BOD/TSS Mass Loading and Percent Removal
The pounds a day a plant takes in, and the percent it removes.
Example
You enter
- Plant flow (MGD) 1
- Influent BOD or TSS (mg/L) 200
- Effluent BOD or TSS (mg/L) 20
You get
- Influent (lb/day) 1668
- Removed load 1501 lb/day
- Percent removal 90
Checked against published worked examples from: Pennsylvania DEP.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeLoad (lb/day) = MGD x mg/L x 8.34, removal% = (in - out)/in x 100. 1 MGD, 200 -> 20 mg/L -> 1,668 lb/day in, 1,501 removed, 90%; a 4 MGD plant carries 6,672 lb/day at the same 90% (load scales, efficiency does not). An effluent above influent flags an upset. The operator of record governs.
Formula or tableinfluent_lb = flow x influent x 8.34; effluent_lb = flow x effluent x 8.34; removed = influent_lb - effluent_lb; removal% = (influent - effluent)/influent x 100.
Source and editionBOD/TSS mass loading and percent removal via the pounds formula, standard wastewater-operations practice, by name.
Free accessThe pounds formula and the percent-removal definition are standard published wastewater-operator results.
What governsEstimate. Operator of record and primacy agency govern.
API field namesflow_mgd, influent_mgl, effluent_mgl, influent_lb_day, removed_lb_day, removal_pct
- Pounds formula load (lb/day) = MGD x mg/L x 8.34wastewater operations
- Percent removal (influent - effluent) / influent x 100wastewater operations
- Upset effluent above influent is a negative removal, reported not erroredscope of this tile