Waste water treatment

Fig: A typical sewage/waste water treatment plant

Waste water
Any water that has been adversely affected in quality by an
anthropogenic influence.

Comprises liquid waste discharged by:-

 Domestic residences
 Commercial properties or Industry
 Agriculture
 Municipal waste
Origin
 Human waste also known as black water
 Cesspit leakage
 Septic tank discharge
 Sewage treatment plant discharge
 Washing water also known as Grey water 
 Groundwater infiltrated into sewage
 Seawater ingress (high volumes of salt and microbes)
 Direct ingress of river water (high volumes of micro-biota)
 Direct ingress of manmade liquids (illegal disposal of pesticides)
 Highway drainage
 Storm drains
 industrial site drainage (silt, sand, alkali, oil, chemical residues)
Major Contaminations in Wastewater
Levels of waste water treatment

Primary Treatment

• Physical process

Secondary Treatment

• Biological process (Microbiological)

Tertiary Treatment (Advanced)

• Chemical process
Primary Treatment
 Removal of solid waste (sludge)
Includes:-
 Screening : Coarse solid which may clog the mechanical
equipments and pipes.
 Comminution: Grinding of coarse solids into smaller and
more uniform particles.
 Flotation: Separation of suspended and floatable solids
particles by air bubbles.
 Grit removal: Sand , ash, egg shell etc, of less diameter
than 0.2 mm. - inorganic – cannot be broken down by
biological treatment process.
Secondary Treatment
Biological treatment process
Dissolved and non settling organic solids from the primary effluent are removed.
Microbes plays an important role
Process envolved:-
 Aerobic
 Anareobic
 Facultative
Stabilization of organic matter :
 Respiration
 Synthesis
Aerobic Biological treatment systems

HIGH RATE PROCESSES:

Activated Sludge process
Oxidation Pond
Trickling Filter
Biofilter
Rotating biological Contactor
 LOW RATE PROCESSES:
Facultative Stabilization pond
Aerated lagoons
Activated Sludge Process
It basically consists of an aeration tank and a secondary settling basin or clarifier.
In aeration tank, microorganisms consume the dissolved organic pollutants as
food.
The aerobic microorganisms in the tank grow and multiply forming a suspension
of biological solids called activated sludge.
The combination of activated sludge and wastewater in aeration tank is called
mixed liquor.
A tank detention time of about 6hrs is required for stabilization of most of
organics in mixed liquor.
The mixed liquor flows to the secondary or final clarifier ,in which activated
sludge solids settles out by gravity.
Oxidizing carbonaceous matter: biological matter.
Oxidizing nitrogenous matter :
mainly ammonium and nitrogen in biological materials.
Removing phosphate.
Driving off entrained gases carbondioxide,ammonia
nitrogen, etc.
Generating a bacterial floc that is easy to settle.
Generating a liquor that is low in dissolved or suspended
material.
 In fig 1- illustration of activated
sludge treatment is shown

In fig 2- large
aeration tanks
in a working STP
is shown
Activated Sludge Process
Oxidizing carbonaceous matter: biological matter.
Oxidizing nitrogenous matter :
mainly ammonium and nitrogen in biological materials.
Removing phosphate.
Driving off entrained gases carbondioxide,ammonia
nitrogen, etc.
Generating a bacterial floc that is easy to settle.
Generating a liquor that is low in dissolved or suspended
material.
Oxidation pond
Trickling filter
A trickling filter consists basically of a layer or bed of crushed rocks on
which primary effluent is sprayed over the surface and is trickled
downwards to an under-drain system.
A rotary distributor arm with nozzles along its length is used to spray the
sewage water.
A biological slime of microbes develops on the surface of the rocks .
The microbes absorbs the dissolved organics, thus removing oxygen-
demanding substances from the wastewater.
Air circulating through the void spaces in the bed of stones provide the
needed oxygen for stabilization of the organics by the microbes.
 In fig1 – round TRICKLING FILTER is
shown at small scale

