Definitions

Sewage: The term sewage is used to indicate the liquid

waste from the community and it includes the sludge,
discharged from latrine, urinals, stables etc. industrial
waste and storm water. The term night soil is sometimes
used to indicate the human animal excreta.

Sewer: The underground conduits or pipes through

which sewage is conveyed are known as sewers.

Sewerage: The entire science of collecting and carrying

sewage by water carriage system, through sewers is known
as sewerage and thus collected and conveyed and taken to
a suitable place for its disposal.

Sludge Treatment
There are generally four stages of treatments for sewage,
namely preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary.
1. Preliminary treatment system is a device to remove
large floating solids, grit and grease in case there
presence would interfere with further subsequent
processes. Generally these devices are incorporative in
the head works of west water plants and may consist of
parshal Flume (for measurement), racks and screens,
communitors (for reducing large solids into smaller
once), grit chambers etc. it is physical process.
2. Primary treatment generally means a sedimentation
process which removes suspended organic solids.
Sometimes chemicals are added in clarifiers to assist in
removing finally divided and colloidal solids or for
precipitating phosphorus. It is mostly a physical
process.
3. Secondary treatment is usually collected with a
biological treatment process. This is intended to
remove the soluble and colloidal organic matter
remaining after primary treatment. The removal can
also be affected by physico-chemical processes although
basically it is a bacteriological process.

4. Advanced waste treatment aims at further reducing the

strength of waste water below that usually attained after
secondary treatment. These techniques generally aim at
reducing suspended solids, dissolved solids, refectory
organics, phosphorus ammonia, organic nitrogen and
total nitrogen. It may include
(a)Micro straining,
(b)
Sand or other filters
(c) Land treatment

The treatment of sewage may be regarded as a series of steps

to remove solids of gradually decreasing size and/or specific
gravity as follow:
1. Screening to remove or comminute large solid
objects.
2. Grit chambers to remove high specific gravity
solids.
3. Sedimentation to remove settle able suspended
solids.
4. Biological oxidation (with final sedimentation)
to remove residual suspended solids in addition
in oxidizing dissolved organic solids.

Primary treatment
Screening
Screening device are used for the primary purpose of
removing and comminuting large solid objects and rags
that would injure subsequent equipment, clog piping, or
wrap around pump impellers, interfering with their
operation.

Grit removing
Grit removing devices are used for the removal of sand,
gravel and other high specific gravity in organic solids
from sewage that would cause undue wear on pumps,
sludge disposal system etc. clog underflow lines, and
segregate in settling and sludge digestion tanks, thus
reducing their effective capacity. Strictly speaking, grit also
includes some high gravity or fast settling organics, but
these are non putrescible solids such as coffee grounds,
pulverized egg shells, seeds etc.

Sedimentation
Sedimentation is use to remove settle able suspended
solids from sewage not remove in screening and grit
removal units.
Primary sedimentation is use as a means of reducing the
suspended solids an biological oxygen demand load on
the receiving stream or for reducing such loads in
intermediate systems using comical precipitation or in
secondary system employing biological treatment devices.
Secondary or final sedimentation is used for removal
coagulated suspended solids produced in chemical or
biological treatment.

Flotation
Flotation has been used to assist in the removal of oil and
grease from domestic sewage where such constituents are
unusually high. The practice has been to add defused air
to partly emulsify the oil and grease and so assist there
flotation, either in separating tanks preceding the primary
clarifier or in the clarifier itself. No attempt is made in
this situation to float a substantial portion of the
suspended solids contained in the sewage.

Gobar gas plant

The Gobar gas plant consists of a digester of adequate size
for fermenting the cattle dung, urine and night soil in an
efficient manner. The gas holder in the form of a floating
roof and it moves up and down inside the top 1/3
portion of the digester. This gas holder collects and
diverts the gas produced through fermentation into the
gas pipe at correct pressure. The gas pipe with flexible
connection conveys the gas to the points of use viz.
kitchen stoves, lamps and gas engines without undue loss
of pressure. Special gobar gas appliances have been
developed and manufactured to render trouble free
service.
The operation of gobar gas plant consist of
collecting cattle dung and urine, dumping into the mixing
tank, adding water to it, mixing or stirring properly and
finally feeding it into the inlet pipe. This slurry when
enter the digester will discharge an equal quantity of
ripened slurry from the outlet pipe. Such slurry should be
immediately discharge into the comsost pit and house
hold. The gas holder should be rotated occasionally for
breaking the scum formed in the digester. The condensed
water in the gas pipe will have to be removing at least
once a month. The gobar gas plant will work for number
of year if properly fed and maintained.

