Sequencing Batch Reactor Technology III

Even though the intermittent wastewater treatment technology was first utilised by the inventors of the activated sludge process in 1914, it has recently been ?re-invented? in the more versatile and highly adaptable form of the Sequencing Batch Reactor process. SBR processes have gained remarkable popularity in the last few years owing to their improved performance and cost-effective implementation at both small and large scale. Some of the latest advances in the SBR research and implementation were presented at the 3rd IWA Conference on SBR technologies held in Noosa, Australia, and summarised in this issue of WST, which contains 38 papers selected after peer review. The success of this technology will likely continue into the future since a number of novel developments directly utilise or even rely on the SBR process. These include the granular biomass development, bio-polymer production from wastewater, and high-rate nitrogen removal processes via nitrite, which are all been featured in these selected proceedings. Together with the demonstrated achievements of the SBR processes in industrial and domestic applications, these developments will certainly underpin further strong advances in and growth of this technology in future.