CHAPTER 15

WASTEWATER TREATMENT
AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS
 15.1 WASTEWATER TREATMENT STANDARDS
History
Before about 1850, human and liquid industrial wastes were
typically dumped in the street or alley or conveyed to the
nearest body of water without treatment. Groundwater and
other sources for drinking and bathing were regularly
contaminated with raw sewage.
About 1854, the connection between cholera and sewage
contaminated water was first discovered.
As population increased, damage to the environment and
risks to public health reached dangerous levels.
Early 1990’s health problems associated with improper
disposal of waste and wastewater were causing real problems,
especially in larger cities.
In the 1970s, the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Water Act.
Today, governmental leaders and health authorities are
responsible for ensuring that state standards for wastewater
treatment and water quality are met consistently—not only at
inspection time, but always to protect public health and the
environment.
 Wastewater
It contains the waste products, excrement, or other
discharge from the bodies of human beings or
animals, and other noxious or poisonous substances
that are harmful to the public health, or to animal or
aquatic life, or to the use of water for domestic water
supply or for recreation.
 Domestic Wastewater
Wastewater from residences, apartments, motels,
office buildings, and other similar types of buildings.
Two types of domestic wastewater:
1. Gray water- is wastewater that typically contains the
residues of washing processes.
2. Black water- is wastewater that contains fecal matter
and urine.
 Commercial wastewater

 It is nontoxic, nonhazardous wastewater from

commercial and institutional food service operations
and beauty salons.
 Industrial wastewater

 It is process and nonprocess wastewater from

manufacturing, commercial, laboratory, and mining
operations, including the runoff from areas that
receive pollutants associated with industrial or
commercial storage, handling, or processing.
 Wastewater Constituents

Wastewater released by residences, businesses, and

industries is approximately 99.94% water. Only about 0.06%
of the wastewater is dissolved and suspended solid material.
The wastewater constituents of most concern are those that
have the potential to cause disease or detrimental
environmental effects.
 Organisms
Many different types of organisms live in wastewater and
some are essential contributors to treatment. Bacteria,
protozoa, and worms work to break down certain carbon-
based (organic) pollutants in wastewater.

Pathogens
Many disease-causing viruses, parasites, and bacteria are
present in wastewater. These pathogens often originate from
people and animals that are infected with or are carriers of a
disease.
 Organic Matter
Organic materials that originate from plants, animals, or
synthetic organic compounds are found everywhere in the
environment.
Biochemical or biological oxygen demand (BOD) is a
measurement procedure used to assess how fast biological
organisms are depleting dissolved oxygen in a body of water,
as measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L) over a 5-day
period.
 Oil and Grease
 Oils and greases also can trap trash, plants, and other
materials, causing foul odors, attracting flies and
mosquitoes.
Inorganics
Inorganic minerals, metals, and compounds, such as sodium,
potassium, calcium, magnesium, cadmium, copper, lead,
nickel, and zinc, are common in wastewater from both
residential and nonresidential sources.
 Nutrients
 Wastewater often contains large amounts of the nutrients
nitrogen and phosphorus, which promote plant growth.

Gases
Many gases in wastewater can cause odors or are dangerous
 Solids
The solids must be significantly reduced by treatment or
they can increase BOD when discharged to receiving waters
and provide places for microorganisms to escape, reducing
the effectiveness of disinfection system.
 Other Important Wastewater
Characteristics
Temperature
The best temperatures for
wastewater treatment range from
77° to 95°F. In general, biological
treatment activity accelerates in
warm temperatures and slows in
cool temperatures, but extreme hot
or cold can stop treatment processes
altogether.
pH
The acidity or alkalinity of wastewater affects both
treatment and the environment.

Flow
Whether a system serves a single residence or an entire
community, it must be able to handle fluctuations in the
quantity and quality of wastewater it receives to ensure
proper continuous treatment.
 15.2 COMMUNITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT
AND DISPOSAL

Wastewater Removal
A community wastewater treatment and disposal
system, a network of pipes that transport wastewater
to treatment plants where it is treated and released
to the environment, serves most buildings in the
United States.
 Sewage Treatment and Disposal
Sewage treatment is a multistage process designed to
restore the quality of wastewater before it reenters a body of
water such as a stream, river, or lake.

