ANAEROBIC ANAEROBIC

PONDS PONDS
P f M Professor Mara
ANAEROBIC PONDS ANAEROBIC PONDS ANAEROBIC PONDS ANAEROBIC PONDS
high organic (BOD) loading high organic (BOD) loading devoid of high organic (BOD) loading high organic (BOD) loading devoid of
dissolved oxygen
depth range 15 m; depends on ground
diti ll 2 4 conditions usually 24 m
no (or very few) algae no (or very few) algae surface area not surface area not no (or very few) algae no (or very few) algae surface area not surface area not
important important
ALGAE: ALGAE:
occasional surface occasional surface
film of sulphide film of sulphide--
tolerant tolerant
Chlamydomonas Chlamydomonas
ALGAE: ALGAE:
occasional surface occasional surface
film of sulphide film of sulphide--
tolerant tolerant
Chlamydomonas Chlamydomonas
OPERATION OF ANAEROBIC PONDS OPERATION OF ANAEROBIC PONDS
sedimentation of settleable solids and
i bi di i ( 15 C) d intense anaerobic digestion (>15
o
C) and
copious biogas (CH
4
& CO
2
) production g (
4 2
)
high BOD & SS removal high BOD & SS removal
functions much like an open septic tank
Biogas: CH CH
44
, CO , CO
22 scum layer
Biogas : CH CH
44
, CO , CO
22 scum layer
sludge layer
About 30% of influent BOD leaves as biogas
same groups of anaerobic bacteria
involved as in septic tanks and anaerobic involved as in septic tanks and anaerobic
digesters require same environmental require same environmental
diti ( H 6 5) diti ( H 6 5) conditions (eg, pH >6.5) conditions (eg, pH >6.5)
DESIGN OF ANAEROBIC PONDS DESIGN OF ANAEROBIC PONDS DESIGN OF ANAEROBIC PONDS DESIGN OF ANAEROBIC PONDS
based on volumetric BOD based on volumetric BOD
55
loading, loading,
vv 55
g, g,
vv

VV
= L = L
ii
Q/V g/m Q/V g/m
33
dd
= L = L
ii
//
aa
L
i
= influent BOD
5
ii
//
aa
L
i
L
i
influent BOD
5
mg/l (= g/m
3
)
V
L
i
Q
Q = flow, m
3
/d
V l
3
V = volume, m
3
V/Q V/Q ( i i d ) 1 d 1 d V/Q = V/Q = (retention time, days)
aa
1 d 1 d
Design range for normal domestic Design range for normal domestic
t t t t wastewater: wastewater:
100 100
VV
400 400
VV
if <100, then not fully anaerobic (?)
if >400, then risk of odour odour release
ODOUR ODOUR ODOUR ODOUR
caused mainly by hydrogen sulphide gas hydrogen sulphide gas
(H
2
S)
sulphates (SO
2
) reduced in anaerobic sulphates (SO
4
2
) reduced in anaerobic
ponds by obligately anaerobic sulphate-
reducing bacteria (eg, Desulfovibrio spp)
to sulphides (H S HS

