There are many design components of MBBR that come together to make the technology highly efficient. First, the process occurs in a basin (or aeration tank). The overall size of this tank is dependent on both the type and volume of wastewater being processed. The influent enters the basin at the beginning of treatment. Second component being the media. The media consists of the free-floating biocarriers mentioned earlier and can occupy as much as 70 percent of the tank. Third, an aeration grid is responsible for helping the media move through the basin and ensure the carriers come into contact with as much waste as possible, in addition to introducing more oxygen into the basin. Lastly, a sieve keeps all the carriers in the tank to prevent the plastic carriers from escaping the aeration.
Though there are a few different methods, they all use the same design components. The continuous flow method involves continuous flow of wastewater into the basin, with an equal flow of treated water exiting through the sieve. Intermittent aeration method operating in cycles of aeration and non-aeration, allowing for both aerobic conditions and anoxic conditions. Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) method is completed in a single reactor where several treatment steps occur in a sequence, where the treated water is removed before the cycle begins again. Large diameter submersible mixers are commonly used as a method for mixing in these systems.