Processes involved in large wastewater treatment plants:

1.Preliminary Wastewater Treatment- preliminary

treatment to screen out, grind up, or separate debris is the
first step in wastewater treatment
2. Primary Wastewater Treatment- it separates
suspended solids and greases from wastewater.

3. Secondary Wastewater Treatment- is a

biological treatment process to remove dissolved
organic matter from wastewater.
Three approaches are used to accomplish secondary treatment:

Fixed film systems grow microorganisms on substrates such

as rocks, sand, or plastic.
Suspended film systems stir and suspend microorganisms in
wastewater.
Lagoon systems are shallow basins that hold the wastewater
for several months to allow for the natural degradation of
sewage.
 Final Treatment (Disinfection)
Final treatment involves disinfection; the removal of disease
causing organisms from wastewater.
Other treatments
Aeration, the exposure of treated water to air, which
removes odors and improves taste.
Corrosion removal, to balance the pH (acidity) of the
treated water to prevent corrosion damage to pipes,
remove odors, and improve taste; and to soften the water.
Softening process removes calcium and magnesium that
have dissolved in water, making the hard water soft.
 15.3 ON-SITE INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE
TREATMENT

On-Site Sewage Treatment

On-site sewage treatment (OSST) systems, traditionally

called septic systems, usually consist of the building sewer,
which leads from the building into a septic tank and then
into a distribution box that feeds the fluid (effluent) into a
drainage field or disposal field.
 Primary Treatment Equipment

In the primary treatment process, anaerobic digestion and

settlement of solids in wastewater takes place.
Types of primary treatment equipment used in OSST
systems
Septic tank is a watertight, covered container designed to
settle out and hold solid wastes and partially treat
wastewater with beneficial bacteria.
Aerobic tanks are a substitute for a septic tank. They
consist of a trash tank, an aeration chamber, and a settling
chamber.
 Pump tank is a watertight container used to temporarily
store clarified effluent before it flows into a drainage field.
Sand filter is a lined, impermeable container containing a
bed of granular material that provides additional
treatment of effluent as it flows from the primary
treatment tank to the drainage field.
Trash tank is occasionally used in conjunction with an
aerobic tank.
Cesspool is a covered underground container that
receives untreated sewage directly from a building and
discharges it into soil.
High-level alarm is used to alert the homeowner or
building operator if liquid inside a tank reaches a level
that is higher than it would be if the pump were operating
normally or if the liquid inflow is greater than the
maximum pumping capacity of the pump
 Secondary Treatment and
Disposal Equipment
 Drainage field provides secondary treatment and is the
final disposal location for clarified effluent from
wastewater.
Types of drainage fields:

Absorption drainage field consists of rows (called

lines) of underground pipes through which the clarified
effluent passes.
Gravel-less drain field distributes effluent into the soils
through gravel-less drain pipe instead of gravel.
 Evapotranspiration (ET) bed or evapotranspiration
trench drainage field treats wastewater by evaporating
the water from the soil and by transpiring the water into
the air through plants and grasses.
Low-pressure dosing (LPD) drainage fields typically
consist of narrowly cut 6 to 12 in wide trenches, containing
small-diameter PVC dispersion pipes.
Absorption Mounds consist of septic tank(s), a pump tank,
effluent pump and controls, and an above-grade drainage
systems.
 Spray Distribution spray the disinfected effluent onto the
ground surface in a manner similar to a lawn irrigation
system.
Leaching Chamber Drainage Field spray the disinfected
effluent onto the ground surface in a manner similar to a
lawn irrigation system.
Subsurface drip drainage field systems consist of a septic
tank, a pump tank, a filtering device, and a drip distribution
system.
Seepage pit is a deep underground container that receives
clarified effluent from a septic tank.
General Regulations
Typically, an OSST system should not be installed, repaired,
or rehabilitated where a community sanitary sewer system
is available or where a local ordinance requires connection
to a community system.
 15.4 TESTING OF SOIL AND WATER FOR
DRAINAGE

