New Partnership Announcement: AquaPoint

ICS Group is proud to announce their latest partnership with AquaPoint. AquaPoint is a unique wastewater company which focuses on small to intermediate flow biological process technology. AquaPoint have been in business for over 30 years and they are experts in supplying innovative wastewater treatment technologies for de-centralized, industrial, municipal, commercial, landfill, and brewery applications.

AquaPoint was founded in 1992 by Craig Lindell and John Lafreniere. Within the first year, AquaPoint installed more than 20 residential and commercial BioClere treatment systems in Northeast United States. Word spread about the small flow equipment and additional BioClere systems were installed in the Southeastern United States. The success of the BioClere system continued to grow and received certification and independent validations from NSF, EPA, WERF, NASA, and NAVY.

AquaPoint has a strong industry reputation as a leader in small flow biological process systems. Paul Nygaard, President of ICS Group commented, "When we considered AquaPoint as a partner, we received positive feedback from consulting engineers that working with AquaPoint was always a positive experience." AquaPoint provides customers with trusted solutions for applications that need to expand with limited space, or addressing biologically overloaded systems to increase capacity.

"AquaPoint provides us with the ability to treat high-strength wastewater loadings with high-efficiency in a compact solution for our industrial customers. They also have the ability to treat small domestic wastewater flows without the need for a full-scale mechanical plant. This is what makes AquaPoint’s technology unique. The technology can be applied for a wide range of flows from a couple thousand gallons per day to millions of gallons per day."

Made in the U.S.A.

Bioclere is made in Massachusetts. The fiberglass tanks are made in factories across the United States. AquaPoint stands behind their equipment and tests all systems in-house before they ship to the customer. The team supports customers from design through installation to ensure the project is done correctly.

If you have are interested in the AquaPoint equipment for a project, rest assured the engineering team creates comprehensive design packages just for you. Engineers will offer recommended solutions based on your influent characteristics and regulatory requirements, extensive performance verification, modeling with CAD drawings and detailed explanations, and preliminary budgets that include operational and lifecycle cost projections. AquaPoint will assist you with permit applications and provide contractors with detailed installation instructions. Additionally, AquaPoint can provide an onsite technician to monitor the equipment installation.

Products Offered by AquaPoint

AquaPoint offers four primary products:

• Bioclere: trickling filter over a clarifier
• Bioclere OH: hybrid moving bed biofilm (MBBR)
• Aquacell: moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR)
• AquaFas: an integrated fixed film activated sludge.

All systems feature their unique fixed-film technology in a small footprint, with minimal sludge generation, and little maintenance requirements. All systems are self-managing and only require monthly or quarterly visits. Lastly, AquaPoint systems are resistant to toxic and shock loading and are extremely energy efficient.

AquaPoint offers a wide variety of biological process equipment for our customers. "This technology has the ability to treat higher strength wastewater loadings with high efficiency, compact solutions for our industrial customers, as well as helping smaller communities with their wastewater concerns," commented Paul Nygaard. "AquaPoint’s technologies can be applied to a wide range of flows, ranging from a couple thousand gallons per day to millions of gallons per day."

Bioclere? is a modified trickling filter over a clarifier (settling tank) that is designed to treat wastewater with varying organic and nutrient concentrations. Its natural fixed-film biological treatment process is resilient, energy efficient, compact and simple to operate. Within the Bioclere filter, wastewater is evenly distributed over the surface of plastic media. This is where microorganisms (known as biomass) attach themselves to the media and consume BOD/COD and ammonia-N. Residual solids from the treatment process settle in the clarifier below the filter and are evacuated by a recirculation pump while clean effluent leaves the system by gravity. Modular Bioclere? units can be installed in parallel to treat large flows or in series to achieve higher performance standards. Additional facts and benefits:

• Great solution for small to midsize applications
• Treats flows from 200 to 100,000 gpd
• Treats up to 20,000 gpd in a single unit
• Over 18,000 systems installed worldwide.
• ANSI/NSF standard 40 certified (16/12)
• Received EPA’s technology verification for nitrogen removal efficiency.
• Effluent water can also be reused for irrigation.
• Durable fiberglass & PVC construction (50-year useful life)
• Fiberglass, foam core, internals are non-corrosive materials like plastic media (biologically inert). You don’t have to replace media. Media is structurally able to support the weight of the biomass and won’t break down.
• Sealed and insulated for seasonal conditions.
• Available in 5, 8, 10, 12-foot designs
• Modular vessels easy to install, build in phases.
• Units installed in parallel increase hydraulic capacity.
• Units installed in series achieve higher levels of treatment (ammonia removal, BOD removal)
• Low life cycle costs, few moving parts, 2-3 fractional horsepower pumps and one axial fan:
• Low power consumption: 200 gpd @ 53 kwhr/month
• Equipment longevity: UV resistant gel coating. There are 50-year-old systems sill operating in Europe
• No noise and you can vent to prevent odor
• In a US EPA reuse pilot study, energy cost comparison Bioclere is $2.08/day compared to the competitor at $6.34/day

Bioclere? OH is a two-stage, hybrid biological treatment process which integrates the AquaCELL moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with the Bioclere high-rate trickling filter. The high-rate productivity and oxygen transfer efficiency of the MBBR, combined with the polishing and clarification capability of the Bioclere makes Bioclere-OH ideal for high-performance nitrification and denitrification applications.

