This case comes from a ~6.5 MGD (~30,000 m³/day) wastewater treatment plant that was receiving scavenger waste as part of its regular operation. For the plant, this waste stream was not only an operational load. It was also an important revenue source, so stopping it completely for a long period would have created both process and financial impact.
Through continuous biomass monitoring, Maji detected a clear red flag: an increase in S. natans / Type 1701-like filaments compared with the plant’s regular biomass baseline.
This point is important. The red flag was not based only on identifying a filament. It was based on the fact that Maji had already learned the plant’s normal biomass behavior. Because the platform continuously tracks the facility’s biomass baseline, it could recognize that something had changed and automatically surface the deviation as a risk.
In this case, the biological change was meaningful. S. natans and Type 1701-like filaments are commonly associated with low dissolved oxygen conditions. When they increase, they may contribute to open floc structure, weaker settling, and eventually filamentous bulking. Combined with the additional loading and oxygen demand from scavenger waste, this created a process condition that required attention.
Based on the red flag, the recommendation was to increase dissolved oxygen and pause the scavenger waste for a few days. The goal was not to stop the revenue stream indefinitely. The goal was to reduce the immediate pressure on the biomass, stabilize the biological condition, and prevent the issue from developing into a larger settling problem.
This is where the value of the baseline became practical. After the DO was increased and the scavenger waste was paused, Maji continued tracking the biomass response. As the situation improved, the team was able to gradually allow the scavenger waste back into the plant instead of applying a long, broad shutdown.
That made the response more controlled and more economical. The plant reduced the risk of bulking and process instability, while avoiding an unnecessarily long interruption to a valuable incoming waste stream.
In practical terms, Maji helped the team answer three key questions:
Is the biomass changing compared with this plant’s normal baseline?
Is the change connected to a real operational risk?
Can the plant return to normal operation gradually and safely?
The outcome was a targeted response rather than an overreaction. The team increased DO, temporarily paused the scavenger load, followed the biomass trend, and then reintroduced the scavenger waste step by step once the biomass showed improvement.
This case shows how Maji supports process control in a very practical way. It does not only identify microorganisms. It builds a facility-specific Biomass ID, detects deviations from the plant’s normal baseline, and helps the team make operational decisions that balance process stability with financial reality.
Sphaerotilus natans or Type 1701 filaments.