Soil is an important part of an OSST system because it

treats and disposes of the septic tank effluent.
A soil evaluation is an assessment of subsurface soil
conditions at a specific site that is conducted under the
supervision of a professional engineer or professional
geologist.
A soil percolation test is a subsurface soil test at a depth
of a proposed absorption system to determine the water
absorption capability of the soil.
The BOD test measures the amount of dissolved oxygen
organisms are likely to need to degrade wastes in
wastewater.
The coliform test determines whether wastewater has
been adequately treated and whether water quality is
suitable for drinking and recreation.
 15.5 DESIGN EXAMPLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL
OSST SYSTEM

Design of a Septic
Tank/Absorption Field
 An individual OSST system must be designed to
have a capacity capable of disposing of the sewage
produced by the building or facility being served.
Design is usually based on the maximum daily
wastewater flow rate and average percolation rate.
 Maximum daily wastewater flow rate (Q) is
typically expressed in gallons per day or liters per
day.
Tables 15.1 and 15.2 provide information on typical maximum daily wastewater flow rates. In
existing buildings, the maximum daily sewage flow rate can be determined by measurement
of existing conditions.
Allowable design capacities of septic tanks serving a residence
are provided in Table 15.3.
 Minimum drainage area requirements for septic tank effluent
are based on type of system and average percolation rate
(tperc) of the soil in min/in (min/cm). The percolation rate is
determined in a test at the site that is performed under the
supervision of a professional engineer or professional geologist
adhering to procedures established by the governmental
health entity, commonly a municipal, county, or state health
office.
Table 15.4 provides computation information
 The bottom of an absorption drainage field must be a minimum of 4 ft.
above the seasonal high water table and be a minimum of 4 ft. above
bedrock. The field must be covered with a 12 in minimum depth of 1⁄2 to 2 in
gravel/rock.

EXAMPLE:
An OSST system consisting of a conventional septic tank and an absorption
bed drainage field will serve a single-family residence with 4 bedrooms and 4
bathrooms. The maximum daily sewage flow rate is anticipated to be 720
gal/day.
 Determine the required septic tank size.
 Determine the area required for an absorption bed drainage field based on
a percolation rate of 12 min/in.
 Determine the minimum trench length. Assume a trench width of 3 ft.
 Determine the area required for an absorption bed drainage field based on
a percolation rate of 50 min/in.
 Design of a Seepage Pit
The size of the seepage pit is typically based on the outside area of the walls of the
seepage pit.
Wall areas for seepage pits of various diameters are provided in
Table 15.5.
Seepage pits are sized from Table 15.6, which lists percolation rates and
the minimum required absorption area required for 100 gal (378.5 L) of
wastewater
 When more than one seepage pit is used, the pipe from the septic tank must
be laid out so that the effluent will be spread uniformly to the pits. To provide
equal distribution, a distribution box with separate laterals (each lateral
feeding no more than two pits) provides the best results. The distance
between the outside walls of the pits should be a minimum of 3 pit diameters
and not less than 10 ft. (3 m).

Example:
An OSST system serves a single-family residence. It has a 1500-gal septic tank
and a maximum daily sewage flow rate of 720 gal/day.
 Determine the required absorption area for a seepage pit based on a
percolation rate of 12 min/in.
 Determine the number of deep seepage pits that must be used in this design.
 15.6 OSST Installation

Location
 Individual sewage disposal requires finding an appropriate location on the
site to place all of the system components, especially the drain field, which
takes a considerable amount of area.
 local health agencies also sets minimum distances for the location of the
various parts of the OSST system; for example, the septic tank must be a
minimum of 50 ft. (15 m)from any well or suction line.
Minimum clearance and setback distance requirements for OSST system
components are shown in Table 15.7.
 Installation
 A backhoe will be needed to excavate holes for the septic
tank or seepage pits and any trenches for distribution piping
and disposal fields.
 15.7 Gray Water Reuse Systems

