|
 



 




Dr. Akepati S. Reddy
Associate Professor, Thapar University
Adjunct Scientist, TCIRD
Patiala (PUNJAB) ± 147 004
INDIA
 |
  



( Shallow, manmade basins comprising of one or more series
of anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds
( Used to treat domestic or municipal wastewater to
± Remove biodegradable organic matter, BOD (by >90%)
± Remove pathogens (bacteria and viruses by 4-6 log units, and
protozoan cysts and helminth eggs by upto 100%)
± Remove nutrients (Nitrogen by 70-90% and Phosphorus by 30-
45%) and sufficiently clarify the wastewater
( If properly designed and operated, can give the effluent of
± Filtered BOD <25 mg/L
± TSS <150 mg/L
± Nematode eggs <1/L
± Fecal coliform count <1000/100 mL
 |
  


|
( Represent sustainable natural effluent treatment systems
± Uses solar energy and do not require electricity
± Do not use any electromechanical equipment
( Low cost, low energy, and low maintenance systems, and do
not require skilled manpower
± Construction involves earth moving, pond lining and pond
embankment protection, and pond inlets and outlets and
construction of screens and grit chambers
± Operation and maintenance requirements are minimal (repair of
embankments, cutting embankment grass, removing scum and
vegetation, keeping both inlet and outlet clear, etc.) and requires
only unskilled but carefully supervised labour
± When compared with trickling filters, aerated lagoons, oxidation
ditches, and ASP, WSP are cheapest and even land cost may
not be acting against WSP
 |
  


|
( Can be easily scaled down to small scale applications
( Robust systems (withstand organic & hydraulic shocks
and copes up well with heavy metals upto < 60 mg/L)
( Principal requirements are sufficient land, and soil with
low coefficient of permeability (<10-7)
( Suited to tropical and sub-tropical countries, like india ±
sun light and temp. (high throughout) are favourable
± Inexpensive land, restricted foreign currency availability and
shortage of skilled manpower favour the use
( Also produce fish
 |
  


|
Disadvantages
( Requires more land (2-5 m2/capita)
± 1-2 day HRT for anaerobic pond and 3-6 day HRT for facultative
pond
± Require 25 day HRT in 5 pond WSP in hot climates to produce
the quality fit for restricted irrigation
± Require 10 day HRT in 2 pond system for producing the quality
fit for restricted irrigation
( Potential odour and mosquito nuisance specially from
anaerobic ponds
( High algal content in the treated effluent
( High evaporation losses of water specially in facultative
and maturation ponds
( Adverse environmental impacts may include ground
water pollution
 |

  


|
( Anaerobic ponds represent primary treatment
± sludge stabilization is add on feature
± patogen removal (helminth eggs) is coincidental
( Facultative ponds represent secondary treatment
± coincidental removal of nutrients and pathogens
( aturation ponds represent tertiary treatment
± used to remove pathogens (fecal bacteria)
± nutrient removal is coincidental
   
Unless very small WSP systems must include both
screening and grit removal facilities
± Hygienic disposal of screenings and grit is needed
(haulage to sanitary landfills or on-site burial in trenches)
± All wastewater should be pass through screening and
degritting
Provisions may be made for flow measurement and
recording both upstream & downstream to WSP system
Provisions may be made for
± Diverting the flow beyond 6 times to dry weather flow into
stormwater and receiving water course
± Allowing a maximum of 3 times to dry weather flow into
anaerobic ponds and diverting rest into facultative ponds
± Bypassing the anaerobic pond
 ý 


 
ýU¶s requirements
( Filtered (non-algal) BOD and COD: 25 mg/L and 125
mg/L respectively
( Suspended solids: 150 mg/L
( Total nitrogen and total phosphorus for avoiding
eutrophication: 15 mg/L and 2 mg/L respectively
± If population is >1,00,000 then total-N and total-P should
be 10 mg/L and 1 mg/L respectively
 ý 


 
Indian limits
± BOD (non-filtered): 30 mg/L
± Suspended solids: 100 mg/L
± Total-N: 100 mg/L
± Total ammonical-N: 50 mg/L
± Free ammonical-N: 5 mg/L
± Sulfide ± 2 mg/L
± pH 5.5 to 9.0
 ý 


