CASE STUDY

PENN STATE

THE BACKGROUND

In 2012, Penn State University began to investigate ways to reduce its environmental impact, while simultaneously upgrading its onsite infrastructure.

While the school’s existing treatment system was able to treat the wastewater adequately, it couldn’t produce reuse quality water, and wouldn’t realistically be able to keep pace with the growing stresses placed upon it.

Being able to reuse treated wastewater on campus appealed to the board, but any solution had to utilize existing infrastructure and with minimum capital costs.

THE CHALLENGE

Quickly provide a long-term, easy-to-operate solution that cleaned wastewater to Class A+ reclaimed water standards. Also, the solution must fit within existing space constraints and utilize as much of the existing structures as possible.

THE RESULTS

BOD₅

TSS

NH3

<0.3 mg/l

Location:

Influent:

Effluent:

Capacity:

Year:

State College, PA

425mg/l BOD

Non-Detec. BOD

50,000 GPD

2014

FAST FACTS

THE SOLUTION

Existing aeration basins were drained, and rails were built to house 9 stackable modules (3x3) of the MaxFlow® U70®.

The combined units handle an average flow of 1.8 MGY, with surges that run flux rates as high as 18.

The system is operated by Penn State, and has produced Class A+ reclaimed water since it was commissioned, with BOD and TSS levels never registering at detectable levels. Treated water is used to water the university’s gardens and returned to local surface waters.

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