Gray Water and Black Water

 Gray water (also spelled grey water)
 Untreated wash water from bathtubs, showers, lavatory fixtures, and clothes
washing machines.
 Gray water may contain grease, food particles, hair, and other impurities, it
may still be suitable for irrigation and/or sewage processing (flushing toilets).
 It may benefit plants because it often contains nutrients such as nitrogen or
phosphorus.
 Black water
 Contains toilet wastes (e.g., feces, cellulose from toilet paper, and nitrogen
compounds) from water closets (toilets), urinals, and bidets.
 Black water may also carry hazardous chemicals from activities such as
cleaning car parts, washing greasy/oily rags, or disposing of waste solutions
from home photo labs or similar hobbyist activities.

Difference of Gray Water and Black Water

 The rate of decay of the pollutants in each.
 The pollutants in gray water decompose rapidly.
For example, fecal matter from underwear and diapers washed in a clothes
washing machine breaks down, exposing potential pathogens to detergent.
Conversely, black water contains a substantial quantity of organic compounds
that have already been exposed to the digestive tract of the human body, so
they do not rapidly further decompose when placed in water.
 Gray Water Reuse
 Depending on health regulations, technology for gray water reuse can be as
simple as saving rinse water from bathing and the clothes washer to rather
complex treatment systems, such as one in which the gray water flows to an
aerobic treatment unit, then to a recirculating filter.
 The level of contamination of gray water is low in comparison to black water,
concerns about health and public safety need to be managed, especially those
related to the potential for transmission of disease.
 Gray water needs to be filtered to remove large waste particles before being used
or treated. This primary treatment will reduce the solids in the wastewater.
 Treated gray water has had most nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus removed,
so it is safer to use in large quantities.
 Disinfection is required for general reuse of gray water. All disinfection requires
regular maintenance.
 Chlorine is most commonly used for disinfection, but it has been found to have
adverse environmental impacts.
 Ultraviolet (UV) or ozone disinfection can be used in place of chlorination.
Gray water diversion devices
 Do not treat gray water but use it directly as irrigation water.

There are two types of diversion devices: gravity diversion devices and pump
diversion devices.
 Gravity diversion device
 is a fitting configuration that diverts gray water from a plumbing fixture directly to
an irrigation line.

 Pump diversion device

 has a similar irrigation piping arrangement to the gravity diversion device, but
includes a surge tank to temporarily store and limit the flow of gray water during
sudden surges

In both systems an overflow connection is joined to the conventional drain line.

The flow of gray water in a gray water diversion device is usually activated through
a hand operated valve, tap, or switch.
 Gray water treatment systems (GTS)
 are more complex systems that collect, store, and treat gray water to a quality standard
for irrigation and/or sewage processing (flushing toilets).
 A GTS includes components such as wetlands, intermittent sand filters, soil filters, gray
water septic tanks, and aerated wastewater treatment systems.
 GTS requires separate black water and gray water waste lines. Separation of lines is
achieved through the use of two independent plumbing arrangements.

Commercially available gray water treatment systems include the following:

