75
63
69
59
F/M
Loading^


0.93

0.88

0.91
0.68
0.75
1.00
0.77
0.95
0.79
0.52
0.54
0.51
SRT
(days)


1.9

1.0

1.4
1.9
2.2
1.6
—
1.9
—
3.7
3.3
2.5
Primary Effluent
 Constant flow-N.P.
  11/09/80-11/21/80
15-19
3.4 (214)
6.520
                                                         72
                                                                      0.88
                                                                                 2.6
Diurnal flow - N.P.
12/07/80-12/12/80
01/24/81-01/30/81
Diurnal flow - W.P.
12/14/80-01/12/81
Diurnal flow - W.A.
01/13/81-01/23/81

14-15
14-15

9-17

13-15

—
—

0.5-3.0

40.0

3.5(221)
3.4(215)

2.2 (137)

2.2 (137)

7.260
6.757

5.720

6.403

70
68

71

68

0.76
—

0.5S

0.55

—
—

4.0

—
*N.P. = no polymer; W.P. = with polymer.' W.A. = with alum.
t*ff BODs/day/m3 (Ib BODs/day/1.000 ft3).
\kg BODs/day/kg MLVSS.
removals occurring  in the main plant's
degritting unit.

Discussion of Results
Treatment Efficiency
  In evaluating the  performance of the
Deep Shaft process  and its capability to
remove pollutants, as measured by key
parameters such as BODs, COD, and SS,
it  should  be  noted that  the influent
wastewater  characteristics at the pilot
plant were not the typical domestic raw
wastewater or primary effluent that had
been  anticipated  when  Ithaca was
selected as the site for the demonstration
project. This resulted from such factors
as abundant infiltration/inflow into the
City's collection system, recycle streams
from  digester  operations  at  the  main
plant,  partial grinding of screenings at
the  main  plant, trickling filter recircu-
lation flows to the primary settling tanks,
and suspected acid waste discharges
from a local industry.
  Influent wastewater pollutant concen-
trations were highly variable. The organic
strength of the wastewater was quite low
even  with  the  presence of  recycle
streams back to the head end of the plant.
          During several periods, the average in-
          fluent BOD5 was less than 100 mg/L and
          some days it  was less than  50 mg/L.
          BODs/COD ratios were less than would
          be expected for typical domestic waste-
          water. The ratios were generally in the
          range of 0.3 to 0.4.
           The  Deep  Shaft system  effectively
          removed  BOD5, COD, and  SS  during
          periods when a routine operation was
          established  and  when  no  major
          operational  or mechanical  difficulties
          were encountered.  When such difficul-
          ties were encountered,  process perfor-
          mance was adversely affected. Effluent
          soluble BODs levels were consistently be-
          low 10 mg/L during all periods and condi-
          tions of operation.

          Primary Effluent Versus Raw
          Wastewater Operation
           The system appeared to  be more
          effective in treating raw wastewater than
          in  treating  primary effluent. While
          treating  primary  effluent,  the float
          blanket was very thin  and usually
          dispersed with no distinct endpoint; while
          treating  raw wastewater, it had a much
          more healthy appearance, was  usually
                    thick, and often had a distinct endpoint.
                    This probably resulted from the lower
                    organic strength associated with primary
                    effluent and the lack of fibrous material to
                    assist in  forming floe particles that will
                    more readily float.
                      Unless required for other reasons, the
                    use of primary settling tanks  is not
                    necessary or economically advantageous
                    with the Deep Shaft process. No savings in
                    Deep Shaft energy requirements  will be
                    realized  from the reduction in BOD
                    concentration achieved with primary
                    treatment unless the wastewater has a
                    high organic settleable solids fraction.

                    Constant Versus Diurnal Flow
                    Operation
                      The pilot plant  was  operated under
                    constant and diurnal influent flow
                    patterns  on  both  raw wastewater and
                    primary effluent feed. The system operated
                    more efficiently under a constant  flow
                    pattern than under a diurnal flow pattern.
                    Flow variations appeared  at times  to
                    disrupt the float blanket in the flotation
                    tank. Sometimes, under  diurnal  flow
                    conditions,  the  float  blanket  would
                    thicken  during the morning, start  to

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disperse by mid-afternoon, completely
disappear at night,  and reappear the
following morning. This pattern may have
resulted from the large variation in BOD5
loading  experienced throughout the
course of a typical day. With experience, a
better sludge wasting  schedule was
established  and the float blanket was
more controllable.

