Preliminary Treatment

Preliminary treatment
1. INTRODUCTION
2. OVERFLOW CONTROL AND HUGE SOLIDS REMOVAL
3. PUMPING
4. FLOW MEASUREMENT
5. BAR RACKS AND SCREENS
6. GRIT AND GREASE REMOVAL
7. FLOW EQUALIZATION
References:
Metcalf & Eddy (2004). Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse. McGraw-Hill. New York.
M.L. Davis (2010). Water and Wastewater Engineering: Design Principles and Practice. McGraw-Hill. New York.
Ortega, E. et al. (2010) Manual para la implantación de sistemas de depuración en pequeñas poblaciones. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino, Madrid.
1. INTRODUCTION
- Preliminary treatment typically serves three important functions: removal of huge and untreatable solid
materials, protection of subsequent treatment units and improvement of the performance of subsequent
treatment units. It usually consists of physical operations.
- Preliminary treatment operations:

 Screening (bar racks and screens)
 Grinding (shredders or grinders)
 Grit and grease removal
 Flow equalization
- Other preliminary operations (headworks): overflow control, huge solids removal, flow measurement and
pumping.
1. INTRODUCTION
Fine screen
Grease Grit
separator washing
Bar rack
Air compressor
Grit chamber
Huge solids removal
Pumping
Preliminary treatment: flow chart

- Goal of overflow control structures: to

discharge the flow that exceeds the
hydraulic capacity of the preliminary
treatment. In some cases, it has been
made previously by means of CSO
management systems (e.g. storm
overflow chambers).
- Overflow discharge is usually made by

using a weir.
𝑄𝑄 = 2⁄3 � 𝜇𝜇 � 𝐿𝐿 � ℎ 2 � 𝑔𝑔 � ℎ
pozo de gruesos
sólidos muy grandes
Donde: 5 veces el caudal medio
Q: discharged flow (m3/s)
µ : flow coeficient
L: weir length (m)
h: height of the water layer over the weir
(2/3).µ ~ 0,43
- Huge solids removal (“pozo de

gruesos”): It serves to retain large solids
and sand that accumulate at the bottom
of the tank, being withdrawn with a
clamshell bucket.
- Sizing parameters:
 Rectangular or square (bottom with
truncated piramidal shape)
 Overflow (Q/S): <300 m/h (Qmax)
 Detention time: 0.5-1.0 min (Qmax)
 Height: ≥ 2 m
overflow = velocidad ascensional (Vs) = Qmax/Splant < 300 m/h

detention time (hydraulical retention time, HRT) = V/Qmax (m3/m3/h)


CSO (combined sewer overflow) management
Options to manage CSO:

Dry weather operation
- Sizing preliminary and primary treatments to treat 3Q-6Q flowrates
(Q is the dry weather design flowrate)
- Using stormwater overflow chambers. Sizing based on drained

área (15-40 m3/Ha) or on critical rainfall/ concentration time (20-30
Stormwater retention min)
Heavy rain event: overflow
Stormwater overflow chambers

(‘Tanques de tormenta’)
Stormwater overflow chambers
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=X7qTb8XdTaA
3. PUMPING
Pumping aims to provide geometric height enough so that

water runs by gravity to the exit of the WWTP.
Its location is a function of the elevation of the influent

sewer to the WWTP. It is fine to place it at the end of the
preliminary treatment. not compulsory
Screw pumps
3. PUMPING https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaEHVpKc-1Q
Centrifugal pump: radial-flow type
Special impellers (“rodetes”)

compulsory to have more than

3. PUMPING one pump because it easily fails
min 2 pumps
4. FLOW MEASUREMENT
Parshall flumehydraulic narrowing element

of the flow and an hydraulic
jump, prefabricated, to measure
the level of wastewater with an
ultrasound device to measure water
level in the section
𝑄𝑄 = 𝐶𝐶 𝐻𝐻𝑎𝑎𝑛𝑛
Q = flowrate, m3/s
Ha = depth of water at point ‘a’, m
C, n = tabulated coefficients
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6hiOLgTo6g
4. FLOW MEASUREMENT
Magnetic flow meter
Magnetic flow meters are based on Faraday’s law. Wastewater

is a conductor that passes through a electromagnetic field
(created by coils located around the pipe) and induces a voltage
proportional to the velocity of the flow (measured by two
electrodes).
Both devices, Parshall flumes and magnetic flow meters, need a

straight uniform chanel or pipe upstream and downstream.
Likewise, they can be located after the preliminary treatment
and/or before the final discharge point of the WWTP.
5. BAR RACKS AND SCREENS WE NEED AT LEAST TWO BAR RACK CHANNELS
desbaste
- Goal: To remove large solids, floating materials, rags and debris in order to prevent pipe clogging and to
improve the efficiency of the following treatment operations (grit removal and primary settling).
- Types of bar racks:
Based on bar width and opening
Opening (mm) Bar width (mm)

reja gruesa Coarse (bar racks) 50 - 100 12 - 25
reja fina Fine (bar screens) 10 - 40 6 - 12
Based on the way of cleaning: manually or mechanically
Based on the shape: vertical, inclined or curve

