Bioreactors
Bioreactors utilize a carbon source, typically wood chips, to remove nitrates carried in tile water. They work by using a control structure to divert a portion of the tile flow through an underground bed of wood chips. The water saturates the wood chips creating anaerobic conditions suitable for denitrification. Current bioreactors are designed to have a 3 – 8 hour retention time and treat 15% of the expected peak tile flow.
