Kuryanovskie Wastewater Treatment Plants, JSC "Mosvodokanal" (Moscow)

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Modern name since November 1, 2005.
Previously – Kuryanovskaya Aeration Station (KSA) of MGUP "Mosvodokanal."

The treatment facilities are the largest wastewater purification complex in Europe.
The designed capacity of the WWTP is 3,125 thousand m³/day (1,143,750 thousand m³/year), processing wastewater from the northwestern, western, southwestern, southern, and southeastern parts of Moscow and the adjacent Moscow region (about 60%), serving approximately 6 million people.

Number of employees: 1,060.

The design of Kuryanovskie Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) (initially Kuryanovskaya Aeration Station) with a capacity of 500 thousand m³/day was carried out from 1936 to 1938. In 1939, preparatory work began but was interrupted by World War II. Construction resumed after the war in 1947.

On December 18, 1950, the first cubic meters of wastewater entered the mechanical treatment facilities with a throughput of 250 thousand m³/day, and in 1952, biological treatment facilities began operation.

The station occupies an area of 380 hectares; the designed capacity is 3.125 million m³/day, of which nearly 2/3 is domestic wastewater and 1/3 is industrial wastewater. The station consists of four independent treatment blocks:
– Old WWTP block – 1,000 thousand m³/day;
– First new WWTP block – 1,000 thousand m³/day;
– Second new WWTP block – 1,000 thousand m³/day;
– Experimental integrated treatment block – 125 thousand m³/day;
– Additional treatment with gravel filters – 1,100 thousand m³/day of biologically treated wastewater.

The facilities provide full biological treatment using a classical technological scheme: mechanical screens, sand traps, primary settling tanks, aeration tanks, secondary settling tanks, fine mesh mechanical screens, and disinfection units. Some biologically treated wastewater undergoes additional purification through granular filters.

A distinctive feature is the presence of additional treatment facilities with a capacity of 1.1 million m³/day, including flat screens and rapid filters. Up to 50 thousand m³/day of treated water, after disinfection, is supplied to the industrial water system.

The sludge treatment process includes: thickening tanks and belt thickeners for excess activated sludge, digesters, compactors, belt thickeners for digested sludge, chamber membrane filter presses for sludge dewatering with flocculant application, storage sites, and disposal facilities.

The station operates three types of sand traps – vertical, horizontal, and aerated. After dewatering and processing in a specialized workshop, the sand can be used for road construction and other purposes. The primary settling tanks are radial, with diameters of 33, 40, and 54 meters. The designed settling time is 2 hours. The primary settling tanks have built-in pre-aerators in the central part.

Biological wastewater treatment is carried out in four-channel plug-flow aeration tanks, with a regeneration rate of 25–50%. Air for aeration is supplied to the aeration tanks by a compressor station. The aeration process is continuous, supported by activated sludge – flocs consisting of various microorganisms that decompose and oxidize dissolved pollutants. The composition of activated sludge is diverse, mainly consisting of bacteria, as well as protozoa, rotifers, worms, aquatic fungi, and yeasts.

Activated sludge is sensitive. If oxygen supply and mixing stop, it begins to die. Partial recovery of sludge after a 24-hour power outage may take up to three months, while full recovery can take about six months.

After aeration tanks, water enters secondary settling tanks, where activated sludge is separated, completing the biological treatment process. The treated wastewater is discharged via a single outlet (contact channel) into the Moscow River.

However, besides dissolved and suspended organic matter, wastewater also contains biogenic elements. These include phosphates and nitrogen compounds: nitrites, nitrates, and ammonium nitrogen. When these enter water bodies, they act as fertilizers, leading to excessive algal blooms and oxygen depletion. Removing biogenic elements is one of the biggest challenges in Russia, as most treatment plants were not originally designed for this purpose.

The activated sludge collected in the secondary settling tanks is sent to digesters—massive reinforced concrete tanks 24 meters high and 8,000 m³ in volume—where anaerobic digestion takes place over seven days. The resulting biogas, containing over 65% methane, is used in a mini-CHP plant, generating 10 MW of electricity and 8 MW of heat for internal needs.

Currently, the Kuryanovskie Wastewater Treatment Plants are constructing the world's largest ultraviolet disinfection facility with a capacity of 3 million m³/day, scheduled for commissioning soon. Plans also include constructing a modern treatment complex with biogenic element removal, with a capacity of 500 thousand m³/day.

Mechanical and biological treatment of urban wastewater generates various sludge types containing organic and mineral substances. These include debris retained by screens, sludge from primary settling tanks, and activated sludge or biofilm formed during aerobic biological treatment.

Sludge has a moisture content of 92–96%, is rich in microorganisms (including pathogenic ones) and helminth eggs. The organic (non-ash) fraction of the sludge is 65–75% of dry matter, while ash content is 25–35%.

The total sludge volume is about 15–17 thousand m³ with ~97% moisture content. This sludge is pumped to two treatment plants—sludge sites No. 8 (Andreyevskoye) and No. 19 (Vishnyakovo), located in the Leninsky District of Moscow Region—where it undergoes polymer conditioning and mechanical dewatering. The dewatered sludge is then either stored at disposal sites near the plants or transported to other landfills in the Moscow Region.

Of the total emissions and discharges into the environment from the aeration stations, 98% is treated water, 1.5% is wastewater sludge, and 0.5% is air emissions.

In 2014, during ongoing reconstruction, the treatment facilities were covered with roofs, eliminating unpleasant odors that previously affected nearby residential areas.

In 2015, an innovative Russian engineering solution was implemented at the 1st block of the new WWTP: floating flat covers were installed over settling tanks to prevent odor dispersion. Additional measures included upgrading sludge dewatering workshops and installing 12 gas purification units for ventilation emissions. As a result, the main sources of unpleasant odors were fitted with special containment systems, reducing hydrogen sulfide emissions—the primary cause of odor—by 90–95%. Similar measures for the 2nd block were planned for completion by 2018, significantly improving air quality for two million residents in southern and southeastern Moscow.

Tel. +7 (495) 348-14-10; +7 (495) 348-59-61
www.mosvodokanal.ru
www.expert.ru/expert/2007/32/nepokarennaya_kloaka/

Photo tours:
www.pol-pinka.narod.ru/fatalcrash/fatal-7.htm
macos.livejournal.com/274139.html