WASTEWATER

SOME TERMS ENCOUNTERED IN WATER & WWT

1. Sewer system :

A sanitary sewer or “foul sewer” is an underground

carriage system specifically for transporting sewage
from houses and commercial buildings thru pipes to
treatment facilities or disposal.

Sanitary sewers are part of an overall system called a

sewerage or sewage system
SOME TERMS ENCOUNTERED IN WATER & WWT

2. Municipal WW

- also called sewage is usually conveyed in a combined

sewer or sanitary plant sewer, and treated at a WW
treatment plant.

- treated WW is discharged into receiving water via an

effluent pipe
SOME TERMS ENCOUNTERED IN WATER & WWT

3. Public sewer – a common sewer controlled

completely by a public authority

4. Sewer – a WW disposal pipe that serves more

than one property

5. Drain – is a pipe that serves a single property

6. Lateral drain – is a pipe which serves a single

property but lies outside that property’s
boundary
SOME TERMS ENCOUNTERED IN WATER & WWT
7. Drainage water – surface water drainage from
rainwater that falls on a property and drains away into
the public sewer

8. Storm water – when it rains, storm water runs off

roof tops, parking lots, streets, yards, sidewalks and
fields, carrying pollutants with it; storm drains or catch
basins, are designed to carry rainwater, away from
developed areas to prevent flooding, and are connected
to sanitary sewer systems, or treatment plants
SOME TERMS ENCOUNTERED IN WATER & WWT
9. Sewerage system – it is the system of pipes,
chambers, manholes, etc. that conveys the sewage or
storm water.
Sewerage and sewage are two different terms, but are
sometimes used interchangeably.

10. Sewage – WW produced from a community of

people; it consists mostly of greywater (from sinks,
tubs, showers, dishwashers and clothes washers),
blackwater (water used to flush toilets, combined with
the human waste that it flushes away), soaps and
detergents and toilet paper
COMMON TERMINOLOGIES IN WWT

Unit operations – involve contaminant removal by

physical forces

Unit processes – involve biological and or chemical

reactions
COMMON TERMINOLOGIES IN WWT

Reactor – refers to the vessel, or containment structure,

along with all its appurtenances, in which the unit
operation or unit process takes place

WWT system – is composed of a combination of unit

operations and unit processes designed to reduce
certain constituents of WW to an acceptable level
COMMON TERMINOLOGIES IN WWT

Primary treatment – the purpose is to remove solid

materials from the incoming WW

Secondary treatment - usually consists of biological

conversions of dissolved and colloidal organics into
biomass that can subsequently be removed by
sedimentation

Tertiary treatment – involves further removal of SS and or

removal of nutrients
WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS

o WW are usually classified as industrial WW or municipal WW

o Industrial WW with characteristics compatible with municipal

WW is often discharged to the municipal sewers

o Water collected in municipal WW systems contains a wide

variety of contaminants
(see Table 1)
TABLE 1: IMPORTANT WW CONTAMINANTS
Contaminants Source Environmental
Significance
Suspended solids Domestic use, Cause sludge
industrial wastes, deposits and
erosion by anaerobic
infiltration/ inflow conditions in
aquatic
environment
Biodegradable Domestic and Cause biological
organics industrial wastes degradation, w/c
may use up Oxygen
in receiving water
Pathogens Domestic wastes Transmit
communicable
diseases
TABLE 1: IMPORTANT WW CONTAMINANTS
Contaminants Source Environmental
Significance
Nutrients Domestic and May cause
industrial waste eutrophication
Refractory organics Industrial waste May cause taste and
odor problems, may
be toxic or
carcinogenic
Heavy metals Industrial waste, These are toxic, may
mining, etc. interfere with
effluent waste
Dissolved inorganic Increases above May interfere with
solids level in water supply effluent reuse
by domestic and/or
industrial waste
WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS

o Quantitatively, constituents of WW may vary significantly

depending upon the percentage & type of waste present
and the amount of dilution from infiltration / inflow into
the collection system.
(Table 2 shows results of analysis of a typical WW from a
municipal collection system)
TABLE 2: TYPICAL ANALYSIS OF MUNICIPAL WATER
Concentration
Constituent, mg/L Strong Medium Weak
Solids, total: 1200 720 350
Dissolved, total 850 500 250
Fixed 525 300 145
Volatile 325 200 105
Suspended, total 350 220 100
Fixed 75 55 20
Volatile 275 165 80
Settleable solids, mL/L 20 10 5
Biochemical oxygen demand, 5-day, 20oC 400 220 110
(BOD5)
Total organic carbon (TOC) 290 160 80
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) 1000 500 250
TABLE 2: TYPICAL ANALYSIS OF MUNICIPAL
WATER
Constituent, mg/L Concentration
Strong Medium Weak
Nitrogen (total as N) 85 40 20
Organic 35 15 8
Free ammonia 50 25 12
Nitrites 0 0 0
Nitrates 0 0 0
Phosphorus (total as P) 15 8 4
Organic 5 3 1
Inorganic 10 5 3
Chlorides 100 50 30
Alkalinity (as CaCO3) 200 100 50
Grease 150 100 50
WW CHARACTERISTICS

