The Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology was determined to be a promising and viable process for denitrification to achieve total nitrogen of between 3-4 mg N/L and nitrate concentration below 1 mg N/L. A post-denitrifying pilot MBBR system was set up at the Blue Plains AWTP (Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant) and a bench scale kinetic evaluation was conducted. This study is a compilation of the ex-situ bench evaluations of the media grown in the pilot reactor. Denitrification kinetics and stoichiometry of MBBR technology using methanol as an external carbon source were investigated. The average specific denitrification rates (SDNR) were determined between 1.3 -2.0 g NO x -N/m 2 -day, and the stoichiometric C:N ratios were 4.6 -5.8 mg COD/mg NO x -N for a temperature range of 13 -18 o C. Experimental values were used to obtain Ks NOx-N (effective NO x -N half saturation constant) for different temperatures using a model developed based on the Monod kinetic expression and a spreadsheet interactive search routine. Values of effective Ks NOx-N were observed between 0.6 and 1.1 mg N/L for experimental temperatures ranging from 12.5 to 20 o C.

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