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COD/BOD Reduction Companies
COD and BOD reduction solution providers, biological, AOP, and hybrid processes for high-strength industrial effluents.
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COD and BOD Reduction for Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) are the primary regulatory measures of organic pollutant load. Standard targets: BOD₅ <25 mg/L and COD <125 mg/L for EU UWWTD secondary discharge; BOD₅ <10 mg/L and COD <40 mg/L for sensitive-area tertiary; <5 mg/L BOD for water-reuse applications. The BOD:COD ratio reveals biodegradability — >0.5 for municipal sewage (highly biodegradable), 0.3–0.5 for food/beverage, <0.3 for refractory industrial wastewater requiring physicochemical or AOP polishing.
Treatment train selection: biological treatment (activated sludge at F:M 0.2–0.4, SRT 5–15 days; MBR at MLSS 8–12 g/L; SBR with anaerobic-aerobic cycling) removes 90–98% biodegradable BOD/COD. For refractory COD: ozonation at 1–5 mg O₃/mg COD; Fenton oxidation at H₂O₂:Fe²⁺ ratio 5–25:1, pH 3.0–3.5; activated carbon (PAC at 50–500 mg/L or GAC at EBCT 10–30 min); chemical coagulation with ferric/alum + pH adjustment. High-strength industrial COD (>5,000 mg/L) economics favor anaerobic pretreatment (UASB, EGSB at OLR 10–30 kg COD/m³·day) producing biogas at 0.35 m³ CH₄/kg COD removed, followed by aerobic polishing.
Process selection drivers: BOD:COD ratio, temperature (mesophilic >20°C for full nitrification, psychrophilic <15°C requires extended SRT), inhibitors (sulfide, ammonia, heavy metals, surfactants), and downstream discharge limits. Monitor with online TOC analyzers (UV-persulfate or high-temperature combustion) for real-time control; lab BOD₅ remains the regulatory reference per Standard Methods 5210B. Aguato lists COD/BOD reduction specialists across municipal upgrades, food/beverage, pulp/paper, refinery, and chemical-industry retrofits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between COD and BOD and which should I optimize for?
BOD₅ measures biodegradable organics consumed by microorganisms in 5 days at 20°C — the regulatory standard for biological treatability. COD measures total chemically oxidizable organics via dichromate digestion in 2 hours — broader scope including non-biodegradable matter. BOD:COD ratio reveals biodegradability: >0.5 highly biodegradable (sewage, food), 0.3–0.5 partially (pulp/paper, dairy), <0.3 refractory (textile, chemical, leachate). Most permits are written in BOD; some EU and most industrial sites require both. Optimize for COD removal in industrial designs — it captures all organics including those not in BOD₅.
How do I reduce refractory COD that won't biodegrade?
Refractory COD (typically humic, aromatic, halogenated, or pharmaceutical residuals) is removed by: ozonation 1–5 mg O₃/mg COD breaks aromatic rings into biodegradable intermediates; Fenton (H₂O₂ + Fe²⁺ at pH 3) achieves 60–90% mineralization on textile/pharma; activated carbon (PAC at 50–500 mg/L or GAC at EBCT 10–30 min) for low-concentration polishing to <40 mg/L COD; chemical coagulation with ferric at pH 4–5 removes humic-bound COD. Combine ozone + biological (O₃-BAC) for refractory streams >500 mg/L COD — 30–60% lower energy than ozone alone.
What's the most cost-effective treatment for high-COD industrial wastewater?
Anaerobic-aerobic two-stage is the proven economics champion for COD >2,000 mg/L: UASB or EGSB anaerobic reactor at OLR 10–30 kg COD/m³·day removes 70–85% COD producing 0.35 m³ CH₄/kg COD destroyed (energy positive at $0.05–0.10/m³ revenue), followed by activated sludge polishing to <125 mg/L. Capex $200–500/m³·day capacity; opex $0.30–0.60/m³. Compared to aerobic-only: 40–60% lower power, 50–70% lower sludge production, biogas-to-energy CHP at 1.8–2.2 kWh/m³ biogas. Standard in brewery, dairy, distillery, pulp/paper, slaughterhouse sectors.
Can I use MBR to meet stringent BOD/COD limits for water reuse?
Yes. MBR (membrane bioreactor with UF/MF at 0.04 to 0.4 micron) delivers BOD below 5 mg/L, COD below 30 mg/L, TSS below 1 mg/L, and turbidity below 0.2 NTU consistently, meeting Title 22 (California), EU Water Reuse Regulation 2020/741 Class A, and Singapore NEWater specifications. MBR opex is $0.45 to $0.85/m3 versus CAS plus sand filter at $0.30 to $0.55/m3, but eliminates secondary clarifier and tertiary filter footprint and delivers 5 to 10 times higher MLSS (8 to 12 g/L) for compact retrofits. Membrane life is 8 to 12 years with proper relaxation, backwash, and CIP, with replacement cost of $40 to $80/m2 module.
A whisky distillery producing pot ale and spent lees at a combined 650 m3/day and 18,000 mg/L COD was discharging to sewer under a Trade Effluent Consent requiring COD below 2,000 mg/L before discharge. Surcharges under the Mogden formula were costing GBP 580,000/year. The consent holder required a self-treatment solution with biogas energy recovery.
