Wastewater utilities are under increasing pressure to improve treatment performance while managing aging infrastructure, rising operating costs, tighter compliance requirements, and growing resistance to major capital expansion projects.
For many facilities, the challenge is not simply a lack of infrastructure. It is maintaining stable biological treatment under increasingly difficult operating conditions.
That was the challenge facing the Henry N. Wochholz Regional Water Recycling Facility (WRWRF), operated by Yucaipa Valley Water District in California.
After years of recurring seasonal process instability, the District implemented Moleaer’s NanoShield nanobubble pretreatment solution upstream of primary treatment. Following 15 months of continuous operation, the facility achieved its most stable operating period in years, including a 95% reduction in nitrification upset frequency.
The Henry N. Wochholz WRWRF treats approximately 4 million gallons per day (MGD) of municipal wastewater and produces Title 22-compliant recycled water.
Like many wastewater treatment facilities, the plant experienced recurring seasonal upsets tied to elevated concentrations of surfactants and other inhibitory compounds entering the biological process.
These disruptions contributed to: loss of nitrification, biomass die-off, poor sludge settling, elevated turbidity, operational instability, higher energy demand, operational unpredictability and increased compliance risks.
Historically, operators relied on reactive approaches like increased chemical dosing, extended aeration, and more frequent membrane cleaning to maintain treatment performance. While necessary, these interventions increased operating costs and did not prevent the cycle of recurring upsets.
Recovery from major biological disruptions could take more than ten days, creating operational unpredictability and increasing risk across the treatment train.
The District needed a way to improve treatment stability and resiliency without major infrastructure expansion or operational disruption.
Yucaipa Valley Water District partnered with Moleaer to deploy NanoShield, Moleaer’s nanobubble pretreatment solution, upstream of primary treatment.
NanoShield integrates into existing wastewater infrastructure and is designed to improve influent treatability and reduce the impact of inhibitory compounds before they disrupt downstream biological processes.
Rather than replacing existing treatment systems, NanoShield strengthens the biological processes treatment plants already depend on. By improving upstream conditions, the benefits cascade throughout the treatment train, helping downstream processes operate more efficiently and reliably.
The project was deployed through Moleaer’s Nanobubbles-as-a-Service program, providing the District with access to Moleaer’s nanobubble technology along with ongoing process engineering support.
Nitrification upset frequency dropped from approximately 17% of operating time to approximately 1%.
Faster Recovery from Operational Upsets
Recovery time following biological upsets improved by approximately 90%, reducing average recovery periods from more than ten days to approximately one day.
Improved Winter Biological Stability
The plant maintained significantly stronger nitrification performance during colder weather conditions, with biological activity performing as if water temperatures were approximately 10°C warmer, restoring an estimated 70% of lost nitrification capacity during winter months.
Improved biological stability translated into more efficient aeration performance and lower energy demand.
Approximately 20% Increase in Effective Treatment Capacity
The facility increased effective treatment performance within its existing footprint, without major capital expansion or process redesign.
Zero Recycled Water Shutdowns
The facility maintained consistent Title 22 recycled water compliance throughout the operating period.
For many wastewater treatment plants, the biology is the process.
Nitrifying bacteria are highly sensitive to operational stress, particularly from surfactants, fats, oils and grease (FOG), quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), and cleaning chemicals commonly found in municipal and industrial wastewater streams.
When biological treatment becomes unstable, the impact extends throughout the plant:
Historically, many wastewater challenges have been addressed through infrastructure expansion projects requiring years of planning and significant capital investment.
The Yucaipa project demonstrates a different approach: improving treatment performance and biological resiliency within existing infrastructure through process optimization.
According to Charles Thomas, CPO & Operations Manager at Yucaipa Valley Water District:
“Seasonal nitrification upsets have been an ongoing operational challenge for us. Since implementing Moleaer’s nanobubble pretreatment, the process has been far more stable. We’re recovering from upsets much faster, the biology is holding up better through winter, and the plant is running more predictably overall.”
Joseph Zoba, General Manager of Yucaipa Valley Water District, emphasized the importance of practical innovation within existing systems:
“This project reflects how we’re approaching innovation at the District, focusing on solutions that can be implemented efficiently and evaluated within our existing infrastructure. It allowed us to move forward with confidence and validate performance in our system alongside Moleaer’s team.
Utilities across North America are increasingly looking for ways to improve treatment performance without expanding plant footprints or committing to large-scale infrastructure projects.
The Yucaipa project highlights a growing shift toward process optimization strategies that improve biological stability, operational reliability, and effective treatment capacity inside existing treatment systems.
Rather than functioning as a standalone oxygenation technology, Moleaer’s NanoShield approach is designed to strengthen the biological processes wastewater plants already depend on, helping wastewater become easier to treat while improving performance across the entire treatment train.
The result is a more stable, energy-efficient, and resilient treatment process.
The Yucaipa project earned Moleaer a 2025 Innovative Technology Award from the Water Environment Federation (WEF), recognizing the project’s operational impact and contribution to wastewater treatment innovation.
Moleaer’s NanoShield solution helps wastewater treatment facilities improve biological stability, reduce energy and chemical demand, and increase effective treatment capacity within existing infrastructure.
To learn more about Moleaer wastewater solutions or discuss whether NanoShield could fit your facility, visit: https://www.moleaer.com/en-us/products/nanoshield