A Compact Replacement for MBBR, Clarifiers, and Settling Tanks in Florida & the Caribbean

Proteus® is an advanced biofiltration system, engineered by Tomorrow Water, to replace traditional Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR), secondary clarifiers, and settling tanks in a single, compact treatment process.

By integrating biological treatment and solids separation into one high-rate system, Proteus delivers superior performance with a dramatically smaller footprint and improved energy efficiency.

Beyond MBBR: Biological Treatment and Solids Separation in One System

Traditional wastewater treatment trains rely on multiple unit processes, moving bed bioreactors (MBBR), secondary clarifiers, and settling tanks, to achieve biological treatment and solids separation. These systems consume significant space, energy, and operational effort.

Proteus® fundamentally changes this approach.

Proteus integrates:

  • High-rate biological treatment

  • Biomass retention

  • Effective solids separation

into a single, compact biofiltration system, delivering the functional equivalent of:

  • An MBBR reactor

  • A secondary clarifier

  • A settling tank

in one significantly smaller footprint.

Digging deeper

Why Eliminating Clarifiers Matters in Florida

In Florida, land availability, high groundwater tables, and coastal floodplain constraints make traditional clarifiers expensive and operationally challenging.

Proteus biofiltration systems:

  • Reduce total basin count

  • Eliminate large settling tanks

  • Minimize excavation and concrete work

  • Lower energy consumption compared to mixed-liquor MBBR systems

  • Improve resilience during wet weather events

For Tampa Bay, Orlando, and coastal Florida utilities, this translates directly into lower capital cost, reduced construction risk, and improved long-term operability.

The #1 Solution in Advanced Wastewater Treatment Biofiltration

PROTEUS PRIMARY

Retrofit old conventional primary clarifiers to save space, increase capacity and upgrade processes by grabbing more solids upstream of aeration basins and sending them to digestors for maximum energy efficiency.

PROTEUS WET WEATHER FLOW

With continuous aeration capabilities and no settling required, the system can manage high peaking factors and variable flow rates, simplifying the treatment of dilute flows.

PROTEUS SECONDARY

Achieve higher water quality standards and comply with effluent discharge limits with a range of secondary treatment functions, such as BOD reduction, nitrification, and denitrification.

PROTEUS TERTIARY

Configurable to operate under various water quality conditions and achieve stable water quality for reuse applications or alternatives to water resources.

GROUNDWATER

The Proteus biofiltration process is highly effective at remediating contaminants such as nitrate, perchlorate, and organics to meet Federal Maximum Contamination Level (MCL).

RO CONCENTRATE

RO Concentrate Treatment with Proteus leverages a biofiltration technology that efficiently removes high concentrations of nitrogen and other pollutants without requiring sedimentation tanks, minimizing land use and lowering construction and maintenance costs.

A High-Performance Alternative for Clarifiers & THE MBBR

PHYSICAL & BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
USING A SINGLE UP-FLOW REACTOR

- Influent wastewater enters through a header box and flows by gravity into the bottom of the Proteus filter

- Influent flows upwards through a packed bed of Proteus media beads, where particulates are trapped, and through a strainer box that retains the media

- Oxic/anoxic conditions can be designed based on the location of air diffusers relative to the floating media

- A layer of filtered effluent is stored in the top of the reactor as backwash water. The filter media is backwashed by gravity (no pumping) using only its own effluent.

- Filtered water leaves the Proteus filter with reduced TSS and BOD and continues to the next stage in the treatment process

Check Out The Gravity Powered Backwashing Sequence Here

Proteus Biofiltration Technical Details

PROTEUS PLUS

The upgraded Proteus Plus configuration adds a layer of aerated biofilm for high-rate biological treatment which does not require chemicals or redirection of biomass.

PATENTED EPP MEDIA

The expanded polypropylene (EPP) media design provides the ideal surface area to build biofilm for high solids loading rates.

PRE-ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS

Easy construction option for management of primary wet weather flows, capacity increase, or as a tertiary bolt-on for nutrient control.

Applications Where Proteus Excels

Proteus biofiltration systems are particularly effective for:

  • MBBR replacement projects

  • Clarifier capacity constraints

  • Nutrient removal upgrades

  • Wet weather flow treatment

  • RO concentrate and high-strength wastewater

  • Space-limited Florida and Caribbean facilities

This makes Proteus ideal for municipal wastewater plants, industrial facilities, resorts, and island communities across Florida, the Southeast U.S., and the Caribbean.

Carver Water Technology deploys Proteus systems from our base in Tampa, Florida, supporting projects throughout:

  • Tampa Bay

  • Orlando and Central Florida

  • South Florida and the Gulf Coast

  • The Southeast United States

  • The Bahamas and Caribbean islands

We understand regional regulatory requirements, environmental sensitivity, and the operational realities of coastal and island wastewater treatment.

Interested in PROTEUS?

Evaluate Proteus as a Clarifier and MBBR Replacement

If your facility is considering:

  • Expanding MBBR capacity

  • Replacing aging clarifiers

  • Reducing footprint and energy consumption

  • Meeting stricter nutrient limits

Image

Innovation

Fresh, creative solutions.

Image

Integrity

Honesty and transparency.

Excellence

Excellence

Top-notch services.

FOLLOW US

CUSTOMER CARE

LEGAL

Copyright 2026. Carver Water . All Rights Reserved.