NOVELTY - The method comprises preparing a formulation including a plant extract, a chemical mixture, a surfactant, an anti-foam agent and a preservative, and increasing metabolism of microorganisms in waste water by adding formulation to waste water. The addition of formulation to waste water produces enhanced aerobic and anaerobic biological activity that shortens necessary residence time of waste water in water treatment facilities. The plant extract is an extract of Ascophyllum. The chemical mixture acts as an intra-cellular metabolic aid. The surfactant is a natural coconut oil soap.    USE - The method is useful for treating waste water or liquid media involving a mechanism of cellular metabolic increase to optimize efficiency in processes that depend upon living microorganism metabolism for their operation and/or product production, to increase production of extracellular products by stimulation of beneficial microorganisms to increase their utilization substrates, to increase production of alcohol and other fermentation processes using microorganisms, to increase yield of antibiotics and other biotechnology products produced from cultivation of microorganisms, where a composition is used to activate the microorganisms to a greater rate of respiration and thus conversion of substrate to usable product, to reduce hydrogen sulfide odor from a waste water system, to reduce odor from an animal waste system, animal housing units and confined animal feed operations, to increase methane production from anaerobic digested organic matter, to reduce organic solids from aerobic and/or anaerobic digester processes, to optimize agricultural supplements including fertilizers and crop stimulants by stimulation of soil microorganisms, and to control aquatic algae growth in ponds, lakes and lagoons by stimulation of microorganisms and their consumption of nutrients (all claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method is capable of rapidly, economically and efficiently treating the waste water, reduces fats, oils and grease in a waste water system including its collection lines and treatment plant by having increased metabolism of microorganisms, and reduces overall biochemical oxygen demand and solids content and improves settability in waste water.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic graphical view of comparison in rates of respiration between samples.