CE 2354 UNIT III

Treatment of Sewage
Before disposal to the environment, sewage
must be treated to make it safe.
The degree of treatment depends on the
characteristics of source of disposal
Exposure to people
Aesthetics
Fish and wildlife
Self cleansing properties of the river or stream
Nature of land
Preliminary Treatment
Separation of floating materials like dead
animals, tree branches, rags, paper, wood,
construction materials etc.
Removal of oils and greases
Reduces BOD by 15 to 30%
Process used
Screening
Grit Chamber
Skimming Tanks
Primary Treatment
Removal of large suspended organic matter
Organic matter settled in primary settling basins
The sludge from settling basin are stabilized by
Anaerobic digestion (secondary treatment)
Incineration
Disposed of in landfills or for soil stabilization
The effluent from primary treatment may have
high BOD (60% of original) and large amount of
small suspended organic matter
Secondary Treatment
Further treatment of sewage
Biological decomposition of organic matter in aerobic or anaerobic
conditions
Microbes will breakdown the fine organic matter and produce clearer
effluent
Aerobic biological units
Filters
Sand Filters
Trickling filters
Aeration tanks
Oxidation ponds and aerated lagoons
Anaerobic biological units
Anaerobic lagoons
Septic tanks and Imhoff tanks
Not classified as secondary treatment as they use raw sewage
Effluent contains low BOD ( 5 to 10 % of original)
Organic sludge decomposed in anaerobic digestion tanks before
disposal

Tertiary Treatment
Treatment of effluent from secondary treatment
Final polishing of treated sewage
Required for recycling and disposal to sensitive
streams
Generally disinfection and filtration
Distinction between primary, secondary and
tertiary arbitrary in modern plants as both unit
process and unit operations occur in same units
Unit Operations and Processes
Unit Operation
Unit operations are the physical operations to
remove the impurities present in the water and
waste water
Unit Process
Unit processes are the chemical and biological
conversion on the status of the impurities that
they will be converted to a form that can be easily
separated




Screening,
Screening is a unit operation that separates
materials in and/or on water (found in different
sizes) from water and from entering water
treatment facilities and mains.

The unit involved is called a screen (Unit no A).
Legend
Sluice Gate
Bar Screen
Motor
Waste Sludge
Pump
Belt Filter Press
Classification of Screens
Opening size [Coarse, Medium and Fine]
Configuration [Bar Screens and Mesh Screens]
Method used to clean the entrapped materials
(manually, mechanically, raked or water-jet
cleaned)
Fixed or moving screen surface.
Coarse Bar Racks
remove coarse debris (twigs, branches, rags, etc)
Spacing
Coarse 2 6 in
Medium 0.8 2in
Fine Screens 3/8 to in. (up to 10 mm or less
Types of Screens

Medium and Fine Screens

Medium and Fine Screen

Cleaning of Screens
Periodic cleaning to prevent clogging
Manual cleaning
Manually rake the detritus and discharge into a
perforated metal platform where the water drains
through the perforation
Bars set at an inclination of 45
o
to 60
o
to increase
surface area and to facilitate cleaning
Used only in small treatment plants where the
sewage flow is less than 0.12 m
3
/s (400 m
3
/hr)


Cleaning of Screens
Mechanical Cleaning
Mechanically operated rakes
Revolving type (for curved screens)
Reciprocating type (for vertical or inclined screens)
Endless revolving type (for vertical and inclined screens)
Rake arm teeth are so formed to mesh with the
screens during cleaning
Rake speed less than 3 m/min
Inclination of bars screens between 60
o
and 90
o
with
horizontal
Used when sewage flow >> 400 m
3
/hr
Cleaning of screens
Screens cleaned at regular intervals
Controlled by
Time switch (most reliable)
Automated float control
Electrode type
Continuous cleaning screen efficiency increases but the
power requirement and wear and tear also increase
Mechanically cleaned bar screens have c/s area 25%
more the c/s of sewage channel
Manually cleaned bar screens requires twice as much a
mechanically cleaned screens
Cleaning of screens
Cleaning of medium and fine screens
Mechanically operated
Brushes
Scrapers
Air jets
Steam jets
Design Criteria : Velocity of flow
Varies with material
Lower the velocity of flow through the screen, greater the screening
efficiency
However, at lower velocities, solid deposition increases in sewage channel
Design velocity must provide 100% removal of certain particle size without
undue deposition
According to IS 6280-1971 v< 0.9 m/s at peak flow
However
0.6 m/s<v<1.2m/s is found satisfactory at peak flow
V of 0.8 m/s(recommended) or 0.6 m/s(in practice) desirable when storm
water flow is considerable
Velocity in the approach channel should not be less than 0.3 m/s to avoid
settlement
A straight channel ahead of the screen ensures good velocity distribution
across the screen and maximum effectiveness of screen
Design Criteria: Head Loss
Head loss function of
Bar shape
Velocity head of flow between bars