Inclined bar rack
Slope from vertical: 30-45º

municipal solid waste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMWNMNrfzC4
Curve bar rack

Inclined bar racks mechanically cleaned

Hand-cleaned bar rack

Prefabricated bar rack channel
Mechanically cleaning of bar racks:

- By timing (15-30 min)
- Based on headloss (150 mm)
- Combined systems: timing and headloss
Waste generation:
- Coarse bar racks: 2-5 L/capita.year

- Fine bar racks: 5-15 L/capita.year
- Screens: 15-40 l/capita.year
- Water content >30%
- OM content: 75-80%
- Inert matter content: 20-25%
Bar rack design practice:

- Redundancy: At least, two bar rack channels (or screens) are necessary to be sure that plant can work in
case of one channel may be taken out of service.
- In very small plants, a single unit may be installed with a bypass channel. The bypass channel will have a
manually cleaned bar rack.

1) Calculate Qmax
2) Select v=1.4 m/s
Bar rack design practice: 3) Assume a value for h (1 m)
4) Assume/choose values for B and S
- Velocity through the bar rack openings: 5) To calculate W
6) To check w is similar to h
 0.6-1.0 m/s for Q
 <1.4 m/s for Qmax (and with clogged bar screen up to 30%)
- Approach velocity in the channel:

 > 0.4 m/s for Q to prevent grit settling
 < 0.9 m/s for Qmax
W = channel width (m)

Q = Qmax (m3/s)
Q B+S 
- Channel width: W=  •C V = maximum velocity (usual value 1.4 m/s)
V ⋅h  S  h = water height in the channel a Qmax
B = bar width (m)
S = width of bar openings (m)
C = security coeficient for clogging (usual value 1.3)
- Very small WWTPs: minimum values

 Channel width (W) ≥ 0.25 m
 Water height in the channel (h) ≥ 0.25 m
Headloss in bar racks:
1  vthru − vapproach 
2 2
hL =
C  2g 

hL = headloss (m)
C = empirical discharge coefficient, typically 0.7 for a clean screen
and 0.6 for a clogged screen
vthru = velocity of flow through the openings of the bar screen (m/s)
vapproach = approach velocity in upstream channel (m/s)
g = acceleration due to gravity
- Headloss is usually limited to 150 mm in bar screens

Fine screens:
- Their goal is to remove small solids, typically following coarse bar racks. They can also be used for primary
treatment (as a substitute for primary clarifiers).
- Typical removal efficiencies: BOD, 15-25%; TSS, 10-15%; grit: 10-80%
- Flow velocities: 0.6-1.2 m/s; min 0.3 m/s; max 1.4 m/s
- Headloss higher than those of bar racks or bar screens (0,1 – 1.5 m)
hL = headloss (m)
1/ 2
1  Q  C = empirical discharge coefficient, typically 0.6 for a clean screen
hL =   Q = flow rate through the screen (m3/s)
2g  C ⋅ A  A = effective open area of submerged screen (m2)
g = acceleration due to gravity
Fine screens:
- Fine screen types: band screens, drum screens, step screens and screw screens.
Externally Fed Rotary Drum Screens /

Screens / Arsimak - YouTube
Foto
tamiz
EDAR
alcazar
Screw screen (tamiz de tornillo) Drum screen (tamiz rotatorio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0
6R6tC3g4E
Band screens (tamiz deslizante)

Step
screen
(tamiz de
escalera
móvil)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
pw3GbzHw__A
6. GRIT AND GREASE REMOVAL desarenador-desengrasador
What is ‘grit’?
Sand, gravel, broken glass, egg shells and other material having a settling velocity substantially higher that the
organic material in wastewater.
Why is necessary to remove grit?

Grit removal is provided to protect mechanical equipment from abrasion and wear and reduce the formation of
deposits in pipelines and channels. Moreover, it lets to manage grit wastes in a different way than suspended
organic solids removed in the primary treatment.
Which is the separation mechanism?

Grit removal is carried out by settling (‘discrete particle settling’ type), taking advantage on the different settling
velocity of inorganic and organic particles. Grit removal systems should be design to remove all the suspended
solids with diameters higher than 200 µm and with a specific gravity of 2.65.
After o before pumping?