Disposal of solid waste

Land treatment
When the sewage evenly spread on the surface of land,
the method is called land treatment. The water of sewage
percolates in the ground and the suspended solids remain
at the surface of the ground. The organic suspended solids
are partly acted upon by the bacteria and are partly
oxidized by exposure to atmosphere action of heat, light
and air. It is of two type (a) filtration (b) sewage farming or
broad irrigation.
The natural process of sewage purification in the both the
methods of land and treatment is the same, viz filtration
of sewage by straining action of ground soil, and
oxidation and bio-chemical action of organic matters. The
complex compounds of sewage are converted into
harmless mineral salts. Which same as a valuable fertilizer.
In filtration more depth of the soil below the ground level
takes part in the sewage treatment then the broad
irrigation which only upper depth does these
work. Overall it will be observe that the sewage takes very
long time for the actual development of fertilizer which
can be used by the crops.

Advantages:
1. It is a natural process and natural water courses are
prevented from pollution.
2. The method is cheap and does not require the sewage
treatment plants, require high initial and maintenance
cost.
3. The land is irrigated and receives the high value
fertilizing substances without extra cost.
4. The disposal of average is done without natural water
courses.

Disadvantage
1. Large area of land is required for this type of disposal.
2. During Rainey season and winter wet climate this
method is not very effective and suitable.
3. During application of sewage to land it is to be properly
supervise, otherwise the land may become sick.
4. If the land is used for growing crops, special attention
against the spread of disease shall have to be taken.
5. The disposal of sewage cannot be done by this method
if the land consists of clayey soil.

Broad irrigation
In this type of sewage disposal, the land on which sewage
is apply acts roughly like a filter, due to more % of voids
in soil, the sewage stabilize by aerobic action. In this
method under drainage system is laid below the ground
level to collect the effluent of sewage after filtration
through ground soil. The under drainage system usually
consists of 15 cm to 20 cm Dia. Porous pipes which are
made open jointed at a spacing of 10 cm to 30 cm. The
effluent which is unfoul in character and usually small in
quantity can be disposed of into natural water courses.

Sewage farming
When the sewage is used for going crops, it is called
sewage farming. The fertilizing elements of sewage are
consumed by the roots of crops. The mineral salts of
sewage such as nitrates, sulphates and phosphates are the
main fertilizing constituents of sewage. It is a source of
good income. It gives minerals, micronutrients organic
matters to fields which add to the fertility of the fields,
along with the irrigation potential of the water contain.
But if this is done without treatment it can be hazardous
to health. Even the application of treated effluent should
be carried out with certain precaution because it is not

completely free from risk. A good sewage farm should run

on scientific lines, with the prime objective of disposal of
sewage combined with its utilization in a good sanitary
manner without polluting the soil.

Final disposal:
Disposal means removal from a site. The disposal of sludge
is possible by its utilization. Dewatering of a sludge may or
may not be carried out before its final disposal, and
secondly, the sludge may be raw or digester.
1. Disposal in water: This method of sludge disposal is
applicable in the case of costal cities and towns. The
sludge is carried in special vessels into the sea or ocean
and is dumped at selected places about 24 KM. or more
from the shore. The dewatering of the sludge before
loading the vessels will reduced the cost of transport
due to considerable decreased in the bulk of sludge.
2. Disposal on land: This method of disposal mainly
consists of the utilization of sludge for agricultural
purposes. A number of shallow trenches, 45 to 60 cm
wide and 30 to 38 cm deep are provided about 1.5 mtr
apart and are filled with wet sludge. When the moisture

get absorbed, a sludge cake is formed which is them

covered with dry earth. After 6 or 8 weeks period the
whole land is ploughed and used for cultivation. The
sludge should not be applied again to this land for the
period of at least one year.

