Wastewater

Where does it all go!

Where does the When you flush the
water from the toilet where does
washer go? the contents go?

By gravity flow, the waste is on its way

to your local wastewater treatment plant!
 What is Wastewater?
• Wastewater is defined as any water
that has been negatively affected in
quality by humans. Wastewater is
comprised of liquid and solid waste that
is discharged from domestic residences,
commercial properties, industrial plants,
and agriculture facilities or land.
Three Main Characteristics Of Wastewater

• Physical Characteristics
• Chemical Characteristics Due To
Chemical Impurities
• Biological Characteristics Due
To Impurities
•Physical Characteristics

• Turbidity
• Color
• Odor
• Total Solids
• Temperature
•Chemical Characteristics
• Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
• Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Chlorides
• Sulfates
• Alkalinity
• pH
• Heavy Metals
• Trace Elements
• Priority Pollutants
•Biological Characteristics
• Biochemical Oxygen Deman (BOD)
• Oxygen requiewd for Nitrification
• Microbial population
On its website, Greenpeace reports the water pollution in the
Philippines is mostly wastewater from the following sources:

1. Industrial: The metal varies according to

industry — lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium
and cyanide.
2. Agricultural: Organic — decayed plants, dead
animals, livestock manure, soil runoff; and
non-organic — pesticides and fertilizers.
3. Domestic sewage: Contains pathogens that
threaten human health and life.
4. Other sources: Oil, mine or chemical spills
and illegal dumping in or near water.
 Why treat wastewater?
• Causes a demand for dissolved oxygen
(lower DO levels of streams)

• Adds nutrients (nitrate and phosphate)

to cause excessive growth

• Increases suspended solids or sediments

in streams (turbidity increase)
• Waste water treatment is a process used to convert
wastewater into an effluent that can be returned to
the water cycle with minimum impact on the
environment, or directly reused. The latter is called
water reclamation because treated wastewater can
then be used for other purposes. The treatment
process takes place in a wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP), often referred to as a Water Resource
Recovery Facility (WRRF) or a sewage treatment
plant. Pollutants in municipal wastewater (households
and small industries) are removed or broken down.
 Levels of Treatment
Primary
– removal by physical separation of grit and large
objects (material to landfill for disposal)
Mostly dead
Secondary microbes

– aerobic microbiological process (sludge)

organic matter + O2  CO2 + NH3 + H2O
NH3  NO3- aquatic nutrient

- lowers suspended solids content (into sludge)

 To tertiary process
Secondary process
From primary process

ir Aeration Settling
iffuser and rapid collects sludge
mixing on bottom
 Levels of Treatment continued
Tertiary (advanced)
– anaerobic microbiological process with a
different microbe where O2 is toxic (more
sludge)
NO3-  N2 (escapes to atmosphere)

– PO4-3 if not removed in sludge in secondary

process
PO4-3 + Al+3  AlPO4 (s) (into sludge)

- aeration to strip N2 and re-oxygenate (add DO)

From secondary process
Tertiary process

Effluent
add methanol as food source

Slow mixing Settling

to keep suspended collects sludge
and O2 out on bottom
When the treatment is done…
• Effluent back to stream after
– a final carbon filtration and
– chlorination/dechlorination

• Sludge – very nutrient rich

– applied directly to land as fertilizer
– incinerated (good fuel after drying)
– composted (Compro® from WSSC)

Note – Leafgro® is composted

leaves and grass from MES
 Clean Water Act (RA 9275)

• The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 aims to

protect the country’s water bodies from pollution
from land-based sources (industries and commercial
establishments, agriculture and community/household
activities). It provides for a comprehensive and
integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution
through a multi-sectoral and participatory approach
involving all the stakeholders
• 51% met the standards, the rest are polluted.
(1996)

• Domestic wastewater

• World Bank report pointed out that Metro

Manila was second to the lowest in sewer
connections among major cities in Asia.

• 31% of all illnesses

 The Act prohibits the following:
• Discharging or depositing any water pollutant to the water body

• Discharging, injecting or allowing to enter into the soil, anything that

would pollute groundwater.

• Operating facilities that discharge regulated water pollutants without

the valid required permits.

• Disposal of potentially infectious medical waste into sea by vessels.

• Unauthorized transport or dumping into waters or sewage sludge or solid

waste.

• Transport, dumping or discharge of prohibited chemicals, substances or

pollutants listed under Toxic Chemicals, Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes
Control Act (Republic Act No. 6969)

• Discharging regulated water pollutants without the valid required

discharge permit pursuant to this Act
• Noncompliance of the LGU with the Water Quality Framework and
Management Area Action Plan

• Refusal to allow entry, inspection and monitoring as well as access to

reports and records by the DENR in accordance with this Act

• Refusal or failure to submit reports and/or designate pollution control

officers whenever required by the DENR in accordance with this Act

• Directly using booster pumps in the distribution system or tampering with

the water supply in such a way to alter or impair the water quality

• Operate facilities that discharge or allow to seep, willfully or through

grave negligence, prohibited chemicals, substances, or pollutants listed
under R.A. No. 6969, into water bodies

• Undertake activities or development and expansion of projects, or

operating wastewater treatment/sewerage facilities in violation of P.D.
1586 and its IRR.
• Php 10,000-200,000 - Anyone who
commits prohibited acts such as
discharging untreated wastewater.
• 6 yrs and 1 day - 12 yrs and Php
500,000/day - Failure or refusal to
clean up
• Php 500,000-3,000,000 - Gross
Violation