Polymer Addition
  Process performance with polymer (a
floatation aid) added  under different
operating conditions was compared with
performance without adding polymer.
The goal was to  operate the system
without polymer because it represents a
potential significant operating cost.
  Adding polymer did not improve effluent
quality. The concentration of solids in the
float  blanket did not increase although
the quantity of float solids relative to the
quantity of sink solids increased substan-
tially.
  In general, polymer was not needed to
develop a healthy float blanket or a good
quality effluent although, on occasion,
the  blanket did become quite thin and
dispersed without it. Contributing factors
probably included  one or more of the
following: colder wastewater temperatures,
weak influent strength, lack of  fibrous
material,  digested  or partially digested
solids, and process upsets. At a full-scale
facility, adding polymer would be beneficial
on  an intermittent or seasonal basis to
ensure a good, thick, healthy float blanket
at all times.

Alum Addition
  While the pilot  plant was treating
primary  effluent, alum (for phosphorus
removal) was  added with and without
polymer. The float blanket became quite
thin and dispersed as most of the solids
sank to the bottom of the flotation tank. A
thin, milky scum appeared on the surface
of the flotation tank. When polymer was
added, it did not significantly improve the
situation.
  Alum was not added to the pilot system
while raw wastewater was being treated.
In full-scale applications,  the  need for
tertiary treatment of Deep Shaft effluent
to obtain  phosphorus  removal will
depend on  the yet-to-be determined
compatibility of in-process alum or iron
addition with Deep Shaft  operations
when the system feed is degritted raw
wastewater rather than primary effluent.


Organic and Hydraulic Shock
Loadings
  The  pilot  plant was subjected to a
number of severe organic shock loadings,
sometimes several a week, primarily as
a result of digester operations at the main
plant. Shock organic loadings consisted
of digester  supernatant,  filtrate from
sludge  dewatering,  and digested and
partially digested solids from the sludge
holding tank. During startup, before the
primary effluent piping was installed, the
pilot plant  received  the full  impact of
these recycle streams. After the piping
was  installed, the influent to the pilot
plant was generally switched to primary
effluent during the "dump" periods.
  During a  typical  digester  "dump"
period  (lasting approximately  5 hr), the
influent SS load increased to 3,800 mg/L
and the COD concentration increased to
5,000 mg/L. Effluent SS rose to  mg/L
from a value below 30 mg/L, and effluent
soluble COD reached a peak of 140 mg/L
from a value of 100 mg/L. The process
was  adversely affected only on a short-
term basis and rapidly recovered within
1 2 to 24 hr following  cessation of the
"dump" period.
  The pilot plant was operated under a
diurnal flow pattern with sustained peak
flows to simulate dry-weather conditions
at a  typical domestic wastewater  treat-
ment facility. It was not possible, however,
to evaluate the capability of the process to
handle the large instantaneous or short-
term peak flows  typically encountered
during  wet-weather  periods  at  most
treatment plants. The design of the Ithaca
shaft was such that the total  hydraulic
capacity including  recycle flows was
1,666 mVday (440,000 gpd). The  maxi-
7able 3.   Representative Deep Shaft Performance at Ithaca

                       BODs (mg/L)          COD (mg/L)
                       SS (mg/L)
Period
5/19 - 7/10/80
4/01 - 4/10/81
5/31 -8/28/81*
Weighted avg.
Inf.
91
137
105
102
Eff.
17
17
22
20
%Red.
80
88
79
80
Inf.
261
331
250
263
Eff.
63
64
52
59
%fted.
76
81
79
78
Inf.
172
207
267
231
Eff.
21
28
31
27
%Red.
88
86
88
88
"Effluent BODs results may relect some nitrogenous oxygen demand; nitrification inhibitors were
 not used in the BODs analysis although partial nitrification did occur in the system during a por-
 tion of this time period.
mum influent flow limit was established
at approximately 1,060 mVday (280,000
gpd).

