SUB: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING MODULE-78A

MODULE- 78A
Sewage and sewerage treatment, quantity and characteristics of
wastewater.
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Sullage: This refers to the waste water generated from bathrooms, kitchens, washing place
and wash basins etc. Composition of this waste does not involve higher concentration of
organic matter and it is less polluted water as compared to sewerage.

Sewage: It indicates the liquid waste originating from the domestic uses of water. It includes
Sullage, discharge from toilets, urinals, waste water generated from commercial
establishments, institutions, industrial establishments and also the ground water, storm water
that may enter into the sewers. Its decomposition produces large quantities of malodorous
gases and it contains numerous pathogenic bacteria, along with concentration of organic
matter and suspended solids.

Domestic sewage: Consists of liquid wastes originations from urinals, bathrooms, kitchen
sinks, wash basins etc.

Industrial sewage: Liquid wastes originating from industrial processes of various industries
like dying, paper making etc.

Aerobic decomposition: If air or oxygen is available freely to waste water is dissolved form
than the biodegradable organic matter will undergo aerobic decomposition, caused by aerobic
bacteria as well as by facultative bacteria. This bacterium utilizes the free oxygen as electron
acceptor, there by oxidizing the organic matter to stable and unobjectionable end products.

Nitrogenous organic matter

Carbonaceous organic matter

Sulphurous organic matter

Anaerobic decomposition: If free dissolved oxygen is not available to the sewage, then
anaerobic decomposition, called putrefaction will occur. Anaerobic bacteria as well as
facultative bacteria operating anaerobically will then flourish and convert the complex
organic matter into simpler organic compounds of nitrogen, carbon and sulphur.

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Nitrogenous organic matter

Carbonaceous organic matter

Sulphurous organic matter

Aerobic bacteria: Flourish in presence of oxygen

Anaerobic bacteria: Flourish in absence of oxygen

Facultative bacteria: Can operate either as aerobically or as anaerobically.

Characteristics of sewage:

1. Physical characteristics:
a) Turbidity: Measured by turbidity rod or turbidity meter.
b) Color: Black in color indicates state of decomposition.
c) Odour: Measured as Thresold odour number. TON, which represents the extent of
dilution required to just make the sample free of odour.
d) Temperature: It has an effect on the biological activity of bacteria present in
sewage and it also affects the solubility of gases in sewage.
2. Chemical characteristics:
a) Total solids, suspended solids, Settleable solids, dissolved solids.
Total solids: Determined by evaporation
Suspended solids: Determined by using 1 pore filters.
Dissolved solids: Total - suspended.
Suspended solids= volatile solids + fixed solids.
Loss of weight due to burning of suspended solids is called volatile solids and
residue is called fixed solids.

b) Settleable solids: Can be determined by Imhoff cone. The capacity of the cone is 1
litre and it is graduated up to about 50ml. sewage is allowed to stand in this cone
for a period of 2 hours and the quantity of solids can be measured.

c) PH value: The efficiency of certain treatment methods depends upon the

availability of a suitable PH value.

d) Chloride content: Normal chloride content of sewage is 120 . Higher values

indicate mixing of industrial wastes.

e) Nitrogen content: Nitrogen is in four forms: 1. free ammonia 2. Organic nitrogen

3. Nitrites 4. Nitrates. Free ammonia indicates quantity of nitrogen present in
sewage before the decomposition of organic matter is started. The nitrites indicate
the presence of partly decomposed organic matter. Nitrates indicate the presence
of fully oxidized organic matter. In drinking water nitrates should be less than

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SUB: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING MODULE-78A

45mg/ . Excess of nitrates causes blue baby or methamoblobinamia disease in

children.

f) Presence of fats, oils and greases: It interferes with treatment process like
filtration so needs to be removed.

g) Sulphides, sulphates & gas: Cause smell and corrosion of concrete sewer
lines.

h) Dissolved oxygen: (DO): Determined by Winkler’s method. While discharging

into streams, do in sewage must be more than 4ppm to protect fish.

i) Chemical oxygen demand: Oxygen required to completely oxidize the organic

matter to , and other oxidized species.

j) Total organic carbon: Known concentrations of chemical components in waste

water will enable us to calculate carbon content present in sewage.

Bio chemical oxygen demand BOD: The amount of oxygen required to decompose the
organic matter present in sewage is called BOD.

: BOD during 5 days at

= D.O consumed by diluted sample
Consumed dilution factor

Amount of organic matter

Present at time t
L= Ultimate BOD. BO

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SUB: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING MODULE-78A

Integrating

At t=0, =L C=

= 2.3

= = where =

BOD at time t= L - =

=L[ ] De-oxygenation constant

= .[ ]
( ) ( )

Population equivalent:

Relative stability S=

It is the ratio of oxygen available in effluent to the total oxygen required to satisfy
first stage BOD.

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