OVERVIEW OF

WATER AND
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 150
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ENGINEERING
OUTLINE
• Onsite Treatment
• Septic Tanks
• Constructed Wetlands
• Lagoons

• Offsite Treatment
• Wastewater Treatment Process
• Preliminary
Onsite Treatment
SEPTIC TANKS
• buried, watertight receptacles designed
and constructed to receive wastewater
from the structure to be served.
• separates solids from the liquid, provides
limited digestion of organic matter, stores
solids, allows the clarified liquid to
discharge.
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
SEPTIC TANKS
• Products:
• Scum: Substances lighter than water (oil,
grease, fats) float to the top, where they
form a scum layer.
• Sludge: The "sinkable" solids (soil, grit,
bones, unconsumed food particles)settle
to the bottom of the tank and form a
sludge layer.
SEPTIC TANKS
• Products:
• Effluent: The clarified wastewater left over
after the scum has floated to the top and
the sludge has settled to the bottom. It
flows through the septic tank outlet into
the drain field.
SEPTIC TANKS
• Parameters:
• Effluent Volume: the liquid volume in the
clear space between the scum and sludge
layers.
• Retention Time: time the water spends in
the tank, on its way from inlet to outlet.
Function of the effective volume and the
daily household wastewater flow rate
SEPTIC TANKS
• Parameters:
• Retention Time: time the water spends in
the tank, on its way from inlet to outlet.
Function of the effective volume and the
daily household wastewater flow rate.
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 (𝑚3 )
𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 =
𝑚3
𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 ( )
𝑑𝑎𝑦
SEPTIC TANKS
• Parameters:
• Retention Time:

A common design rule is for a tank to provide a

minimum retention time of at least 24 hours,
during which one-half to two-thirds of the tank
volume is taken up by sludge and scum.

Under ordinary conditions (i.e., with routine

maintenance pumping) a tank should be able to
provide 2 to 3 days of retention time.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• artificially created water bodies.
• typically long, narrow trenches or channels to
promote the occurrence of plug flow
conditions.
• typically a 1-m deep basin which is sealed
with clay or some other form of lining to
prevent percolation into groundwater.
• filled with soil in which reeds are then
planted.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• can significantly remove BOD, TSS, nitrogen
and phosphorus, as well as metals, trace
organics and pathogens.
• mosquito control and plant harvesting are
the two main operational considerations.
• septic tank, a primary settling basin or an
anaerobic reactor commonly precedes
constructed wetlands for sewage treatment.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• Two Systems:
• Free water surface systems with shallow water
depths.
• Subsurface flow systems with water flowing
laterally through the sand or gravel.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• The maximum hydraulic design loading flow
through rate on the constructed wetland shall
be 25,000 gallons per acre per day (0.0234
m3 per m2 per day).
• The minimum recommended detention time
for treatment in the constructed wetland may
be 7 days with 14 days being the most
desirable.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• Design Considerations:
• The recommended depth of flow in the wetland system shall
be between 6 and 24 inches with 9 inches as the
recommended optimal depth.
• A rectangular configuration is recommended to enhance
treatment efficiency in the system with a length to width ratio
of between 5 and 10 to 1. However, irregular shorelines offer
substantially better support for wildlife.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• Design Considerations:
• Detritus removal should be considered to prevent aging
of the wetland. Harvesting or burning are two options
available.
• To provide the greatest potential for wildlife
enhancement, 25 to 35% of the artificial wetland surface
should be open water with a depth no greater than five
feet. The emergent vegetation should comprise 65 to
75% of the available surface area with a water depth of
less than two feet deep.
CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS
• Design Considerations:
• To prevent mosquito-production problems, the design is
such that the occurrence of hydraulically static areas is
minimized.
LAGOONS
LAGOONS
LAGOONS
• With the addition of an algal population.
• Oxygen is supplied by natural reaeration from
the atmosphere and algal photosynthesis.
• Degradation by bacteria releases carbon
dioxide and nutrients used by algae.
LAGOONS
• Higher life forms such as rotifers and
protozoa primarily as polishers of the
effluent.
• Temperature has a significant effect on
aerobic pond operation.
• Organic loading, pH, nutrients, sunlight, and
degree of mixing are major factors
LAGOONS
• Design Considerations:
• The total organic loading for the total surface
area shall not exceed 20 pounds of BOD5 per
acre per day.
• The design average flow rate shall be used to
determine the volume required to provide a
minimum liquid retention of 180 days.
LAGOONS
LAGOONS
• Aerated Lagoons:
• Oxygen requirements generally will depend on
the BOD loading, the degree of treatment and
the concentration of suspended solids to be
maintained.
• Aeration equipment shall be capable of
maintaining a minimum dissolved oxygen level
of 2 mg/l in the ponds at all times.
LAGOONS
Offsite Treatment
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
• Preliminary
• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary (or Advanced)
• Sludge Treatment
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
• Preliminary
• provide protection to the wastewater treatment
plant equipment that follows.
• Primary
• remove from wastewater those pollutants that
will either settle or float.
• typically remove about 60% of the suspended
solids and 35% of the BOD5.
• soluble pollutants are not removed.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
• Secondary
• remove soluble BOD5 and provide added removal
of suspended solids
• Tertiary (or Advanced)
• done when secondary treatment is not enough.
• removes significant amounts of nitrogen,
phosphorous, heavy metals, pathogenic bacteria
and viruses.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
• Sludge Treatment
• Handling and disposal.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESS
Offsite Treatment
PRELIMINARY TREATMENT
PRELIMINARY TREATMENT
• Flow Measurement
• Screening
• Solids Shredding/Grinding
• Grit Removal
• Equalization
• Grease Trap
FLOW MEASUREMENT
• Flow rate needed for efficient operation,
chemical addition, etc.
• Measure flow rate to facilitate plant operation.
• Several operations need flow rate data for
good operation:
• Chlorination
• pH adjustment
• Legislative Requirement
FLOW MEASUREMENT
• Equipment:
• Parshall Flume
• V Notch
• Flowmeters
• Ultrasonic
• Electromagnetic
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
FLOW MEASUREMENT
SCREENING
• Remove large objects.
• Prevent damage to pumps and other
equipment.
SCREENING
• Types:
• Coarse:
• remove debris from wastewater.
• typically have openings of 6 mm or larger.
• Fine:
• remove material that may create operation and
maintenance problems for WWTP without primary
treatment.
• typical openings are 1.5- 6 mm.
 SCREENING
TYPE OF SCREEN OPENING DESCRIPTION
Most Commonly 3 in. (7.6 cm)
2 to 6 in
Coarse: Trash Racks Designed to prevent logs, timbers, stumps,
(5.1 to 15.2 cm)
and other large debris from entering
treatment processes.
1 to 1 ¾ in. (2.5 to 4.4 cm)