S
2
) to sulphides (H
2
S, HS

, S
2
)
proportion of sulphide existing as H proportion of sulphide existing as H
22
SS proportion of sulphide existing as H proportion of sulphide existing as H
22
S S
depends on pH: depends on pH:
S
=
HS
-
H S H
2
S
Effect of pH on hydrogen sulphide p y g p
bisulphidesulphide equilibrium
Odour, continued
odour not usually a problem if sulphate odour not usually a problem if sulphate
concentration <500 mg/l as concentration <500 mg/l as SO SO
44
22
h k th l h t f th l l h k th l h t f th l l check the sulphate conc. of the local check the sulphate conc. of the local
drinking water drinking water (max = 250 mg/l) (max = 250 mg/l) gg ( g ) ( g )
control therefore not normally necessary,
but can be achieved by adding lime or
soda ash to keep pH >7 (or by soda ash to keep pH >7 (or by
recirculating maturation pond effluent, but
expensive and pump needs maintenance)
Recommended Design Procedure for Recommended Design Procedure for Recommended Design Procedure for Recommended Design Procedure for
Anaerobic Ponds Anaerobic Ponds
Performance should increase with Performance should increase with
temperature, but insufficient reliable field
d t il bl t d l d d i data available to develop good design
equation
Design temperature Design temperature: mean air temp. in mean air temp. in
coldest month (slightly conservative as coldest month (slightly conservative as coldest month (slightly conservative as coldest month (slightly conservative as
pond temp. some 2 pond temp. some 233
oo
C warmer) C warmer)
Minimum retention time of 1 day Minimum retention time of 1 day
DESIGN VALUES DESIGN VALUES DESIGN VALUES DESIGN VALUES
BOD
5
Percentage
5
Temp (
o
C) loading BOD
( /
3
d ) l (g/m
3
day) removal
10 100 40
1020 20T 100* 2T + 20*
2025 10T + 100* 2T + 20*
>25 >25 350 350 70 70 >25 >25 350 350 70 70
* Linear interpolation (T = temperature,
o
C) Linear interpolation (T temperature, C)
PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC PONDS PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC PONDS PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC PONDS PERFORMANCE OF ANAEROBIC PONDS
Raw wastewater
306 g/m 306 g/m
33
dd
A2
A3 A2
A4
129 g/m
3
d
Northeast Brazil, ~25 Northeast Brazil, ~25 CC
Retention BOD
5
SS FC Retention BOD
5
SS FC
time (mg/l) (mg/l) (per
(days) 100 ml) (days) 100 ml)
Raw ww 245 245 310 4.7 10
7
0 8 0 8 59 59** 82** ** 8 1 10
6
A2
0.8 0.8 59 59 82 8.1 10
A3

0.4 45 64 5.0 10
6
A2
A4 1.9 49 57 4.7 10
6
** 76 percent removal 76 percent removal ** 74 percent removal ** 74 percent removal 76 percent removal 76 percent removal 74 percent removal 74 percent removal

Not worth having (at least for domestic ww)

Performance of Anaerobic Ponds Performance of Anaerobic Ponds Performance of Anaerobic Ponds Performance of Anaerobic Ponds
Northeast Brazil 25 Northeast Brazil 25
oo
CC
Pond Retention Volumetric Percentage
Code time BOD load BOD
(days) (g/m
3
day) removal
A2/1 0 8 306 76 A2/1 0.8 306 76
A6 1.0 1.0 215 76 76
A4/1 1.9 129 80
A1/3 2.0 116 75
A1/2 4.0 72 68
A1/1 6 8 35 74 A1/1 6.8 35 74
Anaerobic ponds Anaerobic ponds Anaerobic ponds Anaerobic ponds
very good removal of BOD & SS very good removal of BOD & SS
this has effect of reducing land area reducing land area
i t f ll d t i t f ll d t requirement for overall pond system requirement for overall pond system, so
anaerobic ponds should always always be used p yy
(except at small works serving only a few
thousand people)
Operation and maintenance Operation and maintenance
1. fly breeding in scum layer may be a 1. fly breeding in scum layer may be a
problem: use a suitable larvicide
2 desludge when full of sludge this 2. desludge when full of sludge this
occurs every n years:
(Pond volume, m (Pond volume, m
33
))
n = n =
Sludge accumulation Sludge accumulation
rate m rate m
33
/caput year /caput year
(Population) (Population)
rate, m rate, m /caput year /caput year
~0.04 m
3
/cap.yr in tropics 0.04 m /cap.yr in tropics
~0.08 m
3
/cap.yr in Europe
C t l Central
slaughterhouse slaughterhouse
CYPRUS
Average BOD = 15002000 mg/l Average BOD = 1500 2000 mg/l
Anaerobic pond, Cyprus