BOD/COD removal and partial nitrification are accomplished in the first stage MBBR by heterotrophic organisms. They provide a robust population of nitrifying autotrophic organisms to colonize in the trickling filter media bed and accomplish complete ammonia-N removal.

Bioclere-OH is a fixed-film technology, offering process stability, a compact footprint, few maintenance requirements and high-quality effluent. Here are additional benefits of the Bioclere? OH:

• Treats flows from 1,000 to 100,000 gpd
• Stable & resilient two-stage biological process
• Nitrify to < 0.5 mg/l NH3 and denitrify to < 5 mg/l TN
• Efficient digestion and mineralization of sludge
• The Bioclere-OH MBBR and trickling filter media beds never require replacement or cleaning
• > 80% open space giving it an indefinite lifespan without the potential for plugging
• Low maintenance costs
• Small footprint
• Modular design enables phased construction
• Durable fiberglass construction
• Sealed and insulated for seasonal conditions
• Internal gravity flow system
• Treats high strength waste
• Highly effective nitrification/denitrification process
• Fully Automated PLC Control Systems

AquaCELL? is a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process. Millions of submerged polyethylene (HDPE) biofilm carriers operate in motion within an aerated or mechanically mixed basin. Each biofilm carrier incorporates multiple cells of protected surface area to sustain a dense community of attached growth fixed-film microorganisms (heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria).

The neutrally buoyant carriers move throughout the water column, oxygen and organic/inorganic material are brought to the biofilm which absorbs, oxidizes and reduces these pollutants and provide treatment. The dense population of bacteria provides high-rate productivity, enhanced nitrification/denitrification, process stability, small footprint and ease of operation. Here are the additional benefits of AquaCELL?:

• One-pass process (eliminating the need to manage the MLSS)
• Food to Microorganism ratios and return activated sludge (RAS) associated with conventional suspended growth systems.
• Resilient to toxic shock loading and extreme temperature conditions
• Cold climate nitrification/denitrification
• Self-purging and naturally responsive to fluctuations in organic and nutrient loading.
• No “wash out” events from hydraulic surges because the biofilm resides on the media retained in each reactor basin.
• No management of food to microorganism ratio
• No return activated sludge.
• Treats flows from 0.001 to 10 MGD
• Complete new build modular WWTPs
• Cost effective retrofits and upgrades
• Separate stage MBBRs may be added to lagoons, RBCs, SBRs, etc. for roughing, nitrification and/or denitrification
• Small footprints (Typically 25% to 50% of the size of conventional systems)
• Capable of treating high strength and industrial wastewater
• Steel (carbon or stainless), fiberglass or concrete vessels
• Wide range of process applications
• Above ground or at grade installations
• Mobile Systems available for temporary treatment
• Durable UV resistant virgin HDPE biofilm carriers
• Long media life cycle (> 20 years)
• Minimal O&M requirements
• Fully Automated PLC Control Systems

AquaFAS? is an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) treatment process. MBBR biofilm carrier technology is incorporated with a conventional suspended growth activated sludge process. This hybrid process enhances volumetric productivity without increasing mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations.

AquaFAS? achieves high levels of performance in a compact footprint, while reducing the impact of solids loading on the clarification process. This system is an ideal low-cost, retrofit solution for conventional activated sludge systems that have met or reached capacity. The small footprint and high-performance nitrification/denitrification capability make it ideal for new construction applications. Additional benefits of AquaFAS?:

• Treats flows from 0.001 to 10 MGD
• Enhances the conventional activated sludge process
• Increase existing plant capacity & performance
• Small footprint
• Designed for cold climates with superior nitrification/denitrification
• Capable of treating high-strength and industrial wastewater
• Achieve reduced clarifier loading
• Steel (carbon or stainless), fiberglass or concrete vessels
• Above ground or at grade installations
• Mobile systems available for temporary treatment
• Cost effective retrofits and upgrades -or- complete new build modular wastewater treatment plants
• UV resistant HDPE biofilm carriers
• Long media life cycle (> 20 years)
• Fully Automated PLC Control Systems

Operator Training

After the product has shipped, plant commissioning and start up will be underway. AquaPoint sends an operator onsite for the whole commissioning period. Josh Lindeel states, "There is a lot you can do when you do start up to train. This will be a good time to troubleshoot and make sure everything is correct for the customer. After the equipment is commissioned, the AquaPoint operator will spend a full day or two with the wastewater operator to go through OM manual and fine tune the machine."

Even after the commissioning, AquaPoint stays engaged with customer. It may take up to a month for the biological process to get started. The team wants to remain engaged and involved in how things were going at plant and with the training.