Wastewater

Treatment

Municipal WW Management Systems

Sources of
Wastewater

Transmission
and Pumping

Processing at
the Source

Treatment

Wastewater
Collection

Reuse/Disposal

Sources & Types of WW

Domestic Wastewater
from residences, commercial & institutional
flows ~70-90% of water supplied

Industrial Wastewater
highly dependent on industry

Infliltration/Inflow
enters through leaks, foundation drains, etc.

Stormwater
for combined sewers - largely in older cities

Typical WW Characteristics
Parameter

Conc.

BOD
TSS
COD
Ammonia
TOC
Chloride

250 mg/L
250 mg/L
500 mg/L
30 mg/L
100 mg/L
+ 50 mg/L

1972: Federal Water Pollution Control Act

PL 92-500 subsequently amended and now

called the Clean Water Act
established water quality goals fishable &
swimmable and timetable
established National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES)
construction grants for WW treatment

required secondary treatment (30/30)

30 mg/L BOD5
30 mg/L TSS

TREATMENT CLASSIFICATION

PRIMARY
Removal of solids

SECONDARY
Removal of organics

TERTIARY
Removal of nutrients (N and P)

Conventional WW Treatment
Preliminary
Treatment

Secondary
Sedimentation

Primary
Sedimentation

Biological Process

Sludge

Disinfection
Sludge

Preliminary Treatment

To remove materials that will interfere with

subsequent treatment

Coarse Screening (bar racks)

Medium Screening
Comminution
Flow measuring
Pumping
Grit removal
Pre-aeration

Bar Racks
Metal bars spaced a few cm apart across
water flow
mechanical or manually cleaned
size of unit set by approach velocity

0.6-1.0 m/s for mechanically cleaned

0.3-0.7 m/s for manually cleaned

see Fig 10.4 and example 10.2 on pg. 311

Grit Removal
Grit chambers intended to remove sand,
cinders, gravel that may enter system by
cracks in pipes, inflow etc.
Grit can cause excess wear in pipes and
pumps
small sedimentation tanks; designed with the
help of Stokes Law
no organics removal

Grit Chamber

Primary Sedimentation
Purpose: to remove suspended solids
(smaller than grit, and less harmful)
Typical efficiency

67% TSS removal

33% BOD removal

Design parameters
overflow rate
weir loading rate
detention time

Primary effluent is
largely composed of
soluble and colloidal
organics which can be
converted to settleable
microbial solids and
CO2 by biological
treatment

Primary Sedimentation
Primary Treatment
Removes ~50% of suspended solids

Parameter Design Range

Typical
Value

Overflow
Rate

35-45 m/d
800-1200 gal/ft2/d

40 m/d
1000 gal/ft2/d

Detention
Time

1.5-2.5 h

2h

2
2
125-500
m
/d
275
m
/d
Weir loading
10,000-40,000 gal/ft/d 20,000 gal/ft/d
rate

Primary Sed. Tank

Primary Clarifier: Center Feed

Secondary Treatment
Generally includes some biological process
plus secondary clarification
Required under PL92-500
Converts soluble and colloidal organic
materials to biomass and CO2

Biological Treatment

Suspended Growth
Activated Sludge
Conventional, Extended Aeration, Contact
Stabilization

Aerated lagoons
Aerobic digestion

Attached Growth
Trickling Filters
Rotating Biological Contactors

Suspended Growth Systems

Air
Aeration Tank

Return Activated Sludge

Secondary
Sedimentation

Sludge
Waste
Activated Sludge

Attached Growth: Trickling Filters

Rotary Distributor
Rocks or
Plastic
Media

Air
Underdrain
With rocks, depth is limited to 2-3 m because of oxygen needs

Rotating Biological Contactors

Drum diameters are typically 10-12 ft.

Rotation speed: ~1.5 rpm
May be in several stages
No flow recycle
Requires piloting

Secondary Clarifier

Sludge Disposal

Thickening
gravity, flotation

Digestion
aerobic, anaerobic

Mechanical Dewatering
Vacuum filtration, centrifugation, pressure filtr.

Disposal
land application, burial, incineration

Anaerobic Digestion
Sludge held without aeration for 10-90 days
Process can be accelerated by heating to 35-40oC
These are called High Rate Digestors (10-20 days)
Advantages
low solids production
useable methane gas produced
Disadvantages
high capital costs
susceptibility to shocks and overloads

Sludge Dewatering

Sludge drying beds

historically the most common
sand bed, 15-30 days, evaporation & seepage

Vacuum Filtration
cylindrical rotating drum covered with fabric
submerged with applied vacuum

Continuous belt filter presses (follows)

Plate pressure filters

vertical plates mounted on a frame

Belt Filter Press (Komline-Sanderson)