WASTEWATER TREATMENT

TECHNOLOGIES
MEDAWARE

Prof. George Ayoub

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
American University of Beirut
 OUTLINE
 Overview of the Conventional Wastewater
Treatment Process
 Discussion of Existing Biological Treatment
Technologies
 Examples from the Mediterranean Region
 Examples from the Lebanese Context
 Conventional Wastewater Treatment Process
Pretreatment involves: Chemical Treatment is
Screening used in conjunction with
Grit Removal the physical and chemical
Oil separation processes:
Flow equalization Chemical precipitation
Adsorption

Sludge Treatment and

Disinfection can use:
Chlorine compounds
Bromine Chloride
Ozone
UV Radiation
Disposal involves:
grinding, degritting, blending,
thickening, stabilization,
conditioning, disinfection,
dewatering, heat drying,
thermal reduction, ultimate
disposal
 Biological Treatment
 In the case of domestic wastewater treatment, the
objective of biological treatment is:
• To stabilize the organic content
• To remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus

Types:
Attached Growth
Aerobic Processes
Suspended Growth
Anoxic Processes
Combined Systems
Anaerobic Processes
Combined Aerobic-Anoxic-
Anaerobic Processes
Aerobic
Pond Processes Maturation
Facultative
Anaerobic
 Major Aerobic Biological Processes
Type of Common Name Use
Growth
Suspended Activated Sludge (AS) Carbonaceous BOD removal (nitrification)
Growth Aerated Lagoons Carbonaceous BOD removal (nitrification)
Attached Trickling Filters Carbonaceous BOD removal. nitrification
Growth Roughing Filters (trickling Carbonaceous BOD removal
filters with high hydraulic
loading rates)
Rotating Biological Carbonaceous BOD removal (nitrification)
Contactors
Packed-bed reactors Carbonaceous BOD removal (nitrification)
Combined Activated Biofilter Process Carbonaceous BOD removal (nitrification)
Suspended & Trickling filter-solids contact
Attached process
Growth Biofilter-AS process
Series trickling filter-AS
process
 Activated Sludge Process
 The aeration tank contains a suspension of the wastewater and
microorganisms, the mixed liquor. The liquor is mixed by aeration
devices (supplying also oxygen)
 A portion of the biological sludge separated from the secondary
effluent by sedimentation is recycled to the aeration tank
 Types of AS Systems: Conventional, Complete-Mix, Sequencing
Batch Reactor, Extended Aeration, Deep Tank, Deep Shaft
 Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
 Flexible, can adapt to  High operating costs
minor pH, organic and (skilled labor, electricity,
temperature changes etc.)
 Small area required  Generates solids requiring
 Degree of nitrification is sludge disposal
controllable  Some process alternatives
 Relatively minor odor are sensitive to shock
problems loads and metallic or
other poisons
 Requires continuous air
supply
 Trickling Filters
 The trickling filter or biofilter consists of a bed of permeable
medium of either rock or plastic
 Microorganisms become attached to the media and form a
biological layer or fixed film. Organic matter in the wastewater
diffuses into the film, where it is metabolized. Periodically,
portions of the film slough off the media
 Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
 Good quality (80-90%  High capital costs
BOD5 removal) for 2-  Clogging of distributors or
stage efficiency could beds
reach 95%  Snail, mosquito and
 Moderate operating costs insect problems
(lower than activated
sludge)
 Withstands shock loads
better than other
biological processes
 Rotating Biological Contactors
 It consists of a series of circular disks of polystyrene or
polyvinyl chloride that are submerged in wastewater and
rotated slowly through it
 The disk rotation alternately contacts the biomass with the
organic material and then with atmosphere for adsorption of
oxygen
 Excess solids are removed by shearing forces created by the
rotation mechanism
 Advantages/Disdvantages
Advantages
 Short contact periods
 Handles a wide range of
flows
 Easily separates biomass
from waste stream
 Low operating costs
 Short retention time
 Low sludge production
 Excellent process control
Disadvantages
 Need for covering units
installed in cold climate to
protect against freezing
 Shaft bearings and
mechanical drive units
require frequent
maintenance
 Major Anaerobic Biological
Processes
Type of Common Name Use
Growth
Suspended Anaerobic Contact Process Carbonaceous BOD removal
Growth
Upflow Anaerobic Sludge- Carbonaceous BOD removal
Blanket (UASB)
Attached Anaerobic Filter Process Carbonaceous BOD removal,
Growth waste stabilization
(denitrification)
Expanded Bed Carbonaceous BOD removal,
waste stabilization
 Anaerobic Contact Process
 Untreated wastewater is mixed with
recycled sludge solids and then
digested in a sealed reactor
 The mixture is separated in a clarifier
 The supernatant is discharged as
effluent, and settled sludge is
recycled
 Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