A UASB anaerobic reactor at OLR 14 kg COD/m3.day (HRT 8 hours) achieved 82% COD removal to 3,240 mg/L. Biogas (78% methane) at 185 Nm3/hour powered a 480 kW CHP unit. An aerobic MBR stage (MLSS 11,000 mg/L, HRT 6 hours) polished to final COD 285 mg/L.
Trade Effluent Consent compliance achieved with COD averaging 285 mg/L (target below 2,000 mg/L). Surcharge eliminated, saving GBP 580,000/year. CHP output of 3.8 GWh/year offset 32% of site electricity demand, saving GBP 610,000/year at prevailing tariffs. Total capital cost was GBP 3.2M with payback in 2.7 years.
Questions to Ask Shortlisted Providers
- 1
What is the BOD:COD ratio of our wastewater and which COD fraction is biodegradable versus refractory?
Biological treatment cannot address refractory COD. Characterisation of soluble biodegradable COD (sBOD), colloidal COD, and inert COD (iCOD) using BOD:COD ratio plus dissolved COD fractionation determines whether AOP, adsorption, or coagulation polishing is needed after biological treatment.
- 2
At what OLR have you demonstrated stable UASB or EGSB operation with our effluent type, and what is the granule development timeline?
UASB granule formation takes 3 to 6 months to mature. Starting OLR below 4 kg COD/m3.day rising to 15 to 25 kg COD/m3.day over 12 to 16 weeks is the standard protocol. Rushing OLR during start-up causes granule washout and operational instability that can take months to recover.
- 3
What biogas composition do you guarantee and what is the CHP design basis for our stream?
Biogas methane content varies from 55 to 80% depending on feed composition and temperature. CHP plant sizing must account for seasonal variation in biogas quality and quantity. Vendors who guarantee methane content and link CHP sizing to guaranteed biogas yield are accountable for energy output.
- 4
What is your Trade Effluent Consent negotiation experience with Scottish Water or your relevant sewerage undertaker?
Trade Effluent Consents are negotiated individually with sewerage undertakers. Vendors with direct experience of Scottish Water, Northumbrian Water, or equivalent consent authorities can provide realistic consent limits and timeline estimates, which directly affect plant design specifications.
- 5
What sludge volumes do you predict and what is the disposal route for the aerobic waste activated sludge?
Aerobic WAS from the polishing stage represents a significant disposal cost at GBP 60 to GBP 120/tonne. Vendors should quantify WAS production per kg BOD removed and confirm the disposal route (agricultural spreading, composting, or incineration) is viable for the industrial sector's biosolids characteristics.
What Drives Cost in This Category
UASB at OLR 10 to 15 kg COD/m3.day costs GBP 400 to GBP 800/m3 reactor volume. EGSB at OLR 20 to 30 kg COD/m3.day costs GBP 600 to GBP 1,200/m3 but reduces reactor volume 40 to 60% for equivalent throughput. IC reactors achieve OLR 30 to 40 kg COD/m3.day and are the smallest footprint, but cost 30 to 50% more per m3 reactor than UASB.
CHP units are sized to biogas production rate. A 200 m3/hour biogas stream at 70% methane supports a 450 to 550 kW CHP unit (GBP 400K to GBP 700K capital). Electricity generation at GBP 0.16/kWh and heat recovery at GBP 0.04/kWh delivered determines payback period, which is typically 3 to 7 years for distillery and high-COD food-sector installations.
A consent of COD below 2,000 mg/L requires only anaerobic treatment for a 15,000 mg/L feed (87% removal). A consent of COD below 125 mg/L (EU UWWTD standard) requires full aerobic polishing, adding 30 to 50% to capital and operating costs. Getting the consent limit right before design is critical.
The Mogden formula sewer surcharge includes a chemical oxygen demand component. A site paying GBP 500K/year in COD surcharge has a strong financial case for self-treatment capital investment. NPV calculation over 10 years at 8% discount rate typically justifies up to GBP 3M to GBP 4M capital for surcharge elimination.
Key Regulations & Standards
Industrial dischargers must hold Trade Effluent Consent from the relevant sewerage undertaker before discharging any trade effluent to sewer. Consent conditions specify COD, BOD, pH, suspended solids, and flow limits. Breach is a criminal offence under Section 121.
Indirect industrial discharges (to sewer) that significantly affect WWTP performance must be pre-treated to levels that do not compromise final effluent compliance. Sewerage undertakers may tighten Trade Effluent Consent conditions as UWWTD recast obligations are transposed into UK retained law.
Sites generating biogas from anaerobic digestion and combusting it in a CHP unit above 1 MWth require an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency covering combustion emissions (NOx, CO, particulates). Permits set emission limits and monitoring requirements for the CHP exhaust.
IFC project finance for food-sector WWTP requires compliance with IFC EHS Guidelines specifying BOD (30 mg/L), COD (125 mg/L), TSS (50 mg/L), and temperature limits for effluent to receiving waters. These are used as baseline environmental assessment criteria for project lenders.
