 
Discharge into surface or ground water!
WHO guidelines of 1989 for restricted crop irrigation:
( 105 ý. coli per 100 ml
( Human intestinal nematode eggs V1 per liter
( If children under 15 years are exposed (playing or working
in the irrigated field) then V0.1 eggs/L
( Intestinal nematodes include
( i
 


( 
 
(human whipworm)
( i
  



( 
 
 (hookworms)
 ý 


 
WHO guidelines of 1989 for unrestricted crop irrigation:
( 1000 ý.coli per 100 ml
( human intestinal nematode eggs V1 per liter ± if children
are eating the food crops uncooked then V0.1 eggs/L
Restricted irrigation: irrigation of all crops except salads
and vegetables eaten uncooked
WHO guidelines of 1989 for aquacultural use of effluent
± 104 ý.coli per 100 ml in the fish pond water
± µ0¶/L of detectable human trematode eggs in the effluent
Human trematodes include
± „
   
±   
   
± 
     
 | 
 




( For fish (Carp and Tilapia)/aquatic vegetable culturing
effluent from facultative ponds can be used
( For restricted irrigation systems with only anaerobic and
facultative ponds can be sufficient
( aturation ponds are required for producing the effluent
suitable for unrestricted irrigation or for effluent
discharge into bathing water
( Fish ponds can be loaded on the basis of nitrogen load
(4 kg-N/ha.day)
( Free NH3 in ponds > 0.5 mg/L can prove toxic
 i 



Smallest unmixed basins of the WSP system
Similar to an uncovered septic tank functioning to enhance
settling and biodegradation of particulate organic matter
Very effective in removing heavy metals and in degrading
organic compounds like phenols
ainly due to odour problems, often not included in the
WSP system
± primary facultative ponds are used in plce
± but introduction reduces land requirements
Often aerated lagoon or UASB are preferred in place of
anaerobic pond
± UASB can achieve70% BOD removal at 8 hour HRT for
municipal sewage but costlier
± Aerated lagoon removes BOD by 70-85% efficiency but at 2-6
day HRT and enery costs are high
 i 



( Depth is 2-5 m (3 m typical) ± ground conditions and
local excavation costs influence depth
( Has sludge deposited at the bottom and scum layer at
the top (scum layer can increase fly breeding!)
( Wastewater after preliminary treatment (coarse
screening and grit removal) is loaded to it
( Single anaerobic pond is sufficient for wastewater with
BOD5 <1000 mg/L
± higher BOD5 requires a second pond in series
( Typical TSS and BOD removals for domestic wastewater
are 50-70% and 30-75% respectively
 i 



Release biogas (methane and CO2) and even ammonia
Biogas can be recovered from covered anaerobic ponds
± Floating plastic membrane of three layers is usually used
( Top high tensile UV-resistant geomembrane
( iddle layer 12.5 mm thick polyfoam insulation and flotation
( Base layer of high density polyethylene welded to the base
Biogas recovery is especially feasible if high rate anaerobic ponds or
anaerobic baffled reactors are used
Intensity of anaerobic digestion is significant above 15C and methane
production increases 7 fold with every 5C increase in temperature
 i 

  




Involves
± Hydrolysis of particulate organic matter
± Fermentative conversion of organic matter into VFA
± Decomposition of VFA into acetic acid and H2
± ethanogenesis - very sensetive to VFA accumulation and
associated pH drop
If sulfates & nitrates are present sulfate reduction and
denitrification rather than methanogenesis will occur
Can be shown by
   su      su      su 

  u ë   ë
 ë   

ë   ë ë  ë u
s



 

 


High strength, rapid VFA production and accumulation, and
insufficient buffering capacity can prove problematic to the
stabilization process

unicipal sewage has high buffering capacity

 i 

  




Stabilization process in anaerobic ponds is influenced by
( Temperature
± W orks well in warmer climate (20-45áC range)
± Within the range methane production increases by 7 fold
with temp. increase by 5áC
( HRT
± Typical is 1 day and may depend on wastewater strength
± Anaerobic baffled reactor can reduce the HRT
( BOD loading rate
± Volumetric loading is used as basis for design
± 350 g/m3.day is taken as upper limit
( Type of substrate
 i 

  