Dewatering and drying of sludge:

Though digestion reduces the volume and bulk of raw
sludge and also makes it drainable, the digested sludge
(and raw sludge as well as secondary sludge) contains a
large amount of free water and in general can not be
disposed of until this free water is removed. The only
exception to this is the direct application of liquid
digested sludge to farm land. Therefore, the sludge must
be dewatered for easier handling and satisfactory final
disposal.
The common methods used for dewatering sludge:

1. Sludge drying beds:

These are level areas made up of coarse material such
as slag or crushed stone or gravel overlaid by sand. The
coarse material is graded in three sizes and laid about
25cm deep with the coarsest on the bottom and the

finest on the top. Over this a layer of sand of about

10cm depth is laid. Under drainage system is provided
at the bottom of the drying beds. The wet sludge is
applied on the surface of the drying bed, the depth
depending upon the kind and character of the sludge.
The applied sludge drains and dries with a rapidity
depending upon the weather conditions, the character
of the sludge, the character of the drying bed material,
the construction details of the bed, and the depth of
sludge layer over the bed.

2. Chemical coagulation and vacuum filtration:

Chemical coagulation or sludge conditioning is
essential for the effective utilization of vacuum filters as
a means of dewatering sludge. When chemical
coagulants are added to sludge, the colloidal matter in
the sludge is shrunk and its water released so that it
may be easily filtered.
(a)

Elutriation: Elutriation is a process of washing

digested sludge by passing it counters current
through a flow of clear water or sewage effluent.
Due to Elutriation, decomposition products of
digestion, particularly ammonium bicarbonate,
are washed out of the sludge.

(b) Vacuum filters: Vacuum filters generally are

drums which rotate on a horizontal axis, partly
submerged in a tub of conditioned sludge. The
surface of the drum is covered with a wire mash
or other solid covering over which is laid a
covering of filter cloth. The drum is segmented
internally so that the segments may be subjected
to independent suction. Sludge particles are
sucked against the cloth and form a continues
cake having a thickness from about 5 mm to 10
mm. During rotation the free water is removing
from solids and discharged through a pump to
the raw sewage influent. Before the filter drum
completes its revolution the vacuum is cut of
and air pressure applied to remove the cake
from filter cloth. A fixed knife- edge (doctor
blade) mounted close against the filter cloth is
used to remove the sludge cake.

3. Filter presses: In filter presses the sludge is put

under pressure and they consist of plates and frame
similar to that used in the chemical industries. The cast
iron plates covered with cloth, are hunk in a frame
commonly equipped with a fixed and a moveable head.
The plates are forced together, a gap been left between
the cloth surfaces on the plate faces, and the
conditioned sludge is pumped through a central
opening in the plates. The sludge covers the cloth and

the liquid is forced through the cloth to the plate

surface. The liquid enters drainage holes and is carried
away through openings in the bottom of the plates.
5. Centrifuge machine: These machines for the
dewatering of sludge consist of the rotating germs fitted
with perforated or cloth covered sides. Due to the
differences in specific gravity of sledges and water, the
water is drawn off by the centrifugal force from the
sludge. This process however was not found to be
satisfactory because the finer particles of the sludge
were thrown out through the perforated or cloth
covered sides. It was also observed that the heavier
portions were also thrown against the sides of the
drums by the centrifugal force and got compacted to
such an extent that the water penetration was
completely stopped.

6. Heat dryers: In the case of well digested or odour

less sludges, vacuum filtration of filter pressing is
sufficient for the dewatering and the final drying.
Sludge cakes of sedimented, chemical precipitated or
activated sludge when stored after dewatering,
produced objectionable odour and they are therefore
dried by the use of rotary driers.

Sludge pumping:
The settle able solids (sludge) separated from sewage in the
sedimentation tanks under the primary treatment, are
removed to sludge digestion tanks for further treatments. In
order to avoid deep excavations for locating the sludge
digestion tanks below the ground level so that the sludge
from the sedimentation tanks will flow to the sludge
digestion tanks by gravity, sludge pumping is adopted. Due
to pumping it is possible to locate the sludge digestion tanks
at any level above the ground irrespective of the level of the
sedimentation tanks that are usually below the ground level.
The principle services are:1. Pumping primary settled sludge to the digester.
2. Pumping secondary settled sludge to the aeration tanks
in the activated sludge process.
3. Pumping waste activated sludge to the primary tank
4. Pumping digested sludge to sludge drying beds or to
vacuum filters.
5. Pumping the sludge from the humus tank of final
settling tank to the digester.