 Methane recovery  Heat required
 Small area required  Effluent in reduced
 Volatile solids chemical form
destruction requires further
treatment
 Requires skilled
operation
 Sludge to be disposed
off is minimal
 Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
 Wastewater flows upward
through a sludge blanket
composed of biological
granules that decompose
organic matter
 Some of the generated
gas attaches to granules
that rise and strike
degassing baffles
releasing the gas
 Free gas is collected by
special domes
 The effluent passes into a
settling chamber
 Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages
 Low energy demand
 Low land requirement
 Low sludge production
 Less expensive than other
anaerobic processes
 High organic removal
eficiency
Disadvantages
 Long start-up period
 Requires sufficient
amount of granular seed
sludge for faster start-up
 Significant wash out of
sludge during initial
phase of process
 Lower gas yield than
other anaerobic
processes
 Major Anoxic and Combined
Biological Processes
Type of Type of Common Name Use
Process Growth
Anoxic Suspended Suspended Growth Denitrification
Growth Denitrification
Attached Fixed-film Denitrification Denitrification
Growth
Combined Suspended Single- or multi-stage Carbonaceous BOD removal,
Aerobic, Growth processes, various nitrification, denitrification,
Anoxic, and proprietary processes phosphorus removal
anaerobic Attached Single- or multi-stage Carbonaceous BOD removal,
Processes Growth processes nitrification, denitrification,
phosphorus removal
 Pond Treatment Processes
Common Comments Use
Name
Aerobic Treatment with aerobic bacteria; Carbonaceous BOD
Stabilization oxygen is supplied by algal removal
Ponds photosynthesis and natural surface
reaeration; depth of 0.15 to 1.5 m
Maturation Use aerobic treatment; applied Secondary effluent
(tertiary) Ponds loadings are low to preserve aerobic polishing and seasonal
conditions nitrification
Facultative Treatment with aerobic, anaerobic Carbonaceous BOD
Ponds and facultative bacteria; the pond removal
has 3 zones: a surface aerobic
zone, a bottom anaerobic zone, and
an intermediate zone partly aerobic-
anaerobic
Anaerobic Treatment with anaerobic bacteria; Carbonaceous BOD
Ponds depths of up to 9.1 m to conserve removal (waste
anaerobic conditions stabilization)
 Examples from the Mediterranean
Region (1)
Country Name of Capacity Treatment Reuse Application
the Plant m3/day Technology
Spain Vitoria 55,000 Secondary treatment Irrigation of orchards
(screening,
sedimentation,
nitrification-
denitrification) + tertiary
treatment (coagulation-
flocculation, sand filters,
chlorine disinfection)
Spain Tenerife 90,000 Secondary treatment Irrigation of banana,
(activated sludge), potatoes, and tomatoes
tertiary treatment
Greece Chalkis 9,000 Pretreatment, Irrigation of trees and
clarification, aeration bushes
tanks, final clarifiers,
advanced treatment
 Examples from the Mediterranean
Region (2)
Country Name of Capacity Treatment Reuse Application
the Plant m3/day Technology
Palestine Dan 330,000 Secondary treatment Irrigation of field crops,
Region (activated sludge, or fruit plantations,
Project stabilization lagoons), vegetables, flowers
soil aquifer treatment
Italy Grammich 1,500 Activated sludge, Irrigation of orange, olive
-elle chlorine contact tank, trees, crops for caning
tank storage industry, and vegetables
to be eaten cooked
Italy Clatagiron 5,200 Activated sludge, sand Irrigation of orange, olive
-e filtration, reservoir trees, crops for caning
storage industry, and vegetables
to be eaten cooked
Cyprus Larnaca 8,500 Oxidation ditches, sand Irrigation of corn, alfalfa,
filtration, chlorination in addition to gardens,
parks and fields
 Examples from the Mediterranean
Region (3)
Country Name of Capacity Treatment Reuse Application
the Plant m3/day Technology
Jordan Al Samra 150,000 3 trains of ponds: 2 Irrigation of olive trees,
anaerobic, 4 forest area, fodder crops
facultative, 4 and non-restricted
maturation vegetables for experiments
Morocco City of 600 Primary treatment Irrigation of alfalfa,
Drargua (anaerobic basins), tomatoes, zucchini, corn
secondary and grass
treatment (sand
filters), tertiary
treatment
Turkey Gaziantep 200,000 Primary treatment, Irrigation of edible crops,
secondary vegetables and nearby
treatment fields
(Activated Sludge)
 Examples from Lebanon
 Lebanon has been rebuilding its water and
wastewater infrastructure since 1992; in this
context, the Government initiated the construction
of large-scale WWTPs employing AS and Biofilter
treatment systems mainly
 Except for the Ghadir pre-treatment station, no single
large-scale plant achieving secondary treatment has
started to operate
 Some community-based plants funded by NGOs are
achieving secondary treatment; however, these are
small-scale plants and rarely function properly
 Coarse Fine Grit and Grease
Technology to be
Screening Screening Removal Tank used inside
Pumping WWTPs proposed
by the Government

