WASTEWATER – POND BASED TREATMENT SYSTEM

SUDIPTA SARKAR
PRADEEP KUMAR
STABILIZATION PONDS

• Waste or Wastewater Stabilization Ponds (WSPs) are artificial man-made

lagoons in which blackwater, greywater or faecal sludge are treated by
natural occurring processes and the influence of solar light, wind,
microorganisms and algae.
• These are natural or semi-engineered processes for cost-effective
wastewater treatment where required degree of treatment is achieved with
minimal use of mechanical, civil and electrical facilities. These are popular
for small communities because of their low construction and operating
costs.
• These are essentially biological treatment processes with natural facilities
spread over a vast area of land.
• The effluent still contains nutrients (e.g. N and P) and is therefore
appropriate for the reuse in agriculture (irrigation) or aquaculture (e.g. fish-
or macrophyte ponds) but not for direct recharge in surface waters.
• The ponds can be used individually or in series of an anaerobic, facultative
and aerobic (maturation) pond.
 TYPES OF STABILIZATION PONDS
1. Anaerobic Ponds 2. Facultative Ponds 3. Aerobic Ponds 4. Maturation Ponds
Anaerobic Ponds
Anaerobic Treatment Ponds are deep ponds (2 to 5 m) devoid of dissolved
oxygen, where sludge is deposited on the bottom and anaerobic bacteria break
down the organic matter by anaerobic digestion, releasing methane and carbon
dioxide.

BOD Loading:
400-3000 kg/(ha.d)

Detention Period: 5 -50 days

BOD removal efficiency: 50-85%
Volume can also
NH3 ≤ 80 mg NH3-N/L be calculated
considering organic loading
in the range of 100 to 350 g
The anaerobic pond serves to: BOD/m3/day
a)Settle undigested material and non-degradable solids as bottom sludge
b)Dissolve organic material
c)Break down biodegradable organic material
Aerobic Ponds
Sunlight
These are shallow earthen basins for New Algae Algae
natural treatment systems using both
algae and bacteria
CO2, NH3
Two types of aerobic ponds are used: Organic Matter O2 PO4, H2O
1. Maximize algal growth; depth is
provided 150 to 450 mm New
Bacteria Bacteria
2. Maximize oxygen concentration;
depth is up to 1.5 m Symbiotic relationships
between algae and bacteria
The algal production of oxygen occurs near the surface of aerobic ponds to the
depth to which light can penetrate (i.e. typically up to 500 mm). Additional oxygen
can be introduced by wind due to vertical mixing of the water. Oxygen is unable to
be maintained at the lower layers if the pond is too deep, and the color too dark to
allow light to penetrate fully
BOD5 conversion efficiency is around 95%. Soluble BOD5 are removed, but can
result in suspended matters in the effluent containing algae and bacteria

Typical BOD5 loading is 40-120 kg/(ha.d). Contents need to be periodically mixed in

order to avoid formation of anaerobic zones and to obtain best results.
Facultative Ponds
It functions aerobically at the
surface but anaerobic conditions Facultative= aerobic + anaerobic
prevail at the bottom. The aerobic
zone kept at the top is effective
against release of odorous gases. It
is most suited pond treatment
method.
Facultative
There is a diurnal variation in the
concentration of dissolved oxygen.
At peak sun radiation, the pond
will be mostly aerobic due to algal
activity, while at sunrise the pond CO2+NH3+CH4
will be predominantly anaerobic.
Daytime pH is high, as algae use bicarbonate ions to convert to new algae. NH3
produced due to anaerobic digestion volatilizes out to atmosphere. pH above 9 also
ensures killing of pathogens and E. Coli present in wastewater.
FPs help to: a) treat wastewater through sedimentation and aerobic oxidation of
organic material b)Reduce odor c)Reduce some disease-causing microorganisms if
pH raises d) Store residues as bottom sludge
Maturation Pond
These are essentially designed for pathogen removal and retaining suspended stabilized
solids.
The principal mechanisms for fecal bacterial removal in facultative and maturation ponds are
HRT, temperature, high pH (> 9), and high light intensity. Fecal bacteria and other pathogens
die off due to the high temperature, high pH or radiation of the sun leading to solar
disinfection
Maturation ponds are shallower (1 to 1.5 m), with 1 m being optimal. The recommended
hydraulic retention time is 15 to 20 days. If used in combination with algae and/or fish
harvesting, this type of pond is also effective at removing the majority of nitrogen and
phosphorus from the effluent.
DESIGN OF A FACULTATIVE POND (AS PER IS 5611)
Permissible BOD loading at different latitudes*
Step 1. Find out permissible organic loading in Latitude (N) Organic loading
the system based on the latitude of the place degree (kg BOD5/ha.d)
from the table. 36 150
Step 2. Find out the modified organic loading 32 175
based on the elevation of the place above 28 200
MSL using the following formula 24 225
Modified BOD Loading 20 250
BOD Loading based on latitude 16 275

