Membrane bioreactor

A membrane bioreactor for treatment of wastewater, comprising:

• first and second anoxic basins for anoxic treatment of such wastewater;
• first and second aerobic basins for aerobic treatment of such wastewater, the first and second aerobic basins being connected by first and second fluid flow paths to the first and second anoxic basins, respectively, for flow of the wastewater from the respective anoxic basin into the respective aerobic basin;
• a membrane chamber extending into the first and second aerobic basins, wherein the membrane chamber comprises a common inlet channel, a common outlet channel, a plurality of membrane tanks between the common inlet channel and the common outlet channel, and a plurality of feed pipes extending between the common inlet channel and the membrane tanks, and wherein the membrane chamber comprises a floor elevated above a floor of the aerobic basins;
• a membrane module in each of the plurality of membrane tanks;
• a first conduit extending from the common outlet channel to the first aerobic basin;
• and
• a second conduit extending from the common outlet channel to the second aerobic basin.

A method of treating wastewater in a membrane bioreactor, comprising:

• screening the wastewater;
• anoxically treating the wastewater in first and second anoxic basins arranged in parallel on a first level of the membrane bioreactor;
• aerobically treating the wastewater in first and second aerobic basins arranged in parallel on the first level, the first aerobic basin arranged in series with the first anoxic basin, and the second aerobic basin arranged in series with the second anoxic basin;
• pumping the wastewater from the first and second aerobic basins into an elevated common inlet channel;
• passing the wastewater from the common inlet channel into a plurality of membrane tanks arranged in parallel;
• drawing a first portion of the wastewater through a plurality of membranes located in each membrane tank;
• passing a second portion of the wastewater from the plurality of membrane tanks into a common outlet channel;
• passing the second portion of the wastewater from the common outlet channel to the first and second aerobic basins through first and second conduits, the first conduit connecting the common outlet channel to the first aerobic basin, and the second conduit connecting the common outlet channel to the second aerobic basin;
• and
• housing operating equipment for the membrane bioreactor on a second level of the bioreactor above the first level.