• The most significant components of WW are usually

SS, biodegradable organics, and pathogens

• SS are primarily organic in nature and are composed

of some of the more objectionable material in
sewage

• Body wastes, food waste, paper, rags and biological

cells form the bulk of suspended solids in WW
WW CHARACTERISTICS

• Soluble organics in domestic WW are composed

chiefly of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids

• Proteins are chiefly amino acids, while carbohydrates

are compounds such as sugars, starches and cellulose

• Lipids include fats, oils, and grease

WW CHARACTERISTICS

• All of these materials contain C that can be converted

to CO2 biologically, thus, exerting an oxygen demand

• Proteins also contain N, and thus, a nitrogenous

oxygen demand

• The BOD test is therefore used to quantify

biodegradable organics
WW CHARACTERISTICS

• All forms of waterborne pathogens may be found in

domestic WW

• These include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and

helminths

• These diseases are discharged by persons who are

infected with the disease
WW CHARACTERISTICS

• Few of the pathogens survive WWT in a viable

state

• Traditional WWT processes are designed to

reduce SS, biodegradable organics, and pathogens
to acceptable levels prior to disposal
WASTEWATER TREATMENT

video
PRIMARY TREATMENT
1. Screening
- screening devices are used to remove coarse
solids (sticks, rags, boards and other large
objects) from WW
- primary purpose is to protect pumps and other
mechanical equipment and to prevent clogging
of valves and other appurtenances in the WWT
plant
Classification of screens– fine or coarse

• Coarse screens – vertical bars spaced 1 or

more cm apart and inclined away from the
incoming flow
• Fine screens – woven-wire cloth or
perforated plates mounted on a rotating
disk or drum partially submerged in the
flow, or travelling belt
MANUALLY-CLEANED BAR SCREEN
MECHANICALLY-CLEANED BAR SCREEN
• Screening devices are contained in rectangular
channels that receive the flow from the
collection system
• Manually-cleaned devices should be readily
accessible for cleaning, and mechanically-
cleaned systems should be enclosed in suitable
housing
• Proper ventilation must be provided to prevent
accumulation of explosive gases
• A straight channel section must be provided a
few meters ahead of the screen to ensure
good distribution of flow across the screen
• Hydraulically, flow velocity should not exceed
1 m/s in the channel, with 0.3 m/s considered
good design
• Head loss across the screen will depend on the
degree of clogging
• Clean bars and screens result in a head loss of
less than 0.1 m
2. Comminuting
• Screenings are sometimes shredded and
returned to the WW flow
• Hammermill device is often used for this
purpose
• Comminutor – a shredding device located
across the flow path and intercepts the
coarse solids and shreds them to approx.
8mm in size
TYPES OF COMMINUTORS

• Basic parts include a screen and a cutting

teeth
• Screen may be a slotted drum that rotates
in the vertical plane
• Stationary teeth then shred material that is
intercepted by the screen
TYPES OF COMMINUTORS

Other types:
• stationary semicircular screen and rotating
or oscillating cutting teeth
• Harminutor – a device that uses a vertical
bar screen with a cutting head that travels
up and down the rack of bars, shredding the
intercepted material
COMMINUTORS
3. GRIT REMOVAL

• Municipal WW contains a wide assortment of

inorganic solids such as pebbles, sand, silt, egg
shells, glass and metal fragments
• Operations to remove these inorganics will
also remove some of the larger, heavier
organics such as bone chips, seeds, and coffee
and tea grounds. These are known as grit.
• Substances in grit are abrasive in nature and will
cause accelerated wear on pumps and sludge-
handling equipment
• Grit deposits in areas of low hydraulic shear in pipes,
sumps, and clarifiers may absorb grease and solidify
• These materials are not biodegradable and may
occupy valuable space in sludge digesters
• It is therefore desirable to separate them from the
organic SS
• Grit removal facilities consist of an enlarged
channel area where reduced flow velocities
allow grit to settle out

