Toxic / Industrial Shock Load
A sudden, unexplained process upset across multiple parameters at once.
Symptoms: simultaneous, sudden decline across DO uptake, nitrification, and settling, often described by operators as 'the plant just crashed' with no clear single cause.
Probable Causes: an industrial or commercial discharge containing heavy metals, high-strength chemicals, or biocides entering the collection system and inhibiting or killing biomass.
Troubleshooting Steps: 1) Check industrial pretreatment discharge logs and any reported spills around the onset time. 2) Sample and hold industrial user discharge points if a source is suspected. 3) If biomass is severely damaged, consider seeding with sludge from a nearby healthy plant to speed recovery. 4) Document the event thoroughly — it often supports later enforcement action against the responsible discharger.
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