Papers and Reports

Like many of today’s municipalities, the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, faces challenges with long-term wastewater residuals management. To meet these challenges, the City recently completed construction of three 1.1 million-gallon (mg) egg-shaped anaerobic digesters to improve the wastewater solids handling, stabilization, and disposal capabilities at its Theresa Street wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). This paper discusses the startup procedures and our experiences during the testing and initial operational phases of the egg-shaped anaerobic digesters and associated systems. Startup at a wastewater treatment facility can often be difficult for owners, operational staff, contractors, and even the engineers. The paper also discusses methods to avoiding or minimizing difficulties.