• The deposited grit is removed by mechanical

scrapers
IMPORTANT PARAMETER: FLOW MEASUREMENT
• Although the measurement of WW flow does not
in itself result in removal of contaminants, it is an
important adjunct to WWT
• A knowledge of hydraulic loading rates is
necessary for the operation of the reactors in a
WWT plant
• Chemical additives, air volume, recirculation
rates, and many other operating parameters
depend upon the hydraulic flow rate
• Records of flow should be kept to establish trends
in flow quantities & future capacity needs
4. PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION (SCUM REMOVAL) OR
CLARIFICATION

• It is a unit operation designed to concentrate

and remove suspended organic solids from
the WW
• Circular tanks have skimmer arm attached to
the sludge-scraper drive mechanisms. Scum
is wiped up an inclined apron and into a scum
trough for removal
PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION (SCUM REMOVAL)

• In rectangular tanks, scum removal is

accomplished by having the sludge scrapers
penetrate through the surface as they return to
the effluent end of the tank.
• Floating material is carried to a collection point
some distance behind the effluent weirs where
it is removed over a scum weir or by a
transverse scum scraper
PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION (SCUM REMOVAL)
SECONDARY TREATMENT
SECONDARY TREATMENT

• The effluent from primary treatment still

contains 40-50 % of original SS and virtually all
of original dissolved organics and inorganics

• To meet the standards for discharge, the

organic suspended & dissolved fraction must
be significantly reduced
SECONDARY TREATMENT

• Secondary treatment is the organic removal which

may consists of chemical-physical processes or
biological processes to reduce the BOD to acceptable
levels (combinations of processes are high-cost
options, thus, not commonly used)

• Biological processes are used in practically all

municipal WWT systems where secondary treatment
is employed
1. Aeration Tank
• Wastewater aeration is the process of adding air into
wastewater to allow aerobic bio-degradation of the
pollutant components.
• It is an integral part of most biological wastewater
treatment systems.
• Unlike chemical treatment which uses chemicals to
react and stabilize contaminants in the wastewater
stream, biological treatment uses microorganisms
that occur naturally in wastewater to degrade
wastewater contaminants.
How does aeration work?

Aeration provides oxygen to bacteria for treating and stabilizing

the wastewater.

Oxygen is needed by the bacteria to allow biodegradation to

occur.

The supplied oxygen is utilized by bacteria in the wastewater to

break down the organic matter containing carbon to form carbon
dioxide and water.

Without the presence of sufficient oxygen, bacteria are not able

to biodegrade the incoming organic matter in a reasonable time.
How does aeration work?

In the absence of dissolved oxygen, degradation must occur under

septic conditions which are slow, odorous, and yield incomplete
conversions of pollutants.

Under septic conditions, some of the biological process convert

hydrogen and sulfur to form hydrogen sulfide and transform carbon
into methane.

Other carbon will be converted to organic acids that create low pH

conditions in the basin and make the water more difficult to treat and
promote odor formation.
PONDS AND LAGOONS

• A WW pond is also known as stabilization pond,

oxidation pond, and sewage lagoon
• This consists of a large, shallow earthen basin in which
WW is retained long enough for natural purification
processes to provide the necessary degree of
treatment
• Part of the system must be aerobic
• Some oxygen is provided by diffusion from air, the bulk
of oxygen is provided by photosynthesis
PONDS AND LAGOONS

Types
• Aerobic ponds – shallow ponds in which dissolved
oxygen is present at all depths (additional
treatment process)
• Anaerobic ponds – deep ponds in which oxygen is
absent except for a relatively thin surface layer
• Facultative ponds in which aerobic and anaerobic
zones exist may be used
LAGOON
LAGOON
2. SECONDARY CLARIFICATION

Activated Sludge Clarifiers

• Must meet two objectives: (1) must produce an
effluent sufficiently clarified to meet discharge
standards; (2) must concentrate biological solids to
minimize the quantity of sludge that must be handled;
• Because both functions are critical to successful
operation, secondary clarifiers must be designed as an
integral part of an activated sludge system
Activated Sludge Clarifiers
• Sludge should be removed as rapidly as
possible to ensure that the biological solids are
still viable upon their return to the aeration
unit
• A rapid sludge return prevents anaerobic
condition from developing
SECONDARY CLARIFICATION
3. DISINFECTION OF EFFLUENTS

• Usually required where portions of the effluent may

come in contact with humans
• Process available are essentially the same as potable
water
• Chemical oxidants are generally considered the
most effective disinfectants
• Chlorine is the most common disinfectant in use
• Other disinfectants include ozone and UV radiation.
4. SLUDGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