(1  3 *10  4 EL) 12 300
EL is the elevation of the place from MSL, m
8 325
*Based on MSL and 75% clear sky
Step 3. Find out the surface area of the stabilization pond based on the modified
BOD loading rate.
Step 4. Modify the surface area based on the following formula
Modified Surface area  (75 - percentage sky clearance factor) * 0.03 
 1   * surface area
 10 
Step 2. Find out the detention period using the formula and then ideal volume
using following equations: Neither plug flow nor
For completely completely mixed systems For plug flow
1
mixed system
2d
Le 4a.e Le
Le 1   e  k1t
 Li a

a
Li 1  k1t 1  a  .e  (1  a) .e 2 d
2 2d 2 Li
Le and Li are effluent and influent BOD5, t is the detention time, k1 is substrate
removal rate constant. K1 is also temperature dependent, standard value being at
20 deg C around 0.03 to 0.2 per day. Temperature correction coefficient 1.035
Natural and constructed systems do not exactly follow either plug flow or completely
mixed systems, hence corrections in the form of dispersion numbers are to be
incorporated. Ideally, the system becomes
D completely mixed system when d= ∞
d  Dispersion Number
uL and at d= 0, system becomes a plug
a  1 4k1td flow reactor. Practically for d> 3.0, it is
considered a completely mixed
D= Axial dispersion coefficient, length2/time
system, for d<0.5, it is considered to
u= flow velocity, length/time approach a plug flow
L= Length of flow, length
Step 3. Find out the surface area and the depth. The optimal depth is 1.5 m. If the
calculation shows less than 1 m depth, minimum depth to be provided is 1 m.
Step 4. calculate sludge accumulation based on the design data of accumulation
rate of 0.07 cum/ person/ year. The de-sludging period is normally taken to be
equal to 6-12 years. Add depth for accumulation of sludge.
Step 5. Find out the sizes of the stabilization pond. Find out the size based on the
dispersion number found out. Provide a free board of 0.5 m to 1 m.
Estimated values of Dispersion Numbers
D/uL at different Length to Width ratio
Ponds Approximate range Typical Mixing
of D/uL values Condition
L:W = 1:1 to 4:1 3.0-4.0 and more Completely mixed
L:W = 8:1 or more 0.2-0.6 Approaching plug
flow
Two or three ponds 0.2-0.6 (overall) Approaching plug
in series flow

Step 5. pathogenic bacteria reduction is found out by the following formula

Ne 1 Kb= 2.0 at 20 deg C n= number of ponds in series

N i (1  kbt ) n Temperature correction coefficient is 1.19
k1.t

Percentage Remaining, (Le/Li)*100

 DESIGN OF A FACULTATIVE POND
Design a facultative stabilization pond to treat 5000 m3/d municipal wastewater, BOD5 230
mg/L, from a town with population of 20,000, located in Central India, latitude 22 deg N,
elevation 100m above mean sea level (MSL). The average temperature in January is 18 deg C.
The effluent from the pond is to be used for irrigation. Consider that de-sludging interval is
equal to 6 years. Irrigation waters have a limit of BOD5 of 100 mg/L. Consider a dispersion
number of 3.0 for the design purpose. Take substrate removal rate constant as 0.2/d and its
temperature correction as 1.035.

Allowable organic loading rate at 22 deg N = 237.5 kg BOD5/(ha.d) (From the chart)
BOD Loading based on latitude
Modified Organic loading rate 
(1  3 X 10  4 * EL)
237.5
 4
 230.6 kg BOD5/(ha.d)
(1  3 X 10 *100)
Incoming BOD load = 5000 m3/d* 230 mg/L = 1150 kg/day

Surface area required for the pond  1150 kg/d

 49874 m 2
230.6 kg BOD5 /(ha.d)
K1 at 18 deg C  0.2 * (1.035)18 20  0.187 / d
 Le 100 1.4
  0.435 From the chart, k1t=1.4 t  7.5 days
Li 230 0.187
Volume of the tank = 5000 m3/day * 7.5 days = 37500 m3

Depth of the tank = 37500 ( < 1m)

 0.75 m
49874
Provide a minimum depth of 1m
Sludge accumulation rate = 0.07 cum/ person/year * 20000 = 1400 cum/year

Desludging interval is 6 years Sludge storage volume = 1400* 6 = 8400 cum

8400
Extra Depth to be provided =  0.17 m
49874
Add 0.5 m as freeboard Total Depth = 1 + 0.5 + 0.17 m = 1.67 m

Provide L:W = 2:1 Size of the tank = 158 m X 316 m