Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal

  1. Home
  2. Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal

This extensively revised third edition reflects the latest advances and industry best practices and now explicitly addresses nutrient removal.

Get this guide to solve performance issues and improve operations.

Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal, MOP OM-9, 3rd Edition, helps operators and other wastewater treatment professionals understand the activated sludge process, solve performance problems, and improve operations. This extensively revised third edition reflects the latest advances and industry best practices, and now explicitly addresses nutrient removal. As the primary reference for the operation of the activated sludge process, operators are guided through selecting an appropriate sludge age, calculating wasting rates, optimizing return activated sludge (RAS) flow, managing clarifier blankets, and setting DO and ORP set points.

Key features of the third edition:

  • Delivers comprehensive, industry best practices for the operation of the activated sludge process
  • Discusses a range of approaches to activated sludge process control
  • Authored and peer-reviewed by leading water sector professionals
  • Serves as the primary reference for both novice and experienced professionals
  • Explores Return Activated Sludge (RAS) and Waste Activated Sludge (WAS)


New to this edition:

  • New! Provides activated sludge process troubleshooting charts
  • New! Laboratory chapter with detailed directions for common sludge process control tests
  • New! Offers an introduction to biological process modeling
  • New! Presents advanced concepts in nutrient removal
  • New! Offers practice questions to enhance reader understanding and reinforce concepts presented
  • Expanded! Updated activated sludge process control section with step-by-step examples for calculations

Order Your Copy Today

Order the Digital Version 

Table of Contents

  • Chapter 1 Introduction
  • Chapter 2 Activated Sludge Process Fundamentals
  • Chapter 3 Activated Sludge Microbiology
  • Chapter 4 Process Control for the Activated Sludge Basin
  • Chapter 5 Process Control Methods for the Secondary Clarifier
  • Chapter 6 Process Control Tests
  • Chapter 7 Process Troubleshooting
  • Chapter 8 Advanced Concepts in Nutrient Removal
  • Chapter 9 Sludge Process Simulators

Here's what Readers are saying about Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal, MOP OM-9, 3rd Edition

This book is great to read, easy to follow and I love the practice questions at the end of the chapters. As the Operator in Responsible Charge, it helped me restructure the way we do our daily plant rounds. We are going to use it to update some of our Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). It helps as a quick reference when troubleshooting an issue with our processes and helps to optimize our process where available. A great tool for any wastewater treatment operator.

—Manuel Freyre, Chief Plant Operator for Wastewater
City of Northglenn, CO.


This extensively revised third edition of Activated Sludge and Nutrient Removal, Manual of Practice No. OM-9, reflects best practices and the latest advances. This is one of the best books ever published by WEF. The book is not only a primary reference for the design and operation of the activated sludge process, but also an excellent supplemental college textbook for environmental biotechnology courses.

—Lawrence K. Wang is a professor and Mu-Hao Sung Wang is a consultant at the Lenox Institute of Technology (Newtonville, N.Y.).

Read Full WE&T Review

How to Order

Online www.wef.org/ShopWEF
Call 1.800.666.0206
Email csc@wef.org 

Other Nutrient Resources

Nutrient Removal, MOP 34
The latest methods for Nutrient Removal from wastewater.

Operation of Nutrient Removal Facilities, MOP 37
Your guide to successfully operating a stable, reliable, and efficient facility to remove nitrogen and/or phosphorus, while simultaneously minimizing operations and maintenance costs.

Operation of Water Resource Recovery Facilities, MOP 11
The water industry’s cornerstone text – updated to reflect the latest trends, technologies, and regulations. Now presented in a single volume for easy reference.

Water Environment Research
The premier water research journal that provides groundbreaking research on the world’s most important resource.

Explore Other WEF Publications

WEF publishes a variety of technical publications, including newsletters, manuals of practice and other books, magazines, and journals. WEF publications cover a wide variety of topics and reach both U.S. and international audiences.

WEF members receive up to a 20% discount on WEF publications.