Other factors influencing the process are
( pH:
± Optimal range is 6-8 (optimal pH is 7)
± Adequate buffering capacity is very important
± Anaerobic digestion is very sensitive to pH <6.8
( Sulfide:
± Stabilization process produces sulfide from sulfate
± Responsible for odour problems (sulfate levels <500 mg/L will
cause no odour problems if the pond is properly designed
± Small amount of sulfide is beneficial ±react with heavy metals
and removes as metal sulfide precipitates
± 50150 mg/L of H2S can be inhibitory to methanogens
± Small concentrationof sulfide (10-12 mg/L) is lethal to 
 
 
 i 

  




Other factors influencing the process are
( Ammonia:
± Toxic to the process ± 50% growth inhibition at 25-30 mg/L level
and very strong inhibition at >80 mg/L
± Free ammonia (which occurs at higher pH) is more toxic than
ammonium ions
( Toxic compounds:
± Heavy metals and chloro-organics are also inhibitory
± Oxygen is also potentially toxic
± Both sulfide and ammonia can be inhibitory to algal
growth in facultative ponds
( Nutrients:
( Degree of mixing:
 i 





( ain cause is H2S (product of sulfate reduction during
anaerobic digestion)
( The H2S is present in the pond contents as H2S gas, as
bisulfide ion or sulfide ions ± relative concentrations are
governed by pH ± at 7.5 pH the H2S is mostly present as non-
odourous bisulfide ± odur is caused by H2S gas released into
the atmosphere
( Odour problem can be reduced by
± Raising pH to around 8 by adding lime
± Recirculating maturation pond effluent forms aerobic top layer
(oxidizes odorous sulfide into sulfate)
± Stimulating scum layer development (spread thin layer of straw)
± Reducing organic loading rates (or increasing depth!)
± Preventing short circuiting and avoiding dead zones
( For properly designed pond, odour (due to H2S!) is not a
problem if the sulfate in wastewater is <500 mg/L
 :  


2 types: primary and secondary
± Primary ponds received screened & degritted wastewater
± Secondary ponds receive effluent from anaerobic ponds
Typical depth is 1 ± 2 m and HRT is 5 to 30 days
Properly designed facultative pond has
( Aerobic top layer all through the day and night
± Diurnal variation in DO concentration is experienced ± oxypause
(depth beyond which DO is zero) show vertical movement
± Presence of aerobic layer reduces methane and H2S emissions
± remove odours
( Anaerobic bottom layer never in direct contact with
atmosphere
 :  


Filtered effluent BOD is 20 to 60 mg/L (TSS level in the
effluent is 30 to 150 mg/L)
( Algae also contributes both BOD (80% of the algae is
biodegradable) and TSS
± ýffluent take off or removal from top 50 cm layer can result in
large fluctuations in effluent quality
( Algae mostly settles to bottom and anaerobically biooxidized
 :  


Ponds look dark green in colour due to algae
± Healthy ponds have 500-2000 g/L of chlorophyll-a
± Can also look red or pink due to the presence of anaerobic
purple sulfide oxidizing photosynthetic bacteria (slight BOD5
overloading can cause it)
Diurnal variations of DO & pH can be high due to high
photosynthetic activity
± DO as high as 20 mg/L and pH >9.4 are possible
± High DO and pH are important for fecal bacteria and viruses
removal
BOD5 removal in primary facultative ponds is about 70% on
unfiltered basis and 90% on filtered basis
± Filtering removes algae and hence higher efficiency
± In ýuropian Union the WSP effluent should achieve 25 mg/L of
BOD5 in the filtered effluent
 :  

  
Can be shown by


u
u

ë
  ë   ë   ë    ë ë   
  uu       
ë
 h   h   h 
1. Q(Cin-Cout): Net oxygen entry with the wastewater
2. AK(Csat-C): Reaeration at the pond surface
3. ë   
  uu : Net photosynthetic contribution:
photosynthetic O2 generation ± DO consumption in algal
respiration and in algal biomass decomposition
ë
4.       : Nitrification demand of oxygen
(Ammonical-N to Nitrate-N) - aN can be taken as 4.5
5. h  ë h   h : DO consumption for the bCOD

removal - aB can be taken as 1.5
 :  

 !  

