WASTEWATER CHARACTERIZATION AND SEQUENCING BATCH REACTOR OPERATION FOR AEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE CULTIVATION

Studying the possibility of forming aerobic granules on real domestic sewage was a logical step in the scaling-up process and development of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) technology. It was noted that influent wastewater composition and Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) operation cycle time are important factors that can influence the formation of AGS. Therefore, this study aims to determine the suitability of influent wastewater from Bunus Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for AGS cultivation and then propose a proper SBR operation cycle time. In this study, wastewater characterization was done for the influent of wastewater treatment plant located in Bunus, Kuala Lumpur. The result was then analysed and compared with previous research to determine the suitability of AGS cultivation. The information on SBR from previous studies were also gathered to propose SBR operation cycle time that suit the Bunus WWTP influent. The findings indicate that the wastewater can be characterized as low strength domestic wastewater with low organic and nutrients content. The values of related parameters in this study have shown that influent wastewater of Bunus WWTP is suitable for cultivating AGS. For the proposed SBR operation, the cycle time is 3h, which consist of 60 min (fill), 110 min (aerate), 5 min (settle), and 5 min (discharge), respectively.