The Solution is Simple
Biological treatment can be achieved through suspended growth or attached growth processes. The Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System uses an attached growth approach to improve treatment efficiency while reducing operational complexity.
By creating distinct biological stages within a plug flow system, Nebula enables more effective microbial activity, resulting in improved treatment performance and lower sludge production.
Key benefits of the Nebula approach include:
- Compact footprint
- Simple, stable operation
- Reduced biological sludge production
- Ability to handle hydraulic and organic load variations
- Lower operator involvement and process complexity
Customer Review: Nebula
Process Design/Applications
The Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System is a proprietary attached-growth process that uses staged biofilm media to create controlled biological environments within a single treatment system.
Each stage supports different microbial populations, allowing the system to efficiently remove contaminants while maintaining stable operation across varying conditions.
This staged approach mimics natural biological processes while improving predictability and treatment performance.
When to Use Nebula® vs. Activated Sludge
Nebula® is ideal when:
- Sludge reduction and disposal cost are critical
- Footprint is limited
- Operational simplicity is important
- Influent conditions vary
Initial Stages
Rapid Growth, Abundance of Food, Lower Life Forms
Middle Stages
Less Food, Higher Life Forms Grow
Latter Stages
Minimal Food, Highest Life Forms
As wastewater moves through each stage, biological conditions shift from high food availability to low food conditions. This progression supports the development of increasingly efficient microbial populations, improving treatment performance while reducing excess sludge production.
Biofilm Media can be added to an existing process to enhance removal efficiencies and achieve nitrification and denitrification.
See How the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System Works…
Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System Configurations
Nebula systems are designed as multi-stage, plug flow processes within new or existing tanks. System configuration—including number of stages and layout—is based on treatment objectives, influent characteristics, and performance requirements.
The Design Request Questionnaire provides our engineers with information for evaluation of the application, performance requirements and solution recommendation.
| Treatment Objective | Treatment Stages |
|---|---|
| Organic (cBOD) Removal | 2 or More |
| Ammonia (NH3-N) Removal, Nitrification | 2 or More |
| Total Nitrogen Removal, Denitrification | 2 or More + Anoxic Stages |
| Sludge Minimization Objective | Treatment Stages |
|---|---|
| Reduction of Biological Sludge Production | 8 to 12 |
Systems with 8 to 12 treatment stages assure the development of a highly efficient microbial food chain resulting in low biological sludge yield.
What happens to the sludge?
The staged biofilm process promotes a more efficient microbial food chain, allowing microorganisms to consume more of the biological solids within the system.
This results in significantly lower excess sludge production—reducing handling, storage, and disposal costs.
The Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System is a simple solution for biodegradable wastewater applications. This proprietary process can be designed to meet the challenges of industrial and domestic wastewater. Whether you are looking for a complete package wastewater treatment system or upgrading new or existing systems, contact us to learn how the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System can meet your application needs.
Customers We Serve
- Public Utilities
- Housing Developments (Condos, Single Home Subdivisions, Hotels)
- Schools, Universities, Commercial Buildings
- Parks, Camps, Recreational Areas
- Food & Beverage Industry
- Oil & Gas Industry
- Personal Care Products Industry
- Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industries
- Power Plants and Pulp & Paper Industries
System Design
Where Process Design Meets Equipment Design
Successful biological treatment requires alignment between process design and equipment design. Nebula systems are engineered to integrate both—ensuring reliable performance, simplified operation, and long-term efficiency.
- Compact footprint through high media surface area
- Simple operation with no internal moving parts
- Integrated, energy-efficient aeration systems
- Operator-friendly controls and monitoring
- Reduced sludge handling and disposal costs
- Application Specific Process Design and Operating Strategy
- Biofilm Media and Media Racks
- Efficient Diffused Aeration System
- Aeration Blowers
- Controls and Instrumentation
- Clarifier (Integral or Independent)
- Customer Support
Specific applications may require pre or post treatment unit processes to meet desired treatment objectives. We work with our customers to provide recommendations or include required unit processes as part of the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System.
The Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System is suitable for installation in concrete (poured or precast), steel, fiberglass tanks / basins or designed as a complete package wastewater treatment system.
The Nebula® Biofilm Media and Media Rack
The design of the media support rack is equally important to the system performance as biofilm media. Support rack design must take into consideration dry and wet conditions of the media and the weight of the biomass.
Our proprietary media is:
- Chemically Resistant Textile
- Highly Durable (Seat Belt Strong)
- Hydrophilic
- Greater Surface Area compared to other types of fixed submerged media
The combination of the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System media and media rack design has demonstrated over 15 years of useful life without replacement.
The Aquarius Aeration System
Diffused aeration is integral to the success of the Nebula Multistage Biofilm System. It is designed to provide efficient and effective:
- Transfer of Oxygen to the Biomass
- Mixing Within the Treatment Stages
- Scouring of the Media to Control Biofilm Thickness
The aeration diffusers are positioned beneath the Biofilm media racks and anchored to the floor or attached to the media racks.
Typical installations utilize fine bubble aeration systems which provides transfer of oxygen and complete mixing within the treatment stage.
The next time you need a simple, cost effective system, evaluate the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System's Cost of Ownership.
Total Cost of Ownership Considerations
When evaluating treatment solutions, we recognize that process design and equipment design are equally important to the performance and ultimately the cost of ownership. We strive to work closely with our customers to understand each unit process in the system, its function, and impact to the cost of ownership.
For your next biological treatment project ask us how the Nebula® MultiStage Biofilm System solution fits your application needs. Ask us how you can save on sludge handling, storage and disposal costs.
Project Gallery
Resources
Brochures
NEBULA® MultiStage Biofilm System Brochure
NEBULA® MultiStage Biofilm System Questionnaire
Case Studies
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Nebula MSABFP Improves Secondary Treatment at Outdated Municipal Plant Size: 382 KB
Date: 2026-07-22
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