Surface reaeration occurs by the combined effect of
molecular diffusion and vertical mixing of pond by wind
± rain fall also increases mixing plus it carries DO
ass transfer coefficient K for zero wind conditions can be
estimated by
D is molecular diffusivity of oxygen in water

 h is water depth
U is water speed ± may be 3-40 m/day

At 20áC temp. & 0 mg/L DO, reaeration is 0.13 to 0.62

g/m2.day
For every 3 m/s raise in wind speed the reaeration rate
increases by a multiplying factor of 2.5
 :  

i "
  



# 


Algal growth (biomass yield Y) can be estimated by
Y is net algal biomass yield

 S is average visible radiation

 ? s Š is light conversion efficiency

h is specific chemical energy of algal biomass ± in
tropical areas under clear skies 172 cal/m2.day
Algal concentration depends on organic loading and
temperature and may range between 500-2000 g/L as
chlorophyll-A
Photosynthetic oxygen production can be stoichiometrically
related to algal growth by
s
' ë   ' ë 
's
ë '
s
ë      '

 ë '
Oxygen production occurs mostly in the top 50 cm of water
- In the absence wind mixing concentrated band of algae
moves up and down through the top 50 cm
 |  



Used to polish or upgrade facultative pond effluent
( Designed for pathogen removal
± 3 to 4 log units removal rates of Fecal coliform & virus are
achieved
( Contribute significantly to N and P removal
( BOD5 removal achieved is very limited
± Do not show much correlation with temperature and HRT
± High algal biomass contribute BOD in the treated effluent -
Floating macrophytes in the last pond can reduce the algal TSS
Can be combined with aquaculture - can be designed to
optimize algal protein production (high rate algal ponds)
( 15-30 cm deep ponds are used
( Produce effluent with high TSS
 aturation ponds
A series ponds with total HRT in the range of 10 to 25 days are used
( Number and size of ponds depend on the required biological quality
(fecal coliform number) of the treated effluent
( HRT of individual ponds is >3 days
( Water depth is 1-1.5 m (1 m is typical and optimal)
± <1m depth can encourage rooted macrophyte growth and mosquito
breeding
Well oxygenated throughout the depth
It has relatively less vertical biological biological and physicochemical
stratification
Active and relatively diverse algal biomass is maintained throughout the
depth
Around 70-90% of the BOD of the effluent is due to algae
  | 

 



$
 
Fecal coliform removal
( Natural decay or disinfection
( occurs by a combination of processes via complex interaction
of various adverse environmental factors
( aquatic environment
( Algal activity and photo-oxidation
( Adsorption to particles and subsequent sedimentation and
grazing by protozoa etc. also contributes but very little
( In anaerobic ponds sedimentation of solids is the major
contributor
( In facultative ponds and maturation ponds the removal is
influenced by
± Time and temperature
± High pH (>9.0)
± High light intensity and high DO
  | 

 



$
 
( Algal growth and photosynthesis
± Bactericidal effect - excretion of anti-bacterial substances
± High DO enhances the photo-oxidation process
( Raising pH above a critical level (>9.5) - Carbonate and bicarbonate
ions provide CO2 to algae and leave hydroxide ions raising pH to
>9.0
( Photo-oxidation by incident solar radiation through sensitizer
molecules, like, singlet oxygen, superoxide, hydrogen
peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, etc.
± Solar radiation, pH and DO have synergistic effect
  | 

 



$
 
DNA damage by UV radiation (UV-B: 290-320 nm)
± UV radiation attenuates with depth (16 to 46 attenuations per
meter) and becomes ineffective beyond the upper few cm
± at higher pH (>8.5) even longer wavelengths are effective
( Vertical mixing (increases the decay)
( Starvation due to lack of nutrients or carbon source
Viruses
± Apparently removed by adsorption on to settlable solids and
consequent sedimentation
Helminth eggs & protozoan cysts
± Removed by sedimentation
± ost removal takes place anaerobic and facultative ponds
 | 


 
Nitrogen removal
( In anaerobic ponds
± organic-N is hydrolyzed into Ammonical-N
( In facultative and maturation ponds
± aturation ponds contribute significantly to nutrient removal
± Ammonical-N is incorporated into new algal biomass ± about
20% of algal biomass is non-biodegradable and hence nitrogen
in it gets immobilized
± At higher pH sum of the ammonical-N is volatilized and lost from
the pond
( Nitrification and denitrification may not occur in WSP systems
± low population of nitrifying bacteria and algal inhibition of
nitrifiers must be responsible
Phosphorus removal
( Occurs due to sedimentation as both organic and inorganic
(hydroxyapatite precipitation at >9.5 pH) phosphorus
± if BOD removal is 90% then phosphorus removal would be 45%
  | 


  

