Yucaipa Valley Water District Cuts Nitrification Upsets by 95% with Moleaer NanoShield

The Henry N. Wochholz Regional Water Recycling Facility (WRWRF) in Yucaipa, California achieved its most stable operation period on record, reducing nitrification upsets by 95% after integrating Moleaer's NanoShield nanobubble pretreatment upstream of primary treatment. The facility treats approximately 4 million gallons per day of municipal wastewater and produces Title 22-compliant recycled water.

Prior to project, seasonal instability driven by elevated surfactants and other inhibitory compounds in the influent interfered with nitrifying bacteria, causing process upsets, biomass die-off, poor sludge settling, and occasional recycled water shutdowns.

The NanoShield pretreatment was installed upstream of primary treatment and operated continuously for 15 months. Deployed through Moleaer’s Nanobubbles-as-a-Service program, the solution provides access to the latest nanobubble technology and ongoing process engineering support, improving influent treatability and stabilizing downstream biological treatment processes.

“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,” said Joseph Zoba, General Manager of Yucaipa Valley Water District. “It allowed us to move forward with confidence and validate performance in our system alongside Moleaer’s team.”

Results were substantial and quantified as follows:

• Ammonia upset frequency declined from 17% of operating time to approximately 1% — a 95% reduction.
• Average recovery time shortened from more than ten days to about one day.
• Cold-weather resilience improved, with nitrifying bacteria performing as if temperatures were 10°C warmer.
• Blower energy per pound of ammonia removed declined by about 24%.
• Effective treatment capacity increased by roughly 20%.
• Recycled water shutdowns were eliminated.

“Seasonal nitrification upsets have been an ongoing operational challenge for us,” said Charles Thomas, CPO & Operations Manager of Yucaipa Valley Water District. “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.”

“Utilities are increasingly focused on improving treatment reliability, and lowering operational costs, without expanding infrastructure,” said Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer. “The results at Yucaipa demonstrate how our technology can strengthen biological processes, reduce total cost to treat, and stabilize performance across the entire treatment train.”

Moleaer was recognized with a 2025 Innovative Technology Award from the Water Environment Federation for this project.

About Moleaer

Moleaer is the global leader in nanobubble technology, delivering solutions that enhance water and wastewater treatment, agriculture, aquaculture, and industrial processes. With more than 10,000 systems deployed in 55+ countries, Moleaer improves performance while reducing energy, water, and chemical inputs.