WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Prof. Bill Rixey

Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering
University of Houston
Houston, TX
Wastewater Characteristics
Wastewater Characteristics
 Typical Municipal Wastewater Treatment Process with
Biological Treatment

Preliminary Sedimentation Biological Treatment Sedimentation Filtration Disinfection

Screening (Primary clarifier) Aeration Basin (Final clarifier)
>2mm particle Removal

influent
Biomass

Air
Effuent

Recycled Biomass
Sludge
Wasted biomass Dewatering

Dried
Solids
Schematic of a Continuous Biological Treatment Process

Mixed liquor volatile suspended

solids (2000-4000 mg/L)
Q+QR, St, Xt
Q-Qw, St,XE = Xt
Q + QR , So Aeration Basin
Q, Si (CFSTR, PFR, DPFR)
X = MLVSS
V= Reactor Volume

RAS (Recycle Activated Sludge) QR, XR

Return Sludge (microorganisms or biomass)

Qw, Xw = SDI

Qw (0.01 -0.06)Q
 Biological Treatment Process Design
• Parameters for Biological Treatment Processes
– (Y,ke ,SDI, etc.)
• CFSTR Design Equation (Kinetics/Mass balances)
– Eg. 15.28
• PFR Design Equation (Kinetics / Mass balances)
– Eq. 15.18
• Rate Constants for Substrate (BOD) Utilization, K
– From laboratory batch reactors
– From laboratory CFSTRs
• Activated Sludge Coefficient : Y, ke
– From series of batch reactors (24-hr tests)
– From continuous flow reactors (CFSTRs)
• Sludge Production Rate
– From Y, ke
 Parameters for Activated Sludge Biological Treatment Process

X = Concentration of microorganisms (cell mass) in reactors

mg ML ss mg ML VSS
or
L L
X = Average cell mass in reactor

V = Fluid volume in reactor, = Q*t , gal or L

mg BOD
Si = Solute concentration in feed,
L

So = Solute concentration at unit to reactor,

mg BOD
L
mg BOD
St = Solute concentration in effluent,
L

Xt = Cell mass in effluent, mg ML ss or mg ML VSS

L L
 Parameters (cont.)

Xw= Cell mass in wasted sludge, mg MLSS/L or mg MLVSS/L = SDI (Sludge

Density index)
gal L
Q = Feed flow rate , or
day day

gal L
QR = Recycle sludge flow rate, or
day day
gal L
Qw = Waste sludge flow rate, or
day day
V
t  (detention time based on feed flow rate)
Q

(true hydraulic detention time)

 Parameters (cont.)
F/M = Food to microorganism ratio, represents BOD consumption rate per
unit mass of microorganisms
Q(Si  St ) mg BOD
 in terms of CFSTR variables,
VX mg MLSS  day
S mg BOD
 (15.10) ,
Xt mg MLSS  day

See Table 15.4 for typical values (0.2 – 0.4 for conventional A.S. processor)
c = Sludge age or solids retention time or mean cell residence time, days

, in terms of CFSTR variables, days

also

See Table 15.4 for typical values (5-15 days for conv. A.S. processor)
mg MLSS
Y = Yield coefficient,
mg BOD

ke = endogenous decay rate constant, day -1

 Parameters (cont.)

K = 1st order BOD consumption rate constant, L

mg MLSS  day
Note: reaction rate expression is normalized by MLSS concentration

r   KXS

k ~ (day -1)
 L   mg MLSS 
k  KX         day 1

 mg MLSS  day   L

mg MLSS
SDI = Xw , Sludge density index, L
mg MLSS
MLSS = X , mixed liquor suspended solids,
L
 Parameters (cont.)

L
K= 1st order BOD consumption rate constant,
mg MLSS  day
r   KXS
Note: reaction rate expression is normalized by MLSS concentration

k ~ (day -1)
 L   mg MLSS 
k  KX         day 1

 mg MLSS  day   L
mg MLSS
SDI = Xw , Sludge density index, L
mg MLSS
MLSS = X , mixed liquor suspended solids, L
 Controlled and Uncontrolled Parameters

Parameters which may be controlled (after Volume has been specified)

• Qw, sludge wastage rate; this controls c and F/M
• QR , the recycle flow
• Point and rate at which O2 is added to reactor, D.O. concentration.
• Point at which sewage is added (PFRs,CFSTRs) called step feed.