 
In anaerobic ponds BOD removal occurs by sedimentation
of settleable solids and subsequent anaerobic digestion
± 25-50% of the applied BOD is released as methane from
anaerobic ponds
In facultative ponds BOD removal occurs through
( Aerobic biooxidation by bacteria in the aerobic zone
± Oxygen input by photosynthetic algae and by surface reaeration
satisfies the oxygen demand
± For satisfying macronutrient requirements of algal growth
BOD/N/P ratio should be 100/5/1
( Anaerobic stabilization of organic matter in the anaerobic
and facultative zones
 @


  

 


Designed for the removal of BOD, pathogens (fecal
coliform and helminth eggs) and nutrients (nitrogen)
( Anaerobic & facultative ponds - designed for BOD removal
(nutrients and pathogens!)
( aturation ponds - designed for pathogen removal (nutrients!)
Key design parameters:
( Temperature ( ean air temp. of coolest month)
( ývaporation and seepage losses
± ývaporation during design temperature month is important
± ývaporation is not important for anaerobic pond (low HRT and
top scum layer responsible)
± Facultative and maturation ponds are designed for the mean of
inflow and outflow
Wastewater needs pre-treatment (screens & grit chambers)
Both process design and physical design are important
 @

  



Sized on the basis of volumetric organic loading
± Depending on temp. it may be 100-350 g/m3.day
(typical BOD production rate is 40 g/Pý.day)
± For <10áC 100 g/m3.day and 350 g/m3.day at •25áC
± Upper limit to the volumetric BOD loading is
determined by odour emissions and minimum pH
threshold value ± optimum pH for methanogenesis is
6-8
± ean temp. of coldest month is considered as design
temperature
Loading should be >100 g/m3 for maintaining anaerobic
conditions
 @

  



Properly designed anaerobic ponds achieve 40% BOD

removal at <10áC and >70% at •25áC
HRT is 1 day for wastewater with <300 mg/L BOD5 at >20áC
± minimum HRT for anaerobic ponds is 1 day
± For municipal sewage it is 1 to 3 days and for industrial
wastewater it can be as high as 20 days
ë
 

  
ë 
 



Ë 

  
 
  
  
 
  
  s 
 @

  



Sludge accumulation occurs (in case of municipal
wastewater at the rate of 0.04 m3/capita.yr)
± Accumulated sludge decreases HRT and necessitates
timely desludging)
± When sludge occupies 1/3rd volume of the pond then
desludging is usually required
Frequency of desludging can be estimated by

n is desludging interval in years

  Van is volume of anaerobic pond
? Pý is population equivalents
s  
SAR is per capita sludge accumulation rate
 @

  



( Removal of fecal coliforms can be estimated by

ëë 
 h ë Ä ? ë




Y ?
ëë 
  Ä Y r is HRT of anaerobic pond

( Helminth eggs removal is fairly effective (upto 90%) ±

the removal is by plain sedimentation

ë
 ? 

 

 ë 
r is HRT of anaerobic pond
R is removal efficinecy
 @

  



%
 
( Nitrogen removal
± ost of the incoming TKN is supposedly converted into
ammonical-N
± Small fraction of it may be used in the anaerobic biosynthesis
± Some may be lost into atmosphere as free ammonia (depends
on pH!)
± Treated effluent may contain mostly the ammonical-N and small
portion could be organic-N of the bacterial biomass leaving the
pond as TSS
( Phosphorus removal
± Difficult to predict the removal
± Some may be lost as insoluble P into the settled sludge ± may
also be released from the settled sludge
± A small fraction may be used in the anaerobic biosynthesis
 @

  



: 


  



( TSS of the influent settles and becomes settled sludge
± Biodegradable fraction of the settled sludge may be hydrolysed
and removed
± Anaerobic biosynthesis adds TSS which may partly settles and
partly remains suspended
( Suspended solids are lost from the anaerobic pond in
the treated effluent
( ýffluent TSS
± Difficult to estimate
± ay depend on the outlet design, effluent turbulence level at the
outlet zone, HRT, etc.
± Suitably assumed in the light of the out let design, HRT and the
local turbulence level
 :  

@

Surface organic loading is used as the basis
± 80-400 kg/hec.day of BOD5 is typical
Design loading rate depends on
± Average ambient air temperature during the coldest month
of the year
± Solar irradiance (in cal/cm2.day)
± Latitude of the site
Can be obtained by using one of the equations proposed
Loading rate should not affect active algal population
development
Depth is 1-2 m with 1.5 m as typical and common
Typical HRT is 4 days (minimum of 5 days for <20C and 4
days for >20C)
 :  

 &
! 