Where
h
L
= head loss (m)
|= bar shape factor (1.67 to 2.42)
w= max c/s width of bars facing flow
direction (m)
b= min clear spacing of bars (m)
V = velocity of flow through the screen
(m/s)
g = acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s
2
)
u= angle of inclination of screen with
horizontal
) sin(
2
) (
2
3
4
u |
g
V
b
w
h
L
=
Bar Type |
Sharp edged
Rectangular
2.42
Rect. With semi
circular upstream face
1.83
Circular 1.79
Rect. With semicircular
upstream & down
stream faces
1.67
Design Criteria : Head Loss
Head loss through clean flat bar screens

Where
h
L
= Head loss (m)
V = velocity of flow through screen (m/s)
v= velocity of flow before the screen (m/s)
Provide loss of head of 0.15 m
Head loss not to exceed 0.3 m for manually
cleaned bar screens
Manufactures specify acceptable loss of head for
mechanically cleaned bar screens

) ( 0729 . 0
2 2
v V h
L
=
Design Criteria : Head Loss
For Fine Screens

Where
h
L
= Head loss (m)
Q= discharge through screen (m
3
/s)
A=effective submerged open area of screen (m
2
)
C=coefficient of discharge
g= acceleration due to gravity (m/s
2
)
Values of C and A depend on
Size and milling of slots
Wire diameter and weave
% open area (determined experimentally)
Size and amount of solids in sewage
Size of apertures
Method and frequency of cleaning
For clean screens typical C = 0.6
2
2
1
|
.
|

\
|
=
CA
Q
g
h
L
Design Criteria : Material
Bar Screens
Steel bars or rods or flats fixed to a suitable steel frame
Min c/s for bars and flats is 10 mm x 50 mm, and are laced
with 50 mm side parallel to flow direction
The spacing should be uniform and should be maintained
by adequate number of spacers so placed as not to
interfere with the raking operation
Fine Screens
Brass or bronze plates or wire mesh to resist rusting and
corrosion
Opening size 1.5 mm to 3 mm
Net submerged open area not less than 0.05 m
2
/1000 m
3

of average daily sewage flow for separate system
Net submerged open area not less than 0.075 m
2
/1000 m
3

of average daily sewage flow for combined system
Design Criteria : Other Considerations
Screen top at least 300 mm above highest flow level of
sewage
For large treatment plants, screen channels may be
divided to have a maximum screen width of 1.5 m
The gross submerged area (incl. bars and openings)
should be 25% to 35% more than c/s area of approach
channel.
The area should be considered as the projected area
normal to direction of flow for inclined screens
The screen should be so embedded that the frame
should not obstruct the flow of sewage

Design Criteria : Other Considerations
Downstream channel invert is provided with a drop below the
upstream channel invert
Manually cleaned : drop = 150 mm
Mechanically cleaned :drop= 75 mm
Length of screen channel should be sufficient so that
Screen can be properly housed
Enough working space is available
Flow gets stabilized
Eddies are avoided
The length of screen channel
L = (d+0.3) cot(u) +1.73(W + d
s
)
Where
L =length of screen channel (m)
d= depth of flow in screen channel (m)
u= angle of inclination of screen with horizontal
W= width of screen channel (m)
d
s
= diameter of incoming sewer (m)
Design Criteria : Other Considerations
Screen channel should have smooth entry and
exit arrangements to facilitate cleaning
All corners should be rounded
All edges to be chamfered
Min free board = 300 mm, should be
appropriately raised where turbulent
conditions are expected
A bypass arrangement to be provided in case
of abnormally high sewage flow
Design Criteria : Summary
Min bar size : 10 mm x 50 mm
Clear spacing between bars : 15 mm to 75 mm
Slope with horizontal
Manually cleaned : 45
o
to 60
o
Mechanically Cleaned: 60
o
to 90
o
Min approach velocity : 0.3 m/s
Velocity of flow through screen : 0.6 m/s to 1.2 m/s
Allowable head loss = 0.15 m
IS 6280-1971 gives more details
Disposal of Screenings
Screenings are the waste materials collected from screens.
Quantity of screenings depend on screen size and nature of sewage
Screen size 100 mm : 0.0015 m
3
/ML
Screen size 25 mm : 0.015 m
3
/ML
Screenings should not be left in open or transferred in uncovered
conveyers as it causes nuisance due to flies and insects
Screenings must be be properly disposed. Various methods of
screening disposal were used such as:

- burning,
- burying,
- digestion,
- dumping into large bodies of water,
- and shredding and returning it to wastewater collection or treatment system.

