With real-time visibility into aeration performance in an activated sludge plant – wastewater treatment operators gain more precise control, lower energy consumption, and greater overall reliability. Rugged sensors, wastewater-specific calibrations, modular design and integrated process intelligence, provide a reliable foundation for modern aeration management.
For wastewater treatment facilities, aeration is where the real work happens. It’s the biological engine of the plant – where microorganisms remove nitrogen and organic matter – and it’s also one of the most energy-intensive processes on site. Yet for many utilities, aeration control still relies on limited instrumentation or delayed lab data, making it difficult to optimise blower usage, maintain compliance, and proactively adjust operations.
Badger Meter is helping utility operators change that dynamic through a complete portfolio of sensors measuring dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), oxidation reduction potential (ORP/Redox), pH, organic indicators such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients including ammonium and nitrate. This provides operators with real-time visibility into aeration operation or nutrient removal performance – enabling more precise control, lower energy consumption, and greater overall reliability.
Why Dissolved Oxygen Alone Is Not Enough
Dissolved oxygen shows how much oxygen is present in the lanes, but it does not indicate how much ammonia or organic load is entering the process. When influent conditions change, DO-only control often leads to over-aeration, wasted energy and unstable nutrient removal. Monitoring ammonium and organic load allows aeration to respond to actual treatment demand instead of a fixed oxygen setpoint.
Advanced Optical Monitoring for Real-Time Insight
Optical sensor technology, used in instruments such as the Badger Meter spectro::lyser and nitro::lyser, allow plants to measure parameters such as BOD, COD, nitrate and TSS continuously – parameters that traditionally require lab analysis and multi-day turnaround.
“Instead of waiting five days for a BOD5 result, operators can know what’s coming into the plant immediately,” explained Brody Lauer, Solutions Architect at Badger Meter. “This allows them to respond proactively rather than reactively.”
Real-time organic load monitoring becomes especially powerful when paired with in-situ sensors. Together, these technologies give operators a full picture of plant conditions – including aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic zones – so they can truly optimise operations.
Reliability and Accuracy Designed for Wastewater
Badger Meter optical sensors are tailored for specific locations in the plant – influent, effluent, or aeration. The spectro::lyser and nitro::lyser enable plants to measure multiple parameters continuously within a single sensor. To assist with the calibration and maintenance of the sensors, they are provided with set calibration curves with various ways to ensure the measurement cell stays clean. Self-cleaning mechanisms, including air blasting and automatic wipers, are all aimed at reducing fouling, which extends the maintenance intervals of the sensors.
In recent years, the shift from DO-only to ammonium-based aeration control has been one of the biggest advancements in biological treatment optimisation. Coupling nutrient analysers with optical load monitoring and secondary clarifier sensors has created a more holistic approach – one that empowers operators to manage their process with precision.
Aeration blowers often represent the largest share of a plant’s electricity usage. This improved monitoring strategy allows operators to shift from constant-speed or DO-only control to more advanced, load-based blower operation.
The ammo::lyser sets itself apart in these applications. It is compact, modular, and designed so operators can replace individual electrodes – ammonium, pH, potassium, nitrate, or chloride compensation – rather than swapping an entire sensor head.
Fluorescent DO sensors are accurate even in low-oxygen environments. ensuring reliable aeration and nutrient removal control, even in anoxic environments. Rather than maintaining a static oxygen level, operators can use ammonium concentration – measured continuously via the ammo::lyser – to adjust airflow as loading changes. As the amount of ammonia coming in increases or decreases, the blowers can respond in real time for the greatest efficiency gains.
These gains aren’t hypothetical. One US operator stipulated, “switching from typical operation of 2 mg/L of dissolved oxygen to ammonia-based aeration control (ABAC), my utility was able to save 16% on a $65,000 a month bill.”
Learn more at badgermeter.com