Designed to remove large solids, rags, and

Coarse: Manually
debris. Bars set at 30 to 45 degrees from
Cleaned Bar Screens
vertical to facilitate cleaning. Primarily
used in older or simpler treatment
facilities, or in bypass channels.
 SCREENING
TYPE OF SCREEN OPENING DESCRIPTION
Most Commonly ¾ in. (1.9 cm)

Designed to remove large solids, rags, and

Coarse: Mechanically 5/8 to 1 in.
debris. Bars set at 0 to 30 degrees from
Cleaned Screens (1.4 to 2.5 cm)
vertical. Almost always used in new
installations because of large number of
advantages relative to other screens.
3/32 to 3/6 in. A few have openings smaller than 3/32 in.
Fine Screens
(0.24 to 0.48 cm) (0.34 cm)
¼ to ¾ in. The opening is a function of the hydraulic
Comminuting Devices
(1.0 to 1.9 cm) capacity.
SCREENING
SCREENING
SCREENING
• Screenings:
• solids removed from screens.
• should be promptly disposed off.
• disposal in a sanitary landfill, grinding and returning to
wastewater flow, incineration are the most common
disposal practices.
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
• Grind organic material that pass through
screening process.
• Ground material is put back into wastewater.
• Popularity is decreasing, due to maintenance
problems.
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
• Comminutors:
• devices that continuously intercept, shred, and grind
large floating material in the waste flow into small
pieces.
• particles passing through the comminutor are cut to
5/16" or smaller.
• normally operate continuously.
• generally located between the grit chamber and the
primary settling tanks.
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
• Comminutors:
• Uses either:
• rotating drums with cutting teeth
• vertical bar screen with cutting head (barminutor).
• Channels in which comminutors are installed shall be
provided with an emergency bypass to a bar screen.
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
• Comminutors:
• Location:
• Coarse bar racks or bar screens shall precede
communitors and mechanically cleaned grit
chambers.
• Fine screens, if used, should follow grit removal
and have additional provisions for the removal of
floatable greases and oils.
SOLIDS
SHREDDING/GRINDING
GRIT REMOVAL
• Grit:
• hard inorganics such as sand, cinders, wood
chips, coffee grounds, etc.
• Grit is incinerated or sent to landfill for
disposal.
GRIT REMOVAL
• Remove sand and grit.
• Prevent equipment damage.
• Prevent the accumulation of these materials in
the Primary Clarifiers which would cause a loss
of usable tank volume.
• Clogging of sludge piping.
GRIT REMOVAL
GRIT REMOVAL
EQUALIZATION
• dampen variations in wastewater
characteristics so that the wastewater can be
treated at a nearly constant flowrate.
• large basins that collect and store wastewater
and from which wastewater is pumped to the
treatment plant at constant flowrate.
• located downstream of pre-treatment facilities.
EQUALIZATION
• Smooth out fluctuations in flow rate.
• Dampens the variation in the concentration of
BOD5, and TSS.
• Decrease fluctuations in flow rate, to provide
more consistent treatment.
EQUALIZATION
• Done by storing excess wastewater during high
flow periods.
• Results in more consistent treatment.
• Wastewater is released during low flow
periods.
EQUALIZATION
EQUALIZATION
• Tank Location:
• Near the head end of treatment work. Preferably
downstream of pre-treatment facility.
• Prior to discharge.
• Prior to advanced treatment operations.
EQUALIZATION
EQUALIZATION
EQUALIZATION
• Mixing Requirements:
• 0.3 L/m3 sec (18 cfm/1000 cu ft) of basin volume is the
minimum to keep light solids in suspension.
• approximately 0.02 kW/m3.
EQUALIZATION
• Mixing Approaches:
• Baffles: most economical
• Mechanical Mixing: for smaller equalization tanks, with
high TSS and rapid strength fluctuation.
• Aeration: most-energy intensive.
EQUALIZATION
• Basin Requirements:
• May be constructed of earth, concrete, or steel.
• Corner fillets and hopper bottoms with draw-offs shall
be provided to prevent accumulation of sludge and grit.
• Mixing requirements for normal domestic wastewater
shall range from 0.02 to 0.04 hp/1,000 gallons of
storage.
• Aeration shall be sufficient to maintain a minimum of
1.0 mg/l of dissolved oxygen in the basin at all times.
GREASE TRAP/ OIL AND SCUM
SKIMMERS
GREASE TRAP/ OIL AND SCUM
SKIMMERS
GREASE TRAP/ OIL AND SCUM
SKIMMERS
GREASE TRAP/ OIL AND SCUM
SKIMMERS