Inland burying is efficient in small treatment plants, while burning is
best for medium and large treatment plants. Other methods cause
problems and may need subsequent treatment. Digestion is used
for large systems and in combination with the treatment of the
organic portion of municipal solid waste.
Comminutors

Shredding devices (communitor or
grinder) : shreds material to 1/4 inch -
3/8 inch.


Comminutors are devices used in water and
wastewater treatment either in combination with
screens or independently with the aim of chopping
the oversized suspended and/or floating material
found in water and wastewater or escaping the
screens before entering the treatment facilities and
altering its operation.

Comminutors consist of two sets of cutters one is
fixed while the other is moving. The distance
between the two sets equal to the size of chopped
material required.
Comminution technology has been evolving quite rapidly in
response to the increasing burden entrained solids have
placed on treatment facilities.

More advanced devices have been developed in rapid
succession. The result has been an exciting and fluid race
between the leading manufacturers to develop the best
size reduction device.

The latest grinder innovations to be introduced have
coupled the power of twin shaft grinding with higher flow
capabilities and screw screening systems. Heres a rundown
on the past and present state of the art in wastewater
solids reduction
Comminutor Design
For comminutor design, environmental engineer or
designer need to supply manufacturer with the size
of suspended and floating materials present in
water to be treated and that after treatment along
with its density and hydraulic and organic loadings.
Accordingly manufacturer decides on the
equipment needed to achieve the objective.

Grit Chambers
Grit chambers are designed to remove grit, consisting of
sand, gravel, cinders, or other heavy solid materials that
have settling velocity or specific gravities substantially
greater than those of the organic putrescible solids in
wastewater.
The removal of grit is essential to protect moving
mechanical equipment and pump elements from abrasion
and accompanying abnormal wear and tear
To reduces formation of heavy deposits on pipes, channels
and conduits
To reduce the frequency of cleaning the sludge digesters
The specific gravity of grits are usually in the range of 2.4 to
2.65
Characteristics of grit
sand, gravel, cinders, eggshells, bone chips, seeds,
coffee grounds and other heavy materials
predominantly inert, composition variable
moisture content 13 - 65%, volatile organic content - 1
- 56%
specific gravity - clean grit particles 2.4 - 2.65, for
material with substantial organic material attached to
inert - approx. 1.3
bulk density in the range of 1600 kg/m3
most grits are retained on a No. 100 mesh sieve (0.15
mm or larger)
typical settling velocity for 100 mesh grit is 1.3 cm/s
Factors Affecting Quantity and Quality
of Grits
Type of street surface encountered
Relative areas served
Climatic conditions
Types of inlets and catch basins
Amount of storm water diverted from combined
sewers at overflow points
Sewer grades
Construction and condition of sewer system
Ground and groundwater characteristics
Industrial wastes
Social habits
Grit chamber
A grit chamber is an enlarged channel or long
basin in which the c/s is increased to reduce
the velocity of flowing sewage.
The velocity is maintained at a level where
Heavier grits (sp. Gravity 2.4 to 2.65) settle down
Lighter organic matter (sp. Gravity 1.02 to 1.5)
remain in suspension
Types of Grit Removal
Horizontal flow
square
rectangular
Aerated (rectangular)
Vortex-type

Horizontal flow type
Flow through the channel is in horizontal direction
Open channels with sufficient detention time to allow particles to
settle and to maintain constant velocity to scour organics
The velocity of flow controlled by
Dimensions of unit
Special influent distribution gates
Special weir sections at the effluent end (proportional weir)
Designed to maintain peak flow velocity in the range of 0.15 m/s to 0.3
m/s
The velocity of flow should not change with change in flow
Designed to remove grit > 0.21 mm dia. to as low as 0.15 mm dia.
Grit removal is accomplished by a conveyor with a scraper, buckets
or plows
May require grit washing equipment to remove organics

Design of grit Chamber
Data required
Hourly variations of sewage flow
Minimum, average, and maximum flows
Quantity and quality of grit, in absence of data
0.05 to 0.15 m
3
/1000 m
3
of sewage for separate
domestic sewage
0.06 to 0.12 m
3
/1000 m
3
of sewage for combined
sewage
The quantity of grit may increase three to four fold
during peak flow hours

Design Criteria
Settling Velocity
Stokes Law
Transition Law-Hazen equation
Surface overflow rate
Detention time
Scour and flow through velocity
Velocity control devices
Proportional flow weir
Parshall flume
Number of units
Dimension of each unit
Head loss
Settling Velocity
Stokes law

Stokes law holds good for Re <1 or settling
velocity of particle size < 0.1 mm
However grit chambers are designed to
remove particle of size 0.15 to 0.2 mm
Stokes law not applicable for grit chamber
design

u u

2 2
) 1 (
18 18
) ( d
S
g d g
V
s
s
s
=

=
Settling velocity
Transition law (for 1<Re<1000)





