PAD®-M Applications & Benefits

Traditionally, digesters have been designed based on detention times between 20-30 days and with little attention given to process considerations. With the advent of the 503 Class B sludge regulations, the easy avenue to Class B sludge is to hold the sludge for a minimum of 60 days at 15?C or 40 days at 20?C. However, this results in the doubling of tank volumes or requires that plants increase the solids content of the feed solids.

More and more facilities are opting for the latter solution and are installing belt thickeners or drum thickeners to increase the solids content of the digesters to 4-6%. While this brings the treatment plant into compliance under the new SRT requirements, it creates a whole series of new problems if the digester is not specifically designed to handle thickened sludge.

The PAD®-M process (Pre-thickened Aerobic Digestion with Mechanical Thickener) is a controlled aerobic digestion system specifically designed to handle thickened sludge and to meet the Class B requirements for pathogens and vector attraction with a detention time of 30 days or less. PAD®-M provides integrated operation of a mechanical thickener and two or more aerobic digesters to optimize performance while keeping capital costs to a minimum.

PAD®-M Advantages

• Meet 503 Class B regulations in 30 days or less
• Increase SRT in existing basins
• Decrease required volume of new basins
• Enhance pH and temperature control
• Improve pathogen destruction
• Increase operational flexibility and reliability

Please see these links for more information:

Aeration Deep Basin Solution
Las Lunas Case Study
Paris IL Case Study
Seneca Case Study
PAD®-M Brochure
AirBeam® Brochure
Belen NM WWTP