o BioSeptic Pty Limited Aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS)
o Wattworks
o Graywater Saver
o Rain Reviva
o ECO Wastewater Recycling System
o Clivus Multrum Graywater Prefilter
o Gough Plastics Gray Water Reuse Unit
 Gray Water Reuse Regulations
 Regulations affecting reuse of gray water vary from state to state and from municipality
to municipality within the same state.
 In many locations gray water reuse is not approved because it is assumed to carry
pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria and other hazardous pollutants.
 In jurisdictions where gray water systems are permitted, they are strictly regulated.
The State of Arizona has a progressive law on offering permits for gray water systems. It
is a performance-based code that uses a three-tiered method of classifying systems:
Tier 1 Private residential systems that process less than 400 gal per day do not need a
special permit if all the following conditions are met:
1. Human contact with gray water and soil irrigated by gray water is avoided.
2. Gray water originating from the residence is used and contained within the property
boundary for household gardening, composting, lawn watering, or landscape irrigation.
3. Surface application of gray water is not used for irrigation of food plants, except for
citrus and nut trees.
4. The gray water does not contain hazardous chemicals derived from activities such as
cleaning car parts, washing greasy or oily rags, or disposing of waste solutions from home
photo labs or similar hobbyist or home occupational activities.
5. The application of gray water is managed to minimize standing water on the surface.
6. The gray water system is constructed so that if blockage, plugging, or backup of the
system occurs, gray water can be directed into the sewage collection system or on-site
wastewater treatment and disposal system, as applicable. The gray water system may
include a means of filtration to reduce plugging and extend system lifetime.
7. Any gray water storage tank is covered to restrict access and to eliminate habitat for
mosquitoes or other vectors.
8. The gray water system is sited outside of a floodway.
9. The gray water system is operated to maintain a minimum vertical separation distance
of at least 5 ft from the point of gray water application to the top of the seasonally high
groundwater table
10. For residences using an on-site wastewater treatment facility for black water treatment
and disposal, the use of a gray water system does not change the design, capacity, or
reserve area requirements for the on-site wastewater treatment facility at the residence,
and ensures that the facility can handle the combined black water and gray water flow if
the gray water system fails or is not fully used.
11. Any pressure piping used in a gray water system that may be susceptible to cross
connection with a potable water system clearly indicates that the piping does not carry
potable water.
12. Gray water applied by surface irrigation does not contain water used to wash diapers
or similarly soiled or infectious garments unless the gray water is disinfected before irrigation
13. Surface irrigation by gray water is only by flood or drip irrigation.

Tier 2 Systems that process over 400 but less than 3000 gal a day or do not meet the list of
conditions (e.g., commercial, multifamily, and institutional systems) require a standard
permit.

Tier 3 Systems that process over 3000 gallons a day require a special permit and are
considered on an individual basis.
 15.8 ALTERNATIVE WASTEWATER
TREATMENT SYSTEMS
Alternative wastewater treatment systems
 serve as an option for the sewage treatment systems described previously.
 These systems do not use water to treat or transport human body wastes.

 Privy/Latrine
 One of the oldest and most basic methods of waste disposal.
 A pit dug below an outhouse structure that collects human body wastes.
 Liquid wastes seep into the soil and percolate through the soil. Solid wastes
remain and partially decompose so the pit becomes full over several years,
depending on size and the number of users.
 When the wastes in the pit reach a certain depth from the ground surface,
the pit is cleaned out or the outhouse is moved to another location and the
pit is covered with earth.
 If soil conditions are suitable and no other system is available, a privy can
be a safe method of waste disposal.
 Inconvenient for users and often produces offensive odors.
 If wells or other supplies of water are nearby, there is a risk of contamination.
 As a result, a privy may not be an approved alternative waste treatment
system.
 Composting Toilets
 self-contained waste treatment system that uses
natural biological decomposition to convert toilet
wastes into water vapor, carbon dioxide, and a stable
compost-like end product.
 The decomposition process in a composting toilet is
achieved by aerobic (oxygen-using) bacteria and
fungi.

To produce a thoroughly decomposed compost

product, three conditions are necessary:
1. Microorganisms that decompose the waste need
oxygen to flourish, so the process must remain aerobic.
2. The compost must be maintained at the correct
moisture content.
3. Temperatures must be maintained above 60°F for
composting to proceed effectively.
 Incinerating Toilet
 Self-contained waterless systems that do not require being hooked up to a sewer
system or an inground septic system (except to dispose of gray water).
 Rely on electric power or natural or propane gas to incinerate human waste to
sterile clean ash.
 When properly installed, these systems are simple to use, safe, clean, and relatively
easy to maintain.

 Holding Tanks
 Used for wastewater disposal when soil, slope, lot size, groundwater, or other
features on the site render all other tank/drainage field solutions impossible to
achieve.
 Rarely used in facilities that generate wastewater on a daily basis.
 Sized to hold seven days of wastewater flow.
 When the tank has been filled to within 75% of its capacity, a visual and audible
alarm is automatically triggered, which alerts the user that the tank must be
promptly pumped.