Moving bed biofilm reactor is a biological or natural wastewater treatment procedure. It uses biofilm to complete the waste removal process. While it proves advantageous on various fronts, it has some disadvantages as well. Let’s talk about both through this blog that highlights the pros and cons of MBBR.
Advantages of MBBR Sewage Treatment Plant
At the outset, let’s look at a few advantages of the MBBR sewage treatment plant.
Compact and Space-Friendly An MBBR sewage treatment plant is a compact STP. It is well known for its small footprint compared to other biological treatments. You can create the same volume of wastewater flow in an MBBR tank, which is only a fraction of the tank used for a trickling filter or an activated sludge process.
- Shock Load Resistance
MBBR systems are flexible and offer a higher shock load resistance. It means they can adjust to varying loads. They offer the benefits of fixed film and suspended biological growth processes. Hence, MBBR systems can handle a more significant amount of organic load without getting undone by a shock load.
- Quick Functioning with a Low Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT)
HRT quantifies the time a water treatment system requires to treat the influent effectively. A slow treatment process cannot treat a large amount of water in a specified time. But MBBR systems are designed to work quickly with a low HRT – as less as a few hours. It is the constantly moving media and biofilm’s high concentration that makes the low HRT possible.
- Easy to Operate
MBBRs are easy to operate. So, you don’t require highly experienced plant operators to operate it. The system is flexible and responds to changes quickly without requiring the operator to make any adjustments. Nature handles most of the things, and the system auto-produces effluent with reduced waste elements.
Disadvantages of MBBR Sewage Treatment Plant
Now, let’s look at the flip side of the coin – the cons of an MBBR STP.
- Insect Influx
Biofilms can attract insects, red worms, sewage files, and mosquitos. These creatures can consume a part of the biofilm on the carriers. It can compromise the effectiveness of the entire system. There’s a solution to it. It includes designing and using tanks that help keep the entry of these insects at bay.
- Manual Checks
Unlike in other treatment processes where you can use sensors, in MBBR, you need to take samples at regular intervals and analyze them to verify and ensure that the bacteria on the carriers is still alive.
- Carriers Washed Out
In many cases, it has been reported that the carriers get washed out of the system, despite the presence of filters to retain them. Such instances are possible on account of the design errors in the tank. The solution is to design a system that helps avoid washing out carriers from the system.
Need an MBBR sewage treatment plant? Connect with CHFour. We provide comprehensive support in designing, deploying, and maintaining MBBR sewage treatment plants. Call us at +91 8055573883 or email us at info@chfour.net to learn more about MBBR STP solutions.