   ë 
ë
aa1 Here T is temperature in áC
So is solar irradiance in
  s
ë
ë  a..2 cal/cm2.day
L is latitude of the site
  s ë     ë
ë 
aa3
S is removal rate of organic
matter (in kg/ha.day of BOD)
  ë aa4
ýquation -3 is considered as
?  
 aa5 universal

ýquation -1 is used for
 ? 

aa6 Temperature >20áC
aa7 ýquation -4 is used for
 ?       temperatures 10 to 20áC
? s
    aa8 ýquation -8 is used for latitudes

8 to 36áN
 :  

 @!
 
In case of primary pond about 30% is lost as methane
In primary ponds the removal is 70-80% for unfiltered samples
and >90% for filtered samples
For secondary ponds the removal efficiency is relatively lower
Algal cells contribute BOD to treated effluent
Removal is closely related to the design surface loading rate and
can be obtained by using one of the following:
    ë  aa9

   ë aa10 S is surface loading rate in kg/ha.day

of BOD
aa11 r is removal rate of organic matter in
 s  
 kg/ha.day of BOD

?  aa12

s
 :  

 
!
 
% 


 
( Protozoan cysts and helminth eggs are removed by
sedimentation
( Fraction of human intestinal nematodes eggs removed
(R) in a single pond is given by
ë
 ? 

 

 ë 
Here r is retention time of the pond in days
( ýgg number in the effluent of facultative pond can be
obtained from
 Y
?   ë
Y ë
 Y

( If ýfacl is >1.0, treatment in maturation ponds is needed
 :  

 
!
 
: 


 
( High HRT, high temp., high pH, high light intensity and
high DO contribute to kills
( Photosynthetic activity, due to CO2 utilization, raises pH
to >9 and helps in killing fecal coliforms
( Removal in anaerobic and facultative ponds is

 ë

   Ä ?  ë 


Y
?
ë ë    Ä Y ë ë    Ä Y

KB(T) is first order rate constant for ý. coli removal at
TáC/day
( If Nfacl is >105 then maturation ponds are required
 :  

%!
 
Nitrogen removal
( Total nitrogen removal in WSP can reach 80% while
ammonical nitrogen removal can be as high as 95%
± Allow 20-30% of the effluent ammonical-N is lost into the air
Phosphorus removal
( ostly by sedimentation (mostly as organic-P)
± Beyond 9.5 pH precipitation of inorganic phosphorus is also
expected
( Removal for a properly functioning 2 pond system can
be upto 70%
 :  

%!
 
Pano and iddle brooks equation for ammonical-N removal
at <20áC for a facultative or a maturation pond




 ë
ës ë s
ë ë
 ë 

ë ë
  
 
ýquation for ammonical-N removal at >20áC


  ? s ë 
 s 
 ë
s
 
ë
   Ai is influent alkalinity
   in mg/L as CaCO3
Ci and Ce are influent and effluent ammonical-N concentration
Reed¶s equation for total-N removal for a facultative or a
maturation pond



?  

 s
  ë ë
  
r is HRT in days
 @

|  



Limited to finding number of ponds in the series and HRT
per pond to give smallest total pond surface area
Depth and length to width ratio are assumed usually as 1.0
- 1.5 m and 3 ± 10 respectively
Additional design guidelines followed include
± ýqual HRT for all the ponds
± minimum HRT of 3 days per pond
± organic surface loading of the first maturation pond <75%
of the preceding facultative pond
± HRT of the first pond less than that of the preceding
facultative pond
Usually designed for a total HRT of 10-20 days
 Design of maturation ponds
The design uses the equation given below:
Ni and Ne are influent and effluent coliform
numbers


  Kd is temperature dependent coliform decay

   coefficient
 ë  u

ëÄ
 
r is total HRT of maturation ponds
n is the number of maturation ponds in series
Kd is taken as 2.6/day at 20áC and temperature correction
of Kd is done by
?   ë  

 T is average ambient temperature
u Ä of the coldest month of the year
The design method fails to take pond depth (or solar
radiation intensity) into consideration
± Pond depth has pronownced effect on kd
 Design of maturation ponds

Y   ë u


?
ë Y ë  Y ë u
ë ë


Y 
Y
u
Ne coliform count in effluent
   ë   ëë  u
Ni coliform count in influent
Kb(T) coliform kill rate constant (/day)

u  hydraulic retention time
° d dispersion factor
       
!
D coefficient of dispersion
v kinematic viscosity
  

° NR reynolds number (4VR/v)
 R is hydraulic radius
u fluid flow velocity
  ë  


u Ä W width of the pond
Q flow rate
 |  


!
 