• WWT objectives are accomplished by

concentrating impurities into solid form and
then separating these solids from the bulk
liquid
• Concentration of solids, referred to as
sludge, contains many objectionable
materials and must be disposed properly
 SLUDGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

• Primary settling removes settleable fraction of the

raw WW solids, usua. 40-60% of the influent
solids
• Primary sludge contains inorganic solids as well as
the coarser fraction of the organic colloids; it
contains a sizable fraction of the influent BOD
• Primary sludge is more granular in nature than the
secondary sludge and is generally more
concentrated
SLUDGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

• Solids escaping primary treatment are either

solubilized or become entrained in the
biomass during secondary treatment
• Additional solids are generated by conversion
of dissolved organics into cellular material
• Secondary sludge is thus composed of
biological solids
Activated sludge
Toxic sludge
SLUDGE THICKENING

Several techniques of sludge volume reduction:

▪ Mechanical methods – vacuum filtration and
centrifugation (if sludge is in a semi-solid state)
▪ Gravity methods – gravity thickening and/or
flotation (where further biological treatment is
intended; sludge remains in a liquid state)
GRAVITY THICKENER

• Tanks are generally deeper to provide

greater thickening capacity
• A well-designed, well-operated
thickener should be able to double
the solids content of the sludge
GRAVITY THICKENER
SLUDGE DIGESTION

• Concentrated WW sludges represent a considerable

hazard to the environment and must be rendered inert
prior to disposal
• The most common means of stabilizing is by biological
degradation
• Because this process is intended to convert solids to
noncellular end products, the term digestion is
commonly applied to this process.
• Sludge digestion serves both to reduce the volume of the
thickened sludge & to render the remaining solids inert
and pathogen-free
SLUDGE DISPOSAL

Can be done through:

• Incineration – provided that water content is
sufficiently reduced; sufficient fuel is
necessary;
• Placement in sanitary landfill – provided that
leachate is contained and sludge is isolated
• Incorporation into soils as fertilizer or soil
conditioner
WW REUSE
Recreational facilities
- water-quality requirements are quite stringent and
some of advanced WWT techniques may invariably
be required prior to WW reuse
- should be aesthetically pleasing and essentially free
of toxicants and pathogenic organisms
- Body-contact activities such as swimming and water
skiing would require quality of water that must
approach that of drinking water
WW REUSE

Industrial water supply

• In terms of volume, industrial water use outranks all
other water-use categories
• Industrial water requirements are growing more
rapidly than are municipal and agricultural
requirement
• Quality of water required for various industrial
processes varies greatly
Cooling water generally has the lowest quality
constraints while boiler water has the highest
WW REUSE
Groundwater Recharge
• WW can become part of GW as a consequence of land
application for irrigation or from rapid infiltration systems
• In coastal areas, salt water from the ocean may wedge
underneath the freshwater aquifer because of its greater
density
• Drawdown from wells may exacerbate the problem and
can result in salt water contamination
• Injection of WW between pumping well and salt water
source may serve to create a hydrostatic barrier that will
push the salt backward
WW REUSE

Reuse in potable water system

• Incorporation of WW into potable water
supplies has always been an inadvertent
consequence of effluent discharge into WW
• The intentional use of WW as a part of the
potable supply is necessitated by a shortage of
natural water
• Reuse may be direct or indirect
WW REUSE
• Direct reuse is referred to as a closed loop or pipe-
to-pipe recycling, which indicates that the treated
effluent from the WWT is piped directly to the
influent of the WWT plant
• Indirect reuse involves storage of treated effluent
in natural or artificial water bodies for a period of
time prior to withdrawal and incorporation into
the water supply
• Indirect reuse is the more acceptable practice at
the present time
ACTIVITY (BY PAIR)
• Research about an existing Wastewater
Treatment Facility in your area
(barangay, municipality, city, private
institution like school, hospital, mall,
resort, manufacturing company in
CEBU)
• Describe the operations and processes
used in the facility. Provide pictures,
diagrams, etc.
• You can include the budget, partner
organizations and other details.
• Cite your references.
• File type: doc (preferably MSWord)
paper size: letter, font size: 10,
max # of pages: 5,
margin: 1 inch each (top, bottom, side)
• Provide cover page (with subject details and
names of students)
• Submit your work in Google classroom
(class code: u9vvea)
• Use the format
WastewaterFAMILYNAME1FAMILYNAME2 for
the filename.
• Deadline: September 16, 2018