Electrical-grid powered aeration is used intensively in reactor basins at activated-sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to supply the mixing and oxygenation needed for digestion. The purchase of electricity is a major part of operational expense, and its use for aeration increases the carbon footprint of WWTPs due to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation. Personnel at the Mebane Bridge WWTP in the City of Eden, NC, investigated alternatives to grid-powered aeration to reduce their operational expense and role in causing global climate change.
