A system and method for the treatment and reduction of sludge via
ozonation in a wastewater treatment process is disclosed. The sludge
treatment system comprises: a sludge ozonation reactor coupled to an
activated sludge treatment basin and adapted to receive a liquid stream
of sludge containing biosolids from the activated sludge treatment basin.
The sludge treatment system also includes an ozone-enriched gas injection
system operatively coupled to the reactor and adapted to inject
ozone-enriched gas into the liquid stream at or upstream of the sludge
ozonation reactor. The sludge ozonation reactor is configured to allow
effective gas-liquid contacting between the ozone-enriched gas and the
liquid stream so as to oxidize the biosolids in the liquid stream and
initiate bacterial cell lysis thereby reducing the biosolids. Upon
reduction of the biosolids, the liquid stream is returned via a return
line to the activated sludge basin or other discharge point.