The IMANS® (integrated membrane anaerobic stabilization) approach to wastewater treatment is a simple and innovative approach to treating wastewater to a selected range of finished quality. Physical separation using gravity, screens and membranes, and anaerobic digestion technologies form the backbone of the IMANS® treatment approach.
Treatment technologies can be removed from the overall treatment train or modified to suit the desired effluent quality. Very high-quality water for groundwater recharge can be obtained in only three treatment steps.
Conventional aerobic biological treatment processes (such as activated sludge) convert the natural energy in wastewater (in the form of BOD) into biosolids, which is costly for treatment and disposal.
By eliminating the use of aerobic treatment, the IMANS® approach con serves and concentrates the natural energy in the wastewater for conversion into useful energy (methane) by anaerobic treatment.
Summary of Pilot Plant Results
During 18 months of pilot testing at the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), the IMANS® system treated more than 4.5 million gallons of wastewater.
On-going Development
OCSD, encouraged by the pilot plant results and preliminary cost estimates for the process, decided to proceed with a demonstration-scale plant (about 0.5 mgd). The concept is that OCSD will use a portion of the IMANS® treatment train to treat effluent to a quality that can be discharged to the ocean. The downstream processes can then be added later to provide additional high quality water for reclamation.
The Benefits of IMANS®:
• No activated sludge treatment
• Significantly less biosolids
• More biogas potential
• Tailored to meet discharge needs
• Small footprint
• Less odor
• Can be built in phases
• Can use existing infrastructure
• Lower cost