In fig 2- large
rectangular
trickling filters with
layers of rocks ,on
which primary
effluent is spraying
is shown
rotating biological contactors (rbc)
It consists of a series of large plastic discs (3m in diameter)
mounted on a horizontal shafts.
A typical bio-disc unit is partially submerged in settled sewage i.e.
primary effluent and partially exposed to air.
A layer of biological slime grows on each disc and the attached
microbes that forms the slime absorb the organic material in the
waste.
The speed of rotation and the number of discs can be varied to
achieve specific levels of pollutants removal.
A secondary clarifier is needed to settle the excess biological
solids that slough off the discs as the slime layer thickness.
 In fig 1- working of rotating bio-disc
(pollutants removal depends upon speed
of rotation)

In fig 2- rotating bio-

discs are arranged
together in STP ( no.
of bio-discs also
matters)
Tertiary treatment

If disinfection is placticed ,it is always final process, also

called as “effluent Polishing”.
Filtration:
Activated carbon removes residual toxins.
Logooning:
Settlement of further biological improvement in man
made ponds or lagoons
Highly aerobic and colonization by native macrophytes.
microorganisms
Biological treatment involves the use of different microorganisms. These
microorganisms are present throughout the process.
These could be : bacteria , viruses and protozoa
These organisms are present in the treatment vats ,grows and moves with
sewage water.
They metabolize the biodegradable organics , convert them in the carbon
dioxide, water and energy for their growth and reproduction.
The biological treatment systems must provide these microorganisms
with enough oxygen, comfortable home, suitable temperatures and
adequate contact with the organic materials.
Harmful bacteria
Various and broad strains of bacteria can cause countless human , plants
and animals diseases through ingestion of contaminated food and water.
Bacteria of such capabilities include: Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Vibrio
cholera and Helicobacter pylori.
These bacteria are present right from the start of treatment vats due to
their arrival with sewage water.
E. coli strains are removed after biological treatment by UV radiations,
ozonation and chlorination while vibrio cholera is eradicated by high
doses of UV rays.
 In fig 1- Escherichia coli
serotype 0157:H7 is shown.
It can cause food poisoning
and diarrhea.it works at pH
value of 7-7.5

In fig 2- Vibrio
cholera 01 strain
is shown and can
cause cholera . It
works at pH value
0f 6.3-6.7
Beneficial bacteria
Biofilm forming bacteria are present in the systems of the secondary
treatment, considered to be beneficial in the removal of organic materials.
This include aerobic bacteria such as Pseudomonas zooglea,
Chromobacter and Flavobacterium and anaerobic such as bdellovibrio
bacteriovorus and brocadia anammoxidans.
Nitrogen removing bacteria are known as Nitrifiers and denitrifiers. nitrifiers
include strains Nitrosomonas europaea and nitrobacter hamburgenesis
while Denitrifiers include strains Thiobacillus denitrificans.
sulphate removing bacteria such as Desulfotomaculum and Desulfovibrio.
These bacteria are removed in the tertiary treatment of the process.
 Brocadia anammoxidans
(ANAEROBIC)
Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus
(ANAEROBIC)

Nitrosomonas europaea Nitrobacter hamburgenesis

( NITRIFIER) (NITRIFIER)
PROTOZOA
Several types of protozoans are present in sewage water such as Amoeba,
Ciliates and Flagellates through out the process.
The importance of protozoans in wastewater treatment is to maintain a
slime layer within the systems.
They also play a predator role in removing bacteria, other protozoans and
several small particles.
Protozoans can be detrimental to humans if ingested, and can contribute
to human mortality and morbidity.
Protozoans are removed by the process of dual-media filtration.
Giardia lamblia (waterborne pathogen) causing Backpacker’s disease

Cryptosporidium (waterborne pathogen) causing Cryptosporidiosis

 virus
Enterovirus and rotavirus are excellent indicators of human fecal
contamination in wastewater.
These viruses are detrimental to humans, if consumed.
Life threatening diseases such as Polio and Hepatitis A are caused by
Enterovirus.
Life threatening forms of Diarrhea are caused by Rotavirus.
Viruse are removed from water through Ozonation, a process of
disinfection.
In fig- Different strains of
ENTEROVIRUS
In fig- ROTAVIRUS causing diarrhea is shown
THANK
YOU 