Maintaining granulation in a denitrifying upflow sludge-blanket reactor treating groundwater with low hardness

Maintenance of denitrifying granular sludge for treating soft groundwater (total hardness = 75 mg calcium carbonate/L) in an upflow sludge-blanket reactor was demonstrated with complete removal of applied nitrate (20 mg N/L) over extended operation and a hydraulic residence time of 34 minutes. A high pH of approximately 9.0 was shown to be important for generation of mineral precipitation needed for production of heavy granular sludge with good retention characteristics. As a method of increasing precipitation potential, pH adjustment was determined to be more economically favorable than calcium or alkalinity supplementation. In addition, temporary increases in substrate loading were shown to be effective for enhancing biomass levels in a manageable granular sludge. The significance of biomass in promoting mineral precipitation was discussed.