CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Environmental Engineering
Objectives:

To supply water safe/potable in quality and adequate in

quantity (225 Lpcd) to population
2. To collect, treat and dispose the wastewater generated in
the community.
3. To put in place the methods for pollution prevention in
industries and to treat and dispose of industrial waste.
4. To control air pollution from indoor, work environment
as well as from the industries
5. To collect, transport and safely dispose of municipal and
hazardous solids.
1.

Attributes of Drinking Water

Aesthetic : free from color, test, odor and pleasing

(physical perception subjective)

Safety: Bacteriological (free from pathogens disease
causing microorganisms)
Chemical (free from toxicants natural &
anthropogenic).
Economic: water should be produced with a
reasonable price.

Quantity of water
Water sources
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

Ground water (Fe & Mn).

Surface water (pathogens, organic and inorganic
pollutants).
Lake water (algal growth, test and odor)
Sea water (salinity, TDS).
Treated effluent (pathogens, nutrients)

Pollution level
Prior to industries & green revolution, quantity of pollution

was less.
Riverss self cleaning capacity (carrying capacity) was
greater than pollution load (CC > PL).
Presently intensive industrialization, population
explosion and modernization along with agricultural
increased PL from point and non-point source.
(PL > CC), therefore intervention by environmental
engineers (EE) is essential.
EE- Engineers the natural purification processes to amplify
the rates such that the process occurs rapidly.

Extend of treatment
(Water quality and beneficial use)
Beneficial uses:

1. Domestic water high quality

2. Industrial
Process water high quality
Production high quality
Transport water low quality
Housekeeping low quality

3. Recreational : water contact diseases

4. Agricultural : TDS, Na ratio, sodium absorption ratio

(SAR)

Treatment plants
No difference between water and wastewater
(except in biodegradable organic matter).
Similar treatment technologies (unit operation &
processes) can be employed.
Selection of treatment technology depends on
nature of pollutant.
Design period is 15 30 years
Plant planned today should also serve population
for 15 30 years from now, hence need population
projection as well as water demand.

 Water and Wastewater Quality Enhancement: Philosophy of

Treatment
Water is so essential for human life, it can be scourge for health if
polluted and contaminated.
Water should be aesthetic and safe
Now water is heavily polluted by anthropogenic and natural
activities. (see fig.)
Water course polluted by domestic wastewater, industrial
wastewater, and agricultural wastewater.
Domestic w.w.
Industrial w.w

Point source of pollution

Agricultural runoff: Non-Point source of pollution

Anthropogenic activities
Microbial load

Chemical load

Suspended load

Microorganisms

Colloidal/coarse
Inorganic

Organic

(e.g. pesticides)
DDT
Biodegradable

No-biodegradable

(e.g. domestic w.w.)

Industrial w.w.

(e.g. phenola/plastic)

 Philosophy of Treatment
Before water is supplied to community, quality should

have to be enhanced so as to meet water standards.

Simultaneously the wastewater quality to be enhanced
since untreated effluent causes deterioration of water
quality (this called source protection).
Source protection is an effective method of
maintaining high quality and this results in reduction
of water treatment cost.

 Treatment
What are the unit operations & processes required to

produce drinking water?

The main objective of treatment :
Aesthetic water
Safe water

Removal of Turbidity and Pathogens

Pretreatment

Treatment

Chemical
(alum)
Distribution
system

River
Water

Coagulation
Rapid mix

& flocculation

Sedimentation

Filtration

Disinfection

Turbidity 10 15 NTU

Sedimentation : physical
Coagulation &
Flocculation &
Disinfection

Chemical

Filtration: physical & physio-chemical

Ground water
Pretreatment

Treatment

Distribution
system

Aeration

Coagulation

& flocculation

Sedimentation

Pump

Generally free of pathogens

Presence of Fe & Mn
Standard s : Fe < 0.3 mg/l
Mn < 0.05 mg/l
Aeration is required to:
Oxidize Fe 2+ to Fe 3+
Oxidize Mn 2+ to Mn 3+

Filtration

Disinfection

Wastewater Engineering: An Overview

Wastewater is essentially the
water supply of community
after it has been used in variety
of applications
Wastewater is defined as
combination of the liquid or
water-carried wastes removed
from residences, institutions,
and commercials and industrial
establishments, together with
such ground water, surface
water and storm water as may
be presented.

What will happen if untreated wastewater

accumulates and is allowed to go septic ??
The decomposition of organic matter it contains will lead

to nuisance including production of malodorous gases.

Untreated wastewater contains numerous pathogenic
microorganisms that dwell in the human intestinal tract.
Wastewater also contains nutrients, which can stimulate
the growth of aquatic plants.
For these reasons, the immediate and nuisance-free
removal of wastewater from its sources of generation,
followed by treatment, reuse, or dispersal into the
environment is necessary to protect public health and the
environment.

What is wastewater engineering?

It is that branch of Environmental Engineering in

which the basic principles of science and

Engineering are applied to solving the issues
associated with the treatment and reuse of
wastewater.
The terminology used commonly for key concepts

and terms in the field of wastewater management

is summarized in Table 1.1

Table 1.1 Terminology Used in The Field of Wastewater Engineering