Optimizing Wastewater Aeration Basin Control and Performance

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 like biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), and nutrients including ammonium and nitrate. Badger Meter provides operators with real-time visibility into aeration basin operation or the 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 basin, 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 like the 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. These measurements give operators continuous visibility into organic loading, solids content and nutrient conditions entering the plant.

“Instead of waiting five days for a BOD-5 result, operators can know what’s coming into the plant immediately,” explained Brody Lauer, Solutions Architect at Badger Meter. “That allows them to respond proactively rather than reactively.”

Key Measurements for Aeration Basin Control

Real-time organic load monitoring becomes especially powerful when paired with in-basin sensors such as:

Together, these technologies give operators a full picture of aeration basin conditions—including aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic zones—so they can optimize operations of the wastewater treatment process.

When these measurements are used together, operators can move beyond traditional dissolved oxygen setpoints and begin controlling aeration based on actual loading conditions entering and moving through the basin. This measurement-driven approach is what enables ammonia-based aeration control (ABAC) and more advanced load-based blower strategies that significantly reduce energy consumption while stabilizing nutrient removal.

Reliability and Accuracy Designed for Wastewater

Optical sensors are tailored for specific locations in the plant—influent, effluent or aeration. The spectro::lyser V3 and nitro::lyser V3 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 and various ways to help keep the measurement cell clean. Self-cleaning mechanisms, including air blasting and automatic wipers, all aimed to reduce fouling, which greatly extends the maintenance intervals of the sensors.

Innovation That Keeps Evolving—The Shift to Ammonia‑Based Aeration Control

In recent years, the shift from DO-only to ammonia-based aeration control  has been one of the biggest advancements in biological treatment optimization. Coupling nutrient analyzers with optical load monitoring and secondary clarifier sensors has created a more holistic approach—one that empowers operators to dial in 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 Pro 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, supporting 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.”

Connecting the Entire Process, Not Just the Basin

Aeration basins don’t operate in isolation. Return activated sludge flow, clarifier performance, and upstream loading all influence biological conditions. Plants can connect multiple sensors throughout the process to a single transmitter, then feed that data to SCADA for comprehensive control.

By adding sludge blanket monitoring, the EchoSmart provides real-time measurement of the depth and volume of sludge that accumulates at the bottom of tanks, mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) data, and influent load trends, operators gain full situational awareness—not only improving efficiency but reducing the risk of upsets caused by industrial discharges or shock loads.

Why This Approach Changes Aeration Optimization

By combining organic load monitoring, nutrient sensing, DO measurement and clarifier feedback, operators move from reactive aeration control to predictive, load-based control—improving treatment stability while significantly reducing energy consumption.