 
  





Removal is mainly by sedimentation
Since mostly removed in the anaerobic and facultative
ponds their removal in maturation ponds not much
needed
Removal can be estimated by
ë
!    
   

!ë ë 
!ë
± This equation represents the lower 95% confidence limit of the
following equation
!    
ë s
!ë
± This equation is applicable to all the ponds (anaerobic,
facultative and maturation ponds)
 |  


!
 
%

Pano and iddle brooks equation for ammonical-N removal
at <20áC for a maturation pond




 ë
ës ë s
ë ë
 ë 

ë ë
  
 
ýquation for ammonical-N removal at >20áC


   s  ë 
 s 
 ë
s
 
ë
   Ai is influent alkalinity
   in mg/L as CaCO3
Ci and Ce are influent and effluent ammonical-N concentration
Reed¶s equation for total-N removal for a maturation pond



?  

 s
  ë ë
  
r is HRT in days
 
  

|

 
 

( Should be at least 200 m downwind from the community
and from the likely areas of future expansion
± To discourage people from visiting the site
± To give assurance to public against the unlikely (for well
designed and properly maintained system, anaerobic
pond) odour problem
( Should not be located within 2 km of airports (birds
attracted to the ponds can constitute risk to air traffic)
( There should be vehicular access to the ponds
( Flat or gently sloping site can minimise earthworks
 
  

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( Principal objectives of geotechnical investigation
± to ensure correct embankment design
± to determine whether the soil is sufficiently permeable to require
lining of the pond
(
eotechnical investigations should include
± Determination of maximum height of the groundwater table
± Collecting >4/hec. soil samples representing the soil profile to a
depth 1.0 m greater than the envisaged pond depth
± easurement of the following for the soil samples collected:
Particle size distribution; Coefficient of permeability
aximum dry density and optimum moisture content (by
modified Proctor test);
Atterberg limits; organic content
 
  

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( In pond construction, balance sbould be there between cut
and fill (if proves cheep, can be constructed completely in cut)
( ýmbankment design should allow for vehicle access to
facilitate maintenance
( ýmbankment slopes provided are 1 to 3 internally and 1 to
1.5-2 externally
( Ideally, soil excavated from the site should be used in the
embankments construction
± Organic soils (peat and plastic soils) and medium to coarse
sands are not suitable
( The soil used should be compacted in 150-250 mm layers to
90% of its maximum dry density
± coefficient of permeability of compacted soil should be <10-7 m/s
 
  

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( Slope stability should be ascertained according to standard
soil mechanics procedures for small earth dams
± For increasing stability, slow-growing rhizomatous grass species
may be planted
( ýxternal embankments should be protected from stormwater
erosion
± Provide adequate drainage
( Internal embankments require protection against erosion by
wave action
± Use precast concrete slabs or stone rip-rap at top water level
(TWL)
 
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(      
 
( Inflow of wastewater should always be greater than the sum
of evaporation and seepage losses
( Seepage can be related to Coefficient of Permeability (k) as
k is coefficient of permeability (m/sec.)
Qs is seepage loss (m3/day)
 ð
A is pond area (m2)


  ð ǻl is depth of soil above the aquifer (or more
permeable stratum) in meters
ǻh is ǻl plus pond water depth in meters
( When in situ k is >10-6 m/sec. then lining of ponds is needed
± K <10-9 m/sec. indicates that the ponds seal naturally
± K <10-9 m/sec. indicates no risk of ground water contamination
( Portland cement (8 kg/m2) or plastic membranes or 150-300
mm layer of low permeability soil can be the pond lining
 
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( Usually rectangular with variable length to breadth ratio (L to
B ratio) ± can be gently curved if desired for aesthetic reasons
± L to B ratio for anaerobic ponds and primary facultative ponds
should be 2-3 to 1 ± breadth is kept <24 m (imposed by
excavators and desludging machinery
± For secondary facultative ponds and maturation ponds it can be
upto 10 to 1
( To facilitate mixing pond¶s longest dimension should be in the
direction of prevailing wind specially of hottest season
± Flow in the pond should be in the direction opposite to the wind
direction (minimize short-circuiting)
 
