System and Method for Removing Contaminants From Wastewater Streams

A method for removing contaminants from wastewater to produce a filtrate and a sludge:

• the steps comprising:
• providing a bioreactor comprising:
• an inlet zone for receiving wastewater,
• a filtration zone comprising a filter;
• and
• a reaction zone between the inlet zone and the filtration zone comprising:
• a biofilm supporting media comprising a biofilm of biofilm forming bacteria thereon, wherein the biofilm supporting media is provided in a sufficient quantity to enable the biofilm forming bacteria thereon to consume at least a portion of the contaminants from the wastewater to produce filterable water that has a total suspended solids of less than 5 g/L at the filtration zone;
• and
• water comprising suspended bacteria;
• and
• introducing wastewater comprising contaminants to the inlet zone of the bioreactor;
• providing anoxic and/or aerobic conditions in the reaction zone of the bioreactor to cause the consumption of the contaminants by the biofilm forming bacteria on the biofilm supporting media and the suspended bacteria contained in the water to produce filterable water;
• and
• filtering the filterable water at the filtration zone to produce a filtrate and a sludge, wherein the filtrate has total suspended solids of less than 10 mg/L with a flowrate of at least 2,000 L/h per m2 of filter area.