Sludge Production and
Thickening
  Significant amounts of solids had to be
wasted from the sink recycle line as well
as from the float return to properly control
the process. It had been anticipated that
most solids  would float, forming a very
thick blanket that would be the primary
source of sludge wasting, and that float
recycle would be the primary mechanism
for controlling the shaft MLSS level. The
relative rates of float and  sink  solids
wasting  varied  considerably. At times,
the  quantity  of  sink solids  wasted
exceeded that of float  solids wasted; at
other times, the opposite was true. This
variation was  a function of the quantity
and  condition  of digester solids received
from sludge processing operations at the
main plant as well as such factors  as
polymer addition.
  The shaft MLSS level was controlled
primarily by controlling the sink  solids
inventory. The  concentration  of float
solids was not as high as anticipated, and
the float return rate was much less than
the sink recycle rate. Float solids concen-
trations were  about 4 percent, and sink
solids concentrations were around  2
percent. The float return rate was about
76 mVday (20,000 gpd); the sink return
rate was  always  at least 303 mVday
(80,000 gpd) and often over 379 mVday
(100,000 gpd). Consequently, the process
was primarily controlled by the wasting
and  recycle rates for the sink solids.

Process Control
  The system  was more complicated to
operate effectively than had been original-
ly anticipated—partly because of the
abnormal  number  of mechanical break-
downs and instrumentation malfunctions
and  also because of the operator under-
standing and judgement needed to make
effective decisions.  Daily control variables
included float  solids wasting, sink solids
wasting, sink recycle rate, float skimmer
speed, addition of flotation aids, and sink
recycle by pump or gravity return.

Conclusions
  Numerous problems including operator
control, mechanical breakdowns, partial
shaft blockages caused by partial grinding
and  subsequent return of screenings to
the  influent flow at  the  main  plant
headworks, foaming conditions, and
abnormally strong digester return adverse-
ly affected process  performance and

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often resulted in inconclusive  and
inconsistent data. However, sufficient
reliable data were obtained to reach the
following conclusions:

   • The Deep Shaft process is a high-
     rate, high-intensity activated sludge
     process utilizing flotation for solids
     separation. At the Ithaca pilot plant
     site, F/M loadings ranged from 0.5
     to 1.0 kg  BOD5/day/kg/MLVSS,
     SRT's were 1  to 4 days,  and
     bioreactor HRT's were 45 to 53 min,
     exclusive of recycle flows.
   • During those periods when routine
     operation  on  raw wastewater  feed
     was established, effluent concentra-
     tions of BOD5 and suspended solids
     averaged 20 and 27 mg/L, respec-
     tively, and percent removals were
     80  and 88 percent, respectively.
     These percent removals are for the
     Deep Shaft process only and do not
     account for any reductions that may
     have  occurred  in the main plant
     degritting unit. Nitrification inhibi-
     tors were  not used in the BOD5
     analysis, although partial nitrification
     occurred near the end of the study.
   • The process was more effective in
     treating raw wastewater than  in
     treating primary effluent, perhaps
     because of the latter's more dilute
     nature (lower organic loading) and
     lack of fibrous material.
   • The system operated better under
     constant flow  conditions than
     under diurnal flow variations. The
     peak  hydraulic  capacity  of the
     system was such that wet-weather
     peak  flow conditions typical  of
     Ithaca could not be simulated.
   • Adding polymer increased the
     quantity of the float blanket but did
     not significantly  improve effluent
     quality. Low polymer  dosages
     caused some sink solids to remain
     suspended and, thus, adversely
     affected solids separation.
   • While treating  primary  effluent,
     alum  was added for a short time to
     remove phosphorus; this caused
     solids to sink and apparently adverse-
     ly affected the float blanket.
   • The Deep Shaft process handled
     shock organic loadings from solids
     processing returns very  well and
     recovered within 12 to 24 hr  after
     the shock loads ended.
   • Ithaca's Deep Shaft system required
     significant operator training, atten-
     tion,  and  control. Control of the
     solids inventory and maintenance
     of  a  good,  thick float  blanket
     required operator  judgment  in
     wasting float solids, wasting sink
     solids, and  determining  the sink
     recycle rate  on a day-to-day  basis.
     Problems at the main plant  made
     operating the pilot plant substantial-
     ly more difficult.

  The  full report  was  submitted  in
fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement No.
CS806081 by the City of Ithaca, NY,  under
the partial sponsorship of the  U.S.
Environmental Protection  Agency.
   Donald E. Sch winn, Donald F. Storrier, and Robert Butterworth are with Stearns &
     Wheler, Cazenovia. NY 13035.
   Richard C. Brenner is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
   The complete report,  entitled "Evaluation of Deep Shaft Biological Wastewater
     Treatment Process at Ithaca, New York," (Order No. PB 84-110 485; Cost:
     $16.00, subject to change) will be available only from:
           National Technical Information Service
           5285 Port Royal Road
           Springfield. VA 22161
           Telephone: 703-487-4650
   The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
           Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory
           U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
           Cincinnati, OH 45268

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