Devices, systems and methods for facilitating nutrient removal by anaerobic ammonia oxidation

1. A wastewater treatment system comprising:

an inlet configured to receive influent wastewater having an initial concentration of total nitrogen;

a main biological treatment train including at least one first unit operation configured to perform an anaerobic ammonium oxidation process in indirect fluid communication downstream of the inlet; and

at least one subsystem configured to increase a concentration of anammox bacteria in the at least one first unit operation, the at least one subsystem including:

a bacteria selection device constructed and arranged to separate anammox bacteria from at least one second bacteria, the bacteria selection device including a stratification column configured to stratify anammox bacteria from the at least one second bacteria, the stratification column being disposed in a biological treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train; and

a surface wasting device configured to waste the at least one second bacteria from the system,

the wastewater treatment system configured to produce an effluent having a concentration of total nitrogen that is less than the initial concentration of total nitrogen.

2. A method of treating wastewater, the method comprising:

directing the wastewater into a contact tank to produce a first mixed liquor, the wastewater having an initial concentration of total nitrogen;

directing the first mixed liquor into a first separation system to produce a solids-rich sludge and a solids-lean effluent;

introducing the solids-lean effluent into a main biological treatment train containing anammox bacteria;

increasing a concentration of anammox bacteria in the main biological treatment train by:

separating anammox bacteria from at least one second bacteria in a bacteria selection device by stratifying the anammox bacteria from the at least one second bacteria in a stratification column disposed in a biological treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train; and

wasting the at least one second bacteria from the main biological treatment train;

treating the solids-lean effluent in the main biological treatment train to produce a second mixed liquor; and

directing the second mixed liquor into a second separation system to produce a second solids-rich sludge and a second solids-lean effluent, the second solids-lean effluent having a total nitrogen concentration that is less than the initial concentration of total nitrogen.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising recycling a first portion of the second solids-rich sludge to the contact tank, and a second portion of the second solids-rich sludge to the main biological treatment train.

4. A wastewater treatment system comprising:

an inlet configured to receive influent wastewater having an initial concentration of total nitrogen;

a main biological treatment train including at least one first unit operation configured to perform an anaerobic ammonium oxidation process in indirect fluid communication downstream of the inlet; and

at least one subsystem configured to increase a concentration of anammox bacteria in the at least one first unit operation, the at least one subsystem including:

a first separator configured to separate a mixed liquor produced in a contact tank having an inlet fluidly connected to a source of the wastewater into a solids-lean portion and a solids rich portion and to direct the solids-rich portion into an inlet of an anaerobic digester having a digested sludge outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the main biological treatment train; and

a conduit configured to direct a portion of a digested sludge produced in the anaerobic digester to a side stream reactor configured to grow anammox bacteria at a rate greater than at least one other bacterial species,

the wastewater treatment system configured to produce an effluent having a concentration of total nitrogen that is less than the initial concentration of total nitrogen.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprises a conduit configured to recycle a portion of a digested sludge produced in the anaerobic digester back to an inlet of the contact tank.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a first conduit configured to direct a first portion of a digested sludge produced in the anaerobic digester to an inlet of a first treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train which is upstream of all other treatment vessels in the main biological treatment train; and

a second conduit configured to direct a second portion of the digested sludge produced in the anaerobic digester to an inlet of a second treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train which is downstream of the first treatment vessel.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first treatment vessel and the second treatment vessel comprises an anoxic, aerated-anoxic, or anaerobic treatment vessel configured to perform the at least one first unit operation.

8. The system of claim 4 , further including a second conduit configured to direct a first portion of anammox bacteria grown in the side stream reactor into the inlet of the main biological treatment train.

9. The system of claim 8 , further including a third conduit configured to direct a second portion of anammox bacteria grown in the side stream reactor into an inlet of the contact tank.

10. A method of treating wastewater, the method comprising:

directing the wastewater into a contact tank to produce a first mixed liquor, the wastewater having an initial concentration of total nitrogen;

directing the first mixed liquor into a first separation system to produce a solids-rich sludge and a solids-lean effluent;

introducing the solids-lean effluent into a main biological treatment train containing anammox bacteria;

increasing a concentration of anammox bacteria in the main biological treatment train by:

anaerobically digesting the solids-rich sludge in an anaerobic digester to produce an anaerobically digested sludge;

introducing a first portion of the anaerobically digested sludge into the main biological treatment train;

directing a second portion of the anaerobically digested sludge into a side stream reactor configured to grow anammox bacteria at a rate greater than at least one other bacterial species; and

introducing anammox bacteria from the side stream reactor into the main biological treatment train;

treating the solids-lean effluent in the main biological treatment train to produce a second mixed liquor; and

directing the second mixed liquor into a second separation system to produce a second solids-rich sludge and a second solids-lean effluent, the second solids-lean effluent having a total nitrogen concentration that is less than the initial concentration of total nitrogen.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein introducing the first portion of the anaerobically digested sludge into the main biological treatment train comprises:

introducing a first amount of the first portion of the anaerobically digested sludge into an inlet of a first treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train which is upstream of all other treatment vessels in the main biological treatment train; and

introducing a second amount of the first portion of the anaerobically digested sludge into an inlet of a second treatment vessel of the main biological treatment train which is downstream of the first treatment vessel.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising introducing anammox bacteria from the side stream reactor into the contact tank.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising recycling a first portion of the second solids-rich sludge to the contact tank, and a second portion of the second solids-rich sludge to the main biological treatment train.