by Erik Rumbaugh | Oct 12, 2025 | Uncategorized
As temperatures drop, wastewater treatment plants face a seasonal challenge that’s as subtle as it is critical: maintaining the delicate balance between nitrifying bacteria and filamentous organisms. Winter operations demand longer sludge ages to support...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Oct 6, 2025 | Uncategorized
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) are commonly found in disinfectants, detergents, and personal care products. Their extensive use has led to increased concentrations in wastewater. To better understand how this impacts biological wastewater treatment, let’s...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Sep 16, 2025 | Uncategorized
Wastewater treatment is a complex process that relies on a delicate balance of physical, chemical, and biological factors. At the heart of most conventional wastewater treatment plants are microorganisms that break down organic waste. However, when this balance is...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Sep 3, 2025 | Uncategorized
When it comes to nitrogen monitoring in wastewater, ammonia often steals the spotlight. But if you’re only tracking ammonia, you’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle: Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN). TKN includes both ammonia and organic nitrogen—and...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Aug 29, 2025 | Uncategorized
Ever wondered what we’re missing in the microbial world? Just like astronomical dark matter makes up most of our universe but remains largely mysterious, microbial dark matter represents the hidden majority of life on Earth – over 99% of microbial species...
by Erik Rumbaugh | Jul 27, 2025 | Uncategorized, Wastewater Microbiome, Wastewater Monitoring, Wastewater Testing
The Shannon Diversity Index (H’) is a widely used metric in ecology to quantify the biodiversity of a community. In the context of wastewater treatment, it measures the diversity and evenness of microbial species within the activated sludge biomass. This...