Alternatively
where T temperature of sewage in oC

| |
714 . 0
6 . 0 6 . 1
6 . 0 6 . 0
5 . 0
) 1 ( 707 . 0
5 . 18 5 . 18
) 1 (
3
4

=
(

= =
(

=
u
u
d S V
d V
R
C
d S
C
g
V
s s
s
e
D
s
D
s
Cd : Newtons drag coefficient
Re :Reynolds Number
Vs : Settling velocity (m/s)
d :particle size (m)
Ss: specific gravity of grit particle
u:Kinamatic viscosity of sewage (m
2
/s
100
70 3
) 1 ( 6 . 60
+
=
T
d S V
s s
Surface Overflow rate
Q/plan area
Settling velocity of those particles that will be 100%
removed
Efficiency of grit chamber
Real SOR varies from ideal SOR due to eddies, short circuit,
turbulence etc


Where n is an index for measure of chamber performance
0.125 for very good
0.25 for good
O.5 for poor
1 for very poor
In practice value of 0.67 or 0.5 used

SOR
Vs
= q
n
s
A Q
nV
1
/
1 1
(

+ = q
Detention Time and Bottom Scour
Through Velocity
Detention time
45 sec to 90 sec typically 60 sec
Bottom Scour Through Velocity
q affected scour velocity
At a critical velocity Vc particles of certain size and
density may be reintroduced into stream
The critical velocity is calculated from modified
Shields formula

In actual practice horizontal velocity kept at 0.15 to
0.30 m/s and should be maintained constant
4 as ken usually ta 4.5 to 3 Kc
) 1 (
=
= d S g K V
s c c
Velocity Control Devices: Proportional
flow weir
Combination of weir and orifice
Consists of rectangular plate with an opening with curved
sides for flow to pass through
The shape of the proportional flow weir is such that the
discharge through the weir is proportional to the depth of
flow over the weir crest
It maintains nearly constant velocity for different flow rate
by flowing at different depths and hence c/s area
The sides are curved in such a way that the width of the
opening decreases as a square root of increasing depth
Proportional flow weir should be placed in such a elevation
as to produce free fall at as it cannot function in submerged
conditions
Each grit chamber must be provided with separate weir
Proportional flow weir
Q=KlH
3/2
l: length of weir
K: constant
Curved sides diverging
downwards in form of
hyperbolic curve



(

=

a
y b
x ( tan
2
1
2
1
t
storage grit for chamber grit
of bottom above m 0.3 set weir al Proportion
mm 35 usually mm 50 to mm 25 : a
0.65 to 0.6 : C
3
2
d
|
.
|

\
|
=
a
H ga b C Q
d
Parshall Flume
Open constricted channel used as
Flow measuring device
Velocity control device
Negligible head loss
Can work under submerged conditions
Limits of submergence
50% for 150 mm throat
70% for wide throats upto 1m
One flume can be installed for two to three grit chambers
Approaches a parabolic c/s to maintain constant flow
Can be approximated to rectangular section with trapezoidal
bottom
Max allowable variation in velocity :5%



Number of units
Manually cleaned : atleast 2 grit chambers
Mechanically cleaned: one additional manually cleaned grit chamber
to act as bypass
Dimensions of each unit
Plan area: based on SOR
Width of grit chamber: based on velocity control device
Length : from plan area and width
Depth:
based on horizontal velocity and peak flow,
additional depth for grit storage
Free board 150 to 300 mm
Bottom slope: based on scraper mechanism
Head Loss
Varies from 0.06m to 0.6 m based on velocity control device
Aerated Grit Chamber
popularity of aerated grit chamber
less wear on grit-handling equipment
in many cases, no need for separate grit washing equipment
normally designed to remove particles 65 mesh (0.2 mm)
or larger
velocity of roll or agitation governs the size of particles of a
given specific gravity to be removed
quantity of air is adjusted to provide the roll and washing of
the grit to remove organic matter
grit removed by using grab buckets on monorails centered
over the grit collection and storage trough or by a flushing
through a drain


Sedimentation tank
Surface overflow rate
Plain primary sedimentation tank: 40 to 50 m
3
/m
2
.day
Sedimentation tanks using coagulants: 50 to 60 m
3
/m
2
.day
Secondary sedimentation tank : 25 to 35 m
3
/m
2
.day
Lower SOR leads to settlement of finer particles
Detention time : 1 to 2 hrs
Width of tank : 6m (not to exceed 7.5 m)
Length of tank <4 times the width
Horizontal flow velocity :0.3 m/min
Max dia for circular tank 60 m