Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sewer Systems 1
1. Concept
What is a Sewer System?
Sewer Systems 2
1. Concept
What Kinds of Sewer Systems Exist?
Sewer Systems 3
Use of Sewer System
•In many countries around the world, flush toilets and sewer systems
are the common sanitary systems.
•However, there are several possibilities to keep your wastewater low
and provide a sustainable treatment:
Simplified sewer
system
Vertical constructed wetland
Urine diversion
flush toilet
Rooftop rainwater
harvesting as a
water source.
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3. Conventional Sewers
Design
• Wastewater is transported to a centralised treatment facility by
gravity.
• Depending on topography, sewer pumping stations are necessary.
• The lines are in a depth of 1.5 to 3 m and manholes provide access
for maintenance.
• It must be designed to maintain “self-cleansing” velocity that no
particles accumulate
Cross-section of a
conventional sewer in a
common urban set-up.
Source: EAWAG/SANDEC (2008)
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3. Conventional Sewers
Costs
Maintenance and
operation of the City's
water system is quite a
costly task. Source: THE CITY OF
MADERA (n.y.)
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3. Conventional Sewers
Operation & Maintenance
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3. Conventional Sewers
Applicability
• Suitable for urban areas that have the resources such a system.
• They only make sense if a centralised treatment system exists
which is able to handle big loads of waste- and stormwater.
• Sufficient water as a transport medium needs to be available.
• A professional management system must be in place.
• They provide a high level of hygiene and comfort for the user.
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3. Conventional Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Convenience (minimal • High capital costs
intervention by users) • Need a reliable supply of piped water
– Low health risk • Difficult to construct in high-density
– No nuisance from smells, areas, difficult and costly to maintain
mosquitoes or flies • Recycling of nutrients and energy
– Stormwater and greywater becomes difficult
can be managed at the • Unsuitability for self-help, requires
same time skilled engineers and operators
– No problems related to • Problems associated with blockages
discharging industrial and breakdown of pumping equipment
wastewater • Adequate treatment and/or disposal
– Moderate operation and required
maintenance costs
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4. Separate Sewers
Design Principle
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4. Separate Sewers
Costs
Health Aspect
• More secure than a conventional system, because blackwater is
transported in a closed network.
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4. Separate Sewers
Applicability
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4. Separate Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Surface run-off, greywater • Supply of piped water
and blackwater can be • Difficult to construct in high-
managed separately density areas, difficult and costly
– Limited of sewage overflow to maintain
– Low health risk • High capital costs
– No nuisance from smells, • Requires skilled engineers and
mosquitoes or flies operators
– No problems related to • Problems associated with
discharging industrial blockages and breakdown of
wastewater pumping equipment
– Moderate operation costs • Adequate treatment and/or
– Surface run-off and disposal required
rainwater can be reused • Higher risk of water pollution by
accidents
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Design Principle (MARA 1996)
•It is a simplified sewerage, which is technically and institutionally
feasible, economically appropriate and financially affordable sanitation
option.
• It consists of:
• Small-diameter pipes (e.g. 100 mm).
• Inspections chambers (for maintenance).
• Every household should have a grease trap or an other appropriate
pre-treatment facility.
• Semi-centralised treatment facility or transfer/ discharge station.
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Design Principle (TILLEY et al. 2008; SANIMAS 2005)
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Costs (MARA 1996)
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Operation & Maintenance (BRIKKE and BREDERO 2003)
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Applicability (TILLEY et al. 2008; BRIKKE and BREDERO 2003)
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5. Simplified and Condominal Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Can be built and repaired with • Requires water for flushing
locally available materials • Requires expert design
– Construction can provide short- • Requires repairs and removals of
term employment to local blockages more frequently than a
labourers conventional sewer
– Capital costs are between 50 • Effluent and sludge requires secondary
and 80 % less than conventional treatment
gravity sewers • Overflow if not maintained properly
– Operating costs are low • Blockage because of illegal connections
– Can be extended as a • Only suitable where there are
community changes and grows interceptor tanks, septic tanks or other
pre-treatment systems
• Requires the involvement of a well-
organised sewerage department
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6. Solids-free Sewers
Design Principle
Sewer Systems 22
6. Solids-free Sewers
Design Principle
•If well maintained, there is little risk of clogging, thus there is no need
of self-cleansing velocity, i.e.;
•Shallow depths
•Small or even inflective gradients
•Fewer inspection points
•Can follow topography more closely
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6. Solids-free Sewers
Costs (TILLEY et al. 2008)
• Solids-free sewers can be built for 20% to 50% less costs than
conventional sewerage.
• Repairs and removal of as well as costs for emptying the pre-
settling unit must be considered.
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6. Solids-free Sewers
Operation & Maintenance (TILLEY et al. 2008)
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6. Solids-free Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Can be built and repaired with • Requires repairs and removals of
locally available materials blockages more frequently than
– Capital costs are less than for a conventional gravity sewer
conventional sewers • Requires expert design and
– Low operating costs if well construction supervision
maintained • Requires education and
– Can be extended as a acceptance to be used correctly
community changes and grows • Effluent and sludge (from
– Appropriate for densely interceptors) requires secondary
populated areas with sensitive treatment and/or appropriate
groundwater or no space for a discharge
soak pit or leaching field
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Design Principle
A pressurised sewer
system is
independent from
land topography and
does not need deep
excavation work.
Source: ITT (n.y.)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Design Principle (WERF 2010)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Design Principle – Pressure Sewer Unit (SHOALHAVEN n.y.)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Design Principle – Pressure Sewer Unit
A prefabricated pressure sewer unit made out of plastic for outside placement. Source: SHOALHAVEN WATER (n.y.)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Costs (WERF 2010)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Operation & Maintenance
Three examples of damages on pressurised piping system. Therefore it is very important to inspect and
maintain the sewer system. This avoids high repair cost, environmental damages and public health
hazard. Source: WSAA (2003)
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Applicability
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7. Pressurised Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Effective wastewater • Needs expert design, high capital
transportation at minimum costs
depth, minimising the • Needs a permanent energy source
excavation for the piping system • A proper recycling of nutrients and
– Gravity free; independent from energy becomes difficult, because all
land topography kinds of wastes are mixed
– Lower costs compared to a • Unsuitability for self-help, requires
conventional gravity sewer (pipe skilled engineers & operators
size and depth requirements are • It is still a flushing system which
reduced and many small pumps transports wastewater away. If there
are cheaper than some large- is no treatment plant and an
capacity lift stations) unprofessional discharge it can
– Requires little water only for contaminate