Methanol to MicroC: Washington WWTP Reduces Cost & Risk with Non-hazardous EOSi MicroC® 2000

When a Washington wastewater treatment and reclamation plant using methanol year-round as a supplemental carbon source evaluated safer non-flammable and non-toxic alternatives to maintain adequate denitrification, they discovered more pounds of NOx were removed per gallon of MicroC®2000 used compared to using methanol — even with influent NOx loading measuring twice as high when treated with MicroC 2000.

The Washington municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operating with a daily average flow of 10.75 MGD through a 4-stage Bardenpho configuration was meeting its seasonal TN permit requirements consistently using methanol as a supplemental carbon source. The facility dosed methanol year-round using a feed-forward automation control to maintain the necessary population of methylotrophic bacteria required for denitrification during their critical 7-month permit season.

The facility was considering upgrading their existing methanol storage and feed system but also evaluating potentially safer, cheaper, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable alternatives to using methanol as a supplementary carbon source. Highly flammable and toxic, methanol as a supplemental carbon source poses storage and handling safety risks to personnel and the surrounding environment, and involves strict safety protocols, careful monitoring and dosage controls, and costly regulatory compliance challenges. Given the overall high expense of storage and feed systems for flammable and toxic chemicals, the facility was facing a large capital investment if they continued with methanol...