On the criticism of the NII VODGEO method of designing
biological wastewater treatment facilities with nutrients removal

Summary

The analysis of the critical notes published in the article by Ph. D. (Engineering) D. A. Danilovich and Engineer A. N. Epov «Comparative analysis of the methods of designing biological wastewater treatment facilities with nitrogen removal» in which the opponents make the following statements: the NII VODGEO method is «manual» and simplified, cannot be considered as mathematical model; the specific nitrification rate parameter cannot be used in calculations; the effect of temperature and other factors are not taken into account; «simplified» equations of enzyme kinetics cannot be used for nitrification-denitrification processes because of the inadmissible distortions under the impact of factors that these equations do not take into account; sludge age is determined by the effluent quality regardless of the pollutant concentration in the incoming wastewater; in sludge growth calculations sludge age shall be used; the residual concentration of a substance (in effluent) does not depend on its initial concentration; aeration tank calculations shall be based on sludge age is presented. Based on the detailed analysis of the comments and statements of the opponents their inconsistency and lack of proof is shown. It is proved that not a single substantial fact damaging the NII VODGEO method has been mentioned in the article, and the conclusions made by the authors are unfounded and unsubstantiated. The conclusion is made that the availability of a reliable and approved national calculation method will provide for restricting the unsubstantiated use of inadequate, untested calculation methods; eliminating unjustified construction and upgrade overpricing, uncontrolled engaging of untested foreign inventions in the projects; reducing the level of corruption in this field; implementing correctly the developed best available technologies in domestic practice. It is noted that up to now the calculation method included in SNiP 2.04.03-85 has been the only opportunity for the experts to design and control the facilities for municipal and industrial wastewater biological treatment. Consequently, improving and updating a universal, scientifically grounded and field-proven domestic method of designing the facilities for municipal and industrial wastewater biological treatment with regard to the nutrients removal has been a crucial and pending task. The attention is called to the need of urgent restoration of the expert competency, the revival of the Russian scholarly traditions on the basis of the immense scientific and practical capacity established by our predecessors.

Key words

wastewater , biological treatment , nitrification , denitrification , nutrients removal , sludge age , facilities design