Biological wastewater treatment
Alfa Laval helps municipalities and industries optimize biological wastewater treatment to meet stricter discharge limits, increase capacity, reduce energy use and maximize the value of existing assets while operating within constrained budgets and limited site footprints. Backed by decades of application expertise, our biological treatment solutions deliver robust process performance and consistently produce high-quality effluent – a critical foundation for water reuse and nutrient recovery.
Key benefits of Alfa Laval biological wastewater treatment for municipalities and industries
- Adapt to changing influent conditions with proven technologies, process expertise and flexible solutions
- Reliable biological treatment delivers high-quality effluent for water reuse and compliance with stricter discharge requirements
- Increase capacity without expanding the plant footprint
- Optimize energy consumption and process stability to lower lifecycle costs
- Unlock resource recovery opportunities through water reclamation, biogas production, nutrient recovery and biosolids valorization
Alfa Laval technologies for biological wastewater treatment processes
Biological wastewater treatment uses microorganisms to remove organic matter, nutrients, fats, oils and grease (FOG), as well as other undesirable micro particles and substances from wastewater, producing high-quality effluent suitable for safe discharge or water reuse.
Alfa Laval's biological treatment technologies, including the ASH Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) for secondary biological treatment and the ASH Iso-Disc® cloth media filter for tertiary treatment, help utilities achieve reliable treatment performance, meet stringent effluent requirements and minimize sludge production.
Combined with sludge dewatering decanters, the complete solution optimizes sludge management by reducing hauling and disposal costs while maximizing opportunities for resource recovery and the beneficial use of biosolids.
Related products for biological treatment, sludge thickening and dewatering
Maximize performance across the entire wastewater treatment process with Alfa Laval's complementary technologies for biological treatment, sludge thickening and sludge dewatering. Engineered to work together, our solutions help optimize process efficiency, produce high-quality effluent, improve sludge management, reduce lifecycle costs, and support water reuse and resource recovery.
Secondary biological treatment
Secondary biological treatment removes biodegradable organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, producing high-quality effluent suitable for safe discharge or further tertiary treatment for water reuse and resource recovery.
Water reuse offers significant environmental and economic benefits by conserving freshwater resources, reducing freshwater withdrawals and lowering the costs associated with water supply and effluent management. Reclaimed water can be used for a wide range of applications, including industrial process water, cooling towers, wash water, agricultural irrigation, golf courses, recreational lakes, wetlands, wildlife habitats and groundwater recharge.
The two primary biological treatment processes are:
- Aerobic treatment, where microorganisms use oxygen to break down organic matter and remove pollutants in activated sludge systems.
- Anaerobic treatment, where microorganisms degrade organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas as a valuable renewable energy source while reducing the energy demand of high-strength wastewater treatment.
The Alfa Laval ASH Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) is a proven biological wastewater treatment solution that delivers reliable treatment performance, high-quality effluent and operational flexibility. Watch the video to see how it works.
Transforming wastewater treatment
Renew and future‑proof your municipal wastewater treatment systems with Alfa Laval’s industry‑leading technologies. With more than 70 years of experience in wastewater treatment solutions, Alfa Laval helps municipalities improve sludge dewatering efficiency, operational reliability and regulatory compliance while reducing lifecycle costs. Discover how advanced solid–liquid separation technologies and proven process optimization strategies can help wastewater treatment plants meetstricter regulations and growing capacity demands.
Watch the on-demand webcast to learn how municipalities can future-proof their systems with scalable technologies and practical process optimization strategies.
Discover biological treatment success stories
Discover how Alfa Laval’s advanced secondary and tertiary treatment technologies are helping customers optimize biological wastewater treatment.
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Alfa Laval's biological treatment technologies help utilities and industries achieve reliable treatment performance while supporting water reuse, resource recovery and long-term operational efficiency.