MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY UASB PROCESS : START-UP AT 20?C AND OPERATION AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Description of the laboratory-scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors. Characteristics of the seed sludge and the municipal wastewater (from the Regina wastewater treatment plant). Equations of COD mass balance, Electron Flow distribution. The pilots were operated at different temperatures (down to 6°C) and under low Hydraulic Retention Time conditions. Results : COD, BOD, SS removals, biogas production, methane formation potential, alkanility, sulfate reduction during stable period of operation, biomass aggregation(granulation), elemental composition of aggregated sludge particles, filamentous bacterium (methanothrix). The UASB system is a promising alternative for on-site treatment of domestic wastewater from small communities in cold climates.