Primary Settling
Degassing Tank Aeration Tank Pumping Tank
or Biofilter

Venturi Flume Treated Water

Distribution Secondary Pumping Station
Structure Settling Tank
 Ghadir Preliminary Treatment
Station
 Serves the Greater Beirut
Southern Wastewater Collection
Basin (population of 977,000)
GHADIR STATION
 Maximum instantaneous flow: 2.6
m3/s; average: 1.6 m3/s; expected
minimum: 1.1 m3/s
 Accepts also septic tank septage
and leachate from the Naameh
landfill
 Effluent is discharged into the sea
at a distance of 2.6 km away from
the shore and at a depth of 60 m
 In periods of overflow, the plant
partially or completely shuts
down, and the effluent is
discharged into the sea at a
distance of 500 m from the shore
 Treatment Steps At Ghadir
LIFTING SCREENING

DEGRITTING
 Baalbeck WWTP
 Completed in summer
2000
 Not yet functional
because the collection
network is not yet
finished
 Serves a population of
130,600, and has a daily
capacity of 19,600
m3/day
 Will achieve secondary
treatment
 Treatment Technologies in
Community-based WWTPs
There are 42 plants as shown by the table

Process NGO
CHF CAI MCI YMCA PM
Extended Aeration 1 2 7
Activated Sludge 5 6 1
Anaerobic Digestion 17
Aerobic Digestion 1 1
Mixed Treatment 1 1
Total 1 5 18 10 8
EXTENDED AERATION

ACTIVATED SLUDGE
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

AEROBIC DIGESTION

MIXED TREATMENT
EXTENDED AERATION
KAWS AKKAR
YMCA
ACTIVATED SLUDGE
KFEIR
YMCA
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
HASBAYA
MCI
AEROBIC DIGESTION
MARJ EL ZOUHOUR
YMCA
 MIXED TREATMENT
ADVANCED INTEGRATED
WASTEWATER PONDS SYSTEM
AIN HARSHA
YMCA
THANK YOU