Scalable Wastewater Treatment Technologies for Small and Rural Communities
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 12:45 PM to 2:15 PM · 1 hr. 30 min. (US/Central)
New Orleans Convention Center
Technology Spotlight
Hall H Booth 7249
Information
Small and rural communities continue to face growing wastewater treatment challenges driven by aging infrastructure, tighter permit requirements, limited staffing resources, and constrained budgets. This Technology Spotlight presentation will examine scalable wastewater treatment technologies designed specifically for small systems, with a focus on reliable activated sludge processes, clarification technologies, and biological treatment approaches that simplify operation while maintaining high treatment performance.
The session will provide an overview of extended aeration activated sludge systems, clarification technologies, and biological nutrient removal processes commonly utilized in smaller municipal applications. Special attention will be given to treatment approaches that combine extended aeration, sequential oxidation, and dissolved oxygen control strategies to improve treatment stability and operational efficiency in small-system environments.
Attendees will learn the biological and engineering fundamentals behind activated sludge treatment, including aeration, solids retention time (SRT), clarification, sludge recycle, dissolved oxygen management, and biological nutrient removal principles. The presentation will discuss how process configuration, intermittent aeration strategies, and modern blower control systems can improve treatment performance while minimizing operator attention and energy consumption. Key design considerations such as hydraulic variability, sludge age, redundancy, oxygen transfer efficiency, and cold-weather operation will also be reviewed.
Operational considerations specific to small systems will also be addressed, ease of operations, long term operational savings, reduced operator staffing requirements, remote monitoring capabilities, and ancillary systems such as blowers, clarifiers, pumps, controls, and sludge handling equipment. Emphasis will be placed on treatment technologies designed to reduce maintenance complexity by eliminating submerged mechanical equipment and simplifying process control strategies.
This session will provide attendees with a practical learning opportunity that is centered on the science and operational principles behind modern small-system wastewater treatment technologies and how they can help small communities improve treatment reliability, maintain compliance, and accommodate future growth while preserving operational simplicity.
The session will provide an overview of extended aeration activated sludge systems, clarification technologies, and biological nutrient removal processes commonly utilized in smaller municipal applications. Special attention will be given to treatment approaches that combine extended aeration, sequential oxidation, and dissolved oxygen control strategies to improve treatment stability and operational efficiency in small-system environments.
Attendees will learn the biological and engineering fundamentals behind activated sludge treatment, including aeration, solids retention time (SRT), clarification, sludge recycle, dissolved oxygen management, and biological nutrient removal principles. The presentation will discuss how process configuration, intermittent aeration strategies, and modern blower control systems can improve treatment performance while minimizing operator attention and energy consumption. Key design considerations such as hydraulic variability, sludge age, redundancy, oxygen transfer efficiency, and cold-weather operation will also be reviewed.
Operational considerations specific to small systems will also be addressed, ease of operations, long term operational savings, reduced operator staffing requirements, remote monitoring capabilities, and ancillary systems such as blowers, clarifiers, pumps, controls, and sludge handling equipment. Emphasis will be placed on treatment technologies designed to reduce maintenance complexity by eliminating submerged mechanical equipment and simplifying process control strategies.
This session will provide attendees with a practical learning opportunity that is centered on the science and operational principles behind modern small-system wastewater treatment technologies and how they can help small communities improve treatment reliability, maintain compliance, and accommodate future growth while preserving operational simplicity.