Submerged Aerated Fixed Films (SAFF) technology is a process used to reduce the organic loading of residential and commercial sewage/wastewater, and in doing so will reduce the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and a significant quantity of Suspended Solids (SS) which if otherwise untreated would contaminate river and sea outfalls, in other words, it is used to substantially improve effluent discharge quality. As with traditional sewage treatment, Submerged Aerated Fixed Films Technology too uses three stages of dealing with commercial and residential sewage/wastewater.
On the attached growth process, it is based and is used for the secondary treatment of wastewater treatment plants. Raw sewage is introduced into the SAFF Reactor in this process where for attached growth process takes place that contains polymer-based bio-media. With the use of fine bubble diffused aeration equipment, the aerobic environment in the SAFF is achieved, that also serves to maintain the mixed liquor in a completely mixed regime. The mixture of new cells and old cells overflows into a secondary sedimentation tank where the cells are separated from the treated wastewater. Using the horizontal, flooded and non-clog pumps a portion of the settled cells is recycled for maintaining the desired concentration of organisms in the SAFF reactor and to the aerobic sludge digester-cum-thickener tank for further sludge treatment the remaining portion is wasted.
Advantages
- No constant monitoring of MLSS required thus making it user friendly.
- No chance of occurring septic conditions due to power failure as it sustains microbial growth under irregular power supply conditions.
- Less maintenance as there are no moving parts.
- Less sludge generation hence reduced the problem of sludge disposal.
- The fixed-film process will continually slough off the outer layer(s) of dead biofilm and continue to produce new microorganisms to meet the organic load.
- Low power consumption due to high oxygen transfer.
