Preliminary

Treatment

EIM 5193
Environmental Design for
Aqueous Emissions
Coverage

• Screening

• Coarse solids reduction

• Flow equalisation

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 Introduction

Off-line flow
equalisation
Waste backwash
water storage
Waste backwash water

Primary Secondary Chlorine

settling settling
Grit removal Effluent
Influent
Biological
process
Screens & Effluent Chlorine Chlorine
communition filtration mixing contact
Recycle biosolids point

Waste biosolids
Thickener return flow thickening
Legend
Thickened biosolids
Grit removal
Unit operations
To solids &
biosolids Unit processes
processing
facilities Wastewater flow

2 Recycle or solids stream

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 SCREENING

Purpose:
• To remove coarse debris (rags, solids and sticks) in order to protect
pumps, valves and downstream pipelines.
• To ensure the overall treatment process reliability and effectiveness.
• To avoid contamination of waterways.

3 L3-3
Types

Screening

Course (6- Fine (< 6 Micro (< 0.5

150 mm) mm) mm)

Hand- Mechanically Static

Drum Step
cleaned cleaned wedgewire

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 BAR RACKS (COARSE SCREENING)

➢ Manual Racks ➢ Mechanical Racks

• Opening : 25mm – 50 mm • Opening : 5 – 40 mm
• Channel Approach Velocity : • Channel Approach Velocity:
0.3 - 0.6 m/s 0.6 -1.2 m/s

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FINE SCREENING

➢ Used after the coarse screening process.

➢ Consist of wedge-wire, perforated plate or closely a space bars with

opening 1.5 to 6.4 mm.

➢ Velocity through the effective area : 0.4 to 0.8 m/s.

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Coarse solids reduction
• As an alternative to course screens or fine screens
• Comminutors and macerators can be used to intercept solids.
• It is done by grinding or shredding the solids.
• Commonly used in pumping stations.
• Pumps can be protected against clogging by rags and large objects.
• Can also be used to eliminate the need to handle and dispose of
screenings.

7 L3-7
GRIT CHAMBER

➢ Grit: Inert dense materials, such as sand, broken glass,

silt and pebbles.
➢ Grits have tendency to settle in corners and bends.
➢ Function: 1) To protect pump and other mechanical
devices, 2) to avoid reduction in flow capacity 3) to avoid
clogging

➢ Consists of 2 basic types :

• Aerated grit chamber
• Vortex grit chamber

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AERATED GRIT CHAMBER

➢ Diffused air create a spiral mixing pattern with the heavy, inert
particles removed by centrifugal action and friction against the tank
walls.

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VORTEX GRIT CHAMBER

➢ Grit: Wastewater is brought into the chamber tangentially.

➢ A rotating turbine at the center of the chamber will produce a
spiraling flow pattern.
➢ This pattern tends to lift lighter organic particle and settle the grit
into a grit sump.

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VORTEX GRIT CHAMBER

Influent
Effluent

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Equalization tank

Important unit in treatment train

Why?
• To overcome operational
problems caused by flowrate
variations
• To improve the performance of
the downstream processes
• To reduce the size and cost of
downstream treatment facilities

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FLOW EQUALIZATION

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Principal benefits

• Enhanced biological treatment because of reduced

shock loadings, dilution of inhibiting substances, and
stable pH.
• Improved effluent quality and thickening performance of
secondary sedimentation tanks due to constant solids
loading.
• Reduced effluent-filtration surface-area requirements,
improved filter performance, and uniform filter-backwash
cycle.
• Improved chemical feed control and process reliability by
damping mass loading.
• Attractive option for upgrading the performance of
overloaded treatment plants.
14 L3-14
Design Considerations

• Location of flow equalisation facilities depends on:

• characteristics of collection system
• wastewater characteristics
• land requirements and availability
• type of treatment

e.g.- flow equalization after primary treatment causes fewer

problems with solids deposits and scum accumulation
If flow equalization systems are to be located ahead of primary
settling and biological systems, the design must provide for
sufficient mixing to prevent solids deposition etc.

15 L3-15
 FLOW EQUALIZATION

• Typical wastewater –treatment plant incorporating flow equalization :

• In-line equalization: all the flow passes through the equalization basin (can achieve a considerable amount of constituent
concentration and flowrate damping

Grit Equalization Primary Secondary Final

removal basin treatment treatment effluent
Controlled-flow
pumping station Flow meter and
• Off-line equalization: only the flow above some control devices
predetermined flow limit is diverted into the equalization basin;

Grit Primary Secondary Final

removal treatment treatment effluent

Equalization
basin

Controlled-flow
pumping station
16 L3-16
 Design Considerations
Cum. Inflow volume is plotted versus
• What is the required basin volume? the time of day.

Flowrate Pattern A
Ave. daily flowrate is also plotted on
the same diagram- straight line drawn
from the origin to the endpoint of the
Flowrate Pattern A Flowrate Pattern B diagram

A line parallel to the coordinate axis

Inflow mass Inflow mass (defined by the ave daily flowrate is
diagram diagram drawn tangent to the mass inflow
curve.
Cumulative inflow volume, ft3

Required volume is the vertical

Average daily distance from the point of tangency to
the straight line rep. the ave. flowrate.
flowrate
Average daily Flowrate Pattern B
flowrate If inflow mass curve goes above the
ave. flowrate line, inflow must be
bounded with two lines that are
parallel to the ave. flowrate line and
tangent to the two extremities.
Required Required volume is the vertical
equalization distance between these two lines.
volume Required
equalization Design volume = 1.1~1.5 
volume Theoretical volume

M N M N M
Time of day 17 L3-17
Basin Constructions
• Sloping sides to maintain the head
as volume changes
• Optional hardwares
• Floating mechanical mixers
• pH correction facility
• Flow measuring device
• Emergency overflow in case of
pump failure

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THANK YOU

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