Water and Wastewater Treatment

Water vs Wastewater

Water
water from rivers, springs, lakes
& other bodies of water intended
for human consumption and use

may contain
high
concentrations
of organic &
inorganic
pollutants,
pathogenic
microorganisms,
and toxic
chemicals

Wastewater
liquid wastes and wastes
transported in water from
households, commercial
establishments and industries,
as well as stormwater
and other surface runoff

Why must water and wastewater be treated?

- To reduce and control aquatic pollution
- To remove pollutants or reduce them to an acceptable level
History
Ancient Roman Empire waste collection in streets
- use of water to wash waste through open sewers
Early 1800s start of sewer construction in London
1843 1st sewer system in Hamburg, Germany officially designed by Lindley, a British engineer
17th Century (1800s) household wastewater management in Colonial America made of privy (toilet) with outlet constructed at ground
level which discharged outside to a cesspool or sewer
- as population increased, engineered wastewater system was needed in large cities
- scientists saw correlation between disease outbreaks and contamination of drinking water from wastewater
1841 Thomas Clark of England patented lime process for removal of carbonate (temporary) hardness of water
- Porter followed, developing soda ash use to remove noncarbonate (permanent) hardness of water
1850s
Chicago comprehensive sewer system used to transport untreated wastewater outside of residential community to stream or river
- dilution with stream water was primary means of pollutant reduction (water-carriage sewer system)
London planning and development of water-carriage sewer system
- in 1848 and 1854, cholera epidemic struck London, which caused 25,000 deaths
Dr. John Snow 1st doctor at the time to establish connection between cholera outbreak and contaminated water supplied by Broad St.
public well
- showed statistically that cholera victims got drinking water from sewage-contaminated part of Thames river while those
who werent sick got it from uncontaminated part
1855 British Parliament passed an act to improve waste management system of London, which led to deevelopment of
comprehensive water-carriage sewer system designed by Joseph Bazalgette
beginning of 20th Century settling tanks (primary treatment) were used in sewage treatment plant to remove suspended particles from
wastewater before discharging it to streams and rivers
early 1900s 1st trickling filter constructed in Madison, Wisconson which provided biological (secondary) wastewater treatment
1906 Robert Gans, German chemist, applied zeolites to commercial use for water-softening
- Karl Imhoff, German engineer, developed Imhoff tank for solids separation and further treatment of wastewater
1916 1st activated sludge process made in San Marcos, Texas
1930s water-softening included as municipal water supply treatment
Hardness usually expressed in terms of calcium and magnesium salts dissolved in water
Types:
*carbonate (temporary) hardness caused by calcium and magnesium bicarbonates

- usually reduced by heating

*noncarbonate (permanent) hardness caused by calcium and magnesium sulfates and chlorides
needs chemical agents for water-softening
Why must water undergo water-softening?
- insoluble precipitates form in the presence of soaps in hard water, which could clog up pipes and other waterways
Water Treatment/Conditioning
Methods (to expound):
Softening process of removal or reduction of water hardness
Purification removal of organic matter and microorganisms
Clarification
Ion Exchange
Lime-Soda Processes
a) for carbonate harness
b) for noncarbonate salts
Phosphate Conditioning removal of phosphates done usually together with other processes
- orthophosphates and complex phosphates are used in steam boilers in order to precipitate the small amounts
of calcium ion present in boiler water
Silica Removal useing dolomitic lime or actibated magnesia
Dearation dissolved oxygen hastens corrosion
Demineralization and Desalting
Wastewater Treatment
Sources of Wastewater:
*Domestic/municipal wastewater from residences, institution (schools, hospitals) and commercial facilities (malls, etc.)
- usually collected in sanitary sewers
*Industrial from industrial processes (pharmaceutical industry, poultry processing, etc.)
*Infiltration and inflow water that enters sewer from foundation drains, leaking pipes, submerged manholes, and groundwater
infiltration
*Stormwater includes rainfall runoff and snow melt
- may be collected in separate sewer lines from sanitary sewers, called storm sewers, or may be collected in same sewer
as municipal wastewater, called combined sewer system
Wastewater Constituents
suspended solids (inert matter e.g. ragss, silt, paper, food & human waste), biodegradable organic matter (40-60% proteins, 25-50%
carbohydrates, about 10% lipids), pathogens, nutrients (in high concentrations, such as nitrogen and phosphorus), endocrine disrupting
compounds (EDC), heavy metals, toxic compound, silt, pesticides
Wastewater Pollutants grouped by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) :
*Conventional pollutants pH, total suspended solids (TSS), oil, grease, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
*Nonconventional pollutants chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, hexavalent chromium, phenols, etc.
*Priority pollutants arsenic, cadmium, etc.
Treatment Methods:
Physical sedimentation, screening, filtration, for removal of suspended solids
Chemical addition of chemicals to convert or destruct contaminants through chemical reactions
- coagulation-flocculation for solids removal, disinfection for pathogenic destruction, chemical precipitation for phosphorus
removal
Biological conversion or destruction of contaminants with help of microorganisms
- to remove and reduce biodegradable organic matter to an acceptable level and to remove nutrients such as nitrogen and
phosphorus
- activated sludge process, membrane bioreactor, trickling filter
Levels of Wastewater Treatment (each to be expounded)
<insert flow diagram here>
1) Preliminary treatment physical removal of rags, twigs, and other pollutant substances which may cause operational problems in
pumps and other apparatuses
- ex. screens for large debris removal, comminutor for grinding, grit chamber for removal of inert suspended
solids, flotation for removal of oil and grease
2) Primary treatment - physical removal of part of suspended solids usually through sedimentation, usually using primary clarifiers
3) Enhanced primary treatment use of chemical treatment to remove additional solids in sedimentation process
- chemical coagulants used to promote coagulation and flocculation of solids in sedimentation tank
4) Conventional secondary treatment biological treatment for degradation of organic matter and solids reduction

- in biological reactor followed by sedimentation tank or secondary clarifier

- ex. activated sludge process, trickling filter
5) Secondary treatment with nutrient removal if nitrogen and/or phosphorus must be removed from wastewater
- combination of chemical and biological treatment
6) Tertiary treatment processes after secondary treatment
- ex. granular media filtration for residual suspended solids removal, disinfection for pathogeni reduction,
additional treatment for nutrient removal
7) Advanced treatment to removed toxic compounds in wastewater, or for potential water reuse
- ex. activated carbon adsorption to remove volatile organic compounds, ion exchange
Additional: Residuals and Biosolid Management derived from wastewater treatments