1 2 3 4

Uncontrolled Parameters
 Q = Sewage Flow
 Si = Influent BOD
 SDI = Sludge Density Index = (mg MLSS/L)
TABLE 15.4 Design and Operational Parameters for Activated Sludge Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters

MEAN HYDRAULIC MIXED

SPACE LOADING BOD
CELL RETENTION LIQUOR RECYCLE
TYPES OF FOOD TO FLOW REMOVAL
RESIDEN TIME IN SUSPENDED RATIO
PROCESS MICROBE lb BOD5 kg BOD5 REGIMEO EFFICIENCY,
CE TIME AERATION SOLIDS R/Q
RATION %
c, Days day -1000 ft 3 day - m3 BASIN ,hr (MLISS), mg,l

Conventional 5-15 0.2-0.4 20-40 0.3-0.6 4-8 1500-3000 0.25-1.0 PF,DPF 85-95

Tapered 5-15 0.2-0.4 20-40 0.3-0.6 4-8 1500-3000 0.25-1.0 PF,DPF 85-95
aeration
Completely 5-30 0.1-0.6 50-120 0.8-2.0 3-6 2500-4000 0.25-1.5 CM 85-95
mixed
Step aeration 5-15 0.2-0.4 40-60 0.6-1.0 3-5 2000-3500 0.25-0.75 PF,DPF 85-95

Modified 0.2-0.5 1.5-5.0 75-150 1.2-2.4 1.5-3 200-500 0.05-0.15 PF,DPF 60-75
aeration
Contact 5-15 0.2-0.6 60-75 1.0-1.2 0.5-1.5
stabilization
Contact basin 0.5-1.0 1000-3000 PF,DPF 80-90

Stabilization 3-6 4000-10000 PF,DPF

basin
High –rate 5-10 0.4-1.5 100-1000 1.6-16 2-4 4000-10000 1.0-5.0 CM 75-90
aeration
Extended 20-30 0.05-0.15 10-25 0.16-0.4 18-36 3000-6000 0.75-1.50 PF,DPF 75-95
aeration
Pure oxygen 8-20 0.25-1.0 100-200 1.6-3.2 1-3 3000-8000 0.25-0.5 CM 85-95

“PF= plug flow, DPF= dispersed plug flow, CM= Completely mixed.
Adapted from Wastewater Engineering: Treatment, Disposal and Reuse by Metcalf & Eddy Inc., 3rd ed. Copyright © 1991 by Mcgraw Hill, Inc. : and from Design of Municipal Wastewater
Treatment plants, Vol.1, WEEF Manual of Practice No. 8 and ASCE Manual and Report on Engineering Practice No. 76. Copyright © 1991 by Water Environment Federation and American Society
of Civil Engineers, Reprinted by permission.
 Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater - Review

Cl2
PFR or CSTR

Sanitary AWT
Grit Aeration Secondary Cl2 · Filteration Discharge
Sewage Bar Comminutor Primary
Chamber Tank Settler Contact · Carbon
Screen Shredding Device Clarifier
Final Absorption
Clarifier · Ion Exchange
PRF
Type 200 ppm
BOD Debris Grinds to ¼ -
A measureof 3/8 n particles
N-Removal-
organic
NH3 Stripping
contamination

Preliminary
Batch Treatment
Reactor
BOD Bottle
Primary Treatment
BOD Removal =30-50%
overall

Secondary Treatment
BOD Removal =85-95%
overall

Tertiary Treatment >

95% BOD Removal
Additional Nutrient N,P,
Removal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Process – Biological Treatment
Reactors – Pure Oxygen Process
Physical Chemical Treatment – Municipal Wastewater
Tertiary Treatment – Physical Chemical
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Illustrative Example
Preliminary Treatment
Bioreactors
Reactors – Pure Oxygen Process
Sedimentation (Clarifiers)
Thickeners
Filtration
Effluent