If possible, grit removal should be done before pumping in order to prevent pump abrasion. But, it would normally
involve placing grit chambers at considerable depth. It is therefore usually deemed more economical to pump the
wastewater, including the grit, to grit chambers located at a convenient position ahead of the treatment plant units.
Types of grit chambers: (i) horizontal-flow; (ii) aerated; (iii) vortex-flow
Horizontal-flow grit chambers
- Variable flow type (small WWTPs)

- Constant flow type (controlled by proportional weirs)
rake system to remove grease

Aerated grit chambers supply of compressed air
- The velocity of roll of water across the bottom of the tank controls
the size of particles of a given specific gravity that will settle out
Aerated grit chambers with de-grease tank

(desarenador-desengrasador)
skimmer
Vortex grit chambers
- The spiraling flow pattern created by a rotary turbine tends to lift the lighter organic particles and settle the grit
Fundamentals of grit removal

The controlling parameter in grit removal is the settling velocity of the particle assumed as each particle settles at
constant velocity and with no interaction with other particles. This type of sedimentation is named as discrete
particle sedimentation (or Type I Sedimentation)
Vh
Wastewater inlet Effluent
VS
Net velocity
Vh = Q / (W·h)
Vs = Q / (W·L) overflo
Design parameters:
Vs : Settling velocity or Overflow rate (= Q / plant section), m/h or m3/m2 h considered constant
HRT : Hydraulical retention time (= V/ Q), min
Vh : Horizontal velocity (= Q / cross section), m/min

Aerated grit chamber design practice

- The most important parameter for design are overflow, which controls the diameter particle that will be
removed, and the horizontal velocity of wastewater which should avoid the scouring of inorganic particles.
- Efficiency for particle removal: 100% for particles >200 µm; 65-75% for sand fraction 100-200 µm
Parameter Horizontal-flow Aerated Aerated with de-

grease
Overflow (Qmax), m/h ≤ 70 ≤ 70 ≤ 35
Horizontal velocity, m/s 0.25 – 0.4 (0.3) ≤ 0.15 ≤ 0.15
Detention time (Qmax), min 1–2 2–5 2–5
Width, m > 0.3 2–7
Height, m 0.25 – 0.50 2–5
Length/width 3:1 to 5:1 (4:1)
Air supply, Nm3/min.m 0.2 – 0.6 (0.5)

Aerated grit chamber design practice

The shape of the grit chamber is designed to enhance the spiral roll of
the wastewater as it passes through the chamber. Coarse bubble
diffusers are typically placed 0.6 to 1 m above the bottom of the
chamber.
As an example, some possible dimensions are shown:
Grit removal and grit washing equipment
- Small WWTPs: manually using two grit chambers

- Mechanically: by fixed or mobile submerged pumps
- Grit washing: inclined submerged rakes, inclined screws (with or
without cyclonic separation)
- Quantities of grit generated:
- 1-15 liters/capita.year (typical value: 9 L/capita.year)
- Separate sewers: 5 L/1000 m3 wastewater
- Combined sewers: 50 L/1000 m3 wastewater
Grease removal
- Goal: To remove grease, oils, foams and other floating

materials.
- It can be carried out in the primary settling tank but, in Spain, it
is usually to combine that treatment with grit removal. For
small WWTPs, grease removal can be carried out in static
grease interceptors.
- Greases removed in the preliminary treatment are mixed with
the floating material coming from the primary treatment and
they are concentrated in a grease separator to decrease their
water content.
- Grease generation: 7.5- 45 mL/m3 (typical value: 25)
- Purpose: to avoid the problems coming from large changes in flowrate and/or strength of wastewater that enters
the plant. It is specially recommended for plants with important industrial discharges.
- Flow equalization can significantly improve the performance of an existing plant and increase its useful capacity
avoiding construction of new elements.
- Equalization design: (i) location and configuration; (ii) volume; (iii) basin geometry; (iv) mixing and air
requirements; (v) appurtenances; (vi) pumping facilities.
Location and
configuration
- Equalization design: (i) location an configuration; (ii) volume; (iii) basin geometry; (iv) mixing and air
requirements; (v) appurtenances.
Volume sizing
- Minimum volume: calculated from

inflow cumulative volume diagram.
Theoretical volume is usually
increased by 10-20%.
- Without previous data: detention
time in the range 4 – 12 h.
Basin geometry
- The geometry should allow the basin to function as a continuous flow stirred tank reactor. So, long rectangular
tanks should be avoided, and inlet and outlet locations should be chosen to minimize short circuiting.
- Slopes: 3:1 – 2:1 ; minimum water depth: 1.5 – 2 m.
Mixing and air requirements
- Adequate aeration and mixing must be provided to prevent odors and solid deposition. Mechanical aerators
and diffused aeration have been used to supply mixing and aeration.
- Diffused aeration systems requirements: 1.8 – 2.9 m3/h.m3
- Mechanical mixing requirements: 4 – 8 W/m3
Appurtenances
- Facilities for flushing grease and solids from

the basin walls
- A high-water takeoff to remove floating
materials and foam
- Separate odor control facilities

Preliminary Treatment

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Preliminary Treatment

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Preliminary treatment

2. OVERFLOW CONTROL AND HUGE SOLIDS REMOVAL

5. BAR RACKS AND SCREENS

6. GRIT AND GREASE REMOVAL