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( Pond areas are estimated for mid water depth - constructor
needs both pond bottom and top dimensions and depth
( In case of anaerobic ponds pond volume can be related to
TWL dimensions by

 
 ë ë   ë   ë
ë   ë   

Va is liquid volume of the pond
L and W are top water level length and width
D is depth and S is internal horizontal slope of embankment
( Pond liquid depth can be 2-5 m for anaerobic ponds, 1-2 m for
facultative ponds and 1-1.5 m for maturation ponds
± Depth can not be <1.0 m (vegetation growth from pond base and
hazard of musquito and snail breeding)
 
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( All ponds should be provided with freeboard to prevent wind
induced waves overtopping the embankment
± Freeboard depends on the pond area
± 0.5 m for ponds of <1 hectare area
± 0.5 to 1.0 m for ponds of 1-3 hectares area
± For ponds of >3 hectares area freeboard is calculated by

  ë 
 F is freeboard in meters

A is pond area at TWL in m2
( Larger systems (serving >10,000 population) or available site
topography may demand two or more parallel systems
± ultiple systems need splitting of preliminary treated wastewater
into equal parts (weir penstocks are provided)
 
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)  



( Relative position of inlet and outlet matters in minimizing
hydraulic short-circuiting
± Single inlet and single outlet are usually sufficient
± Locate them just away from the base of the embankment and in
the diagonally opposite corners of the pond
( Should be simple and inexpensive and should permit
collection of the pond samples with ease
( Inlets should discharge well below the liquid level - minimizes
hydraulic short-circuiting and reduces scum quantity
± In secondary facultative ponds and maturation ponds the
discharge can be at the mid depth
( Scum box may be provided at the inlet
 
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Outlets should be protected against scum discharge -
provide scum guard
( Scum guard depth determines effluent take off level ± variable
height scum guard permits setting the take off at desired level
± Facultative ponds - scum guard depth should extend just below
the maximum depth of the algal band ± recommended is 0.6 m
± Anaerobic ponds - effluent take off should be below the surface
crust and above the bottom sludge ± recommended is 0.3 m
± aturation ponds - the effluent take off can be nearer to the
surface ± recommended is 50 mm
Depth of flow over the outlet overflow weir is related to the weir
loading by
s q is weir loading rate in L/m.sec.
  h is depth of flow in mm
 
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Baffles
Consider baffles to avoid short-circuiting
For low strength wastewater a baffled vertical inlet may be considered
Influent should be mixed into the main body of the pond to avoid
localized overloading
Location of the baffles should be to avoid too high BOD loading in the
inlet zone and the consequent odour problem
Ponds with baffles of 70% of width are better than the baffles of 50% or
90% width
Horizontal baffles are superior to vertical baffles
Locating horizontal baffles close to horizontal inlets proves more
effective
A minimum of two baffles in a pond are recommended ± more than 4
baffles are not recommeded
Baffles shielding the outlet are beneficial
 
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Bypass to anaerobic ponds is needed
± To allow commissioning of facultative ponds ahead of anaerobic
ponds
± To facilitate desludging of anaerobic ponds
Provisions for recirculating and mixing the final effluent with the
influent after preliminary treatment
± Needed to achieve odour control when the influent is septic (upto
50% of the final effluent may be recirculated)
Surround the ponds by a chain link fence and provide padlocked
gates
 
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Post warning notices indicating the hazards associated with
WSP system
± Children may be tempted to ponds for swimming and bird
wachers and hunters may be attracted by the system
Tree belt of 40-60 m width on the upwind side (for preventing
wind blown sand and for aesthetic reasons) - comprised of
± 1-2 rows of mixed shrubs of height <5 m (not edible to cattle)
± 1-2 rows of 5-15 m height trees
± 1 row of taller trees of >15 height
 
  

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( Screen rakes and other tools; grass cutting and scum removal
equipment; sampling boat, sample bottles, etc.
( First aid kit, lifebuoys (strategically placed), protective
clothing, life jackets, etc.
( A simple building with adequate vehicle parking space and
with wash basin and toilet facilities
± To house an office with telephone facility
± To house laboratory facilities (refrigerator for sample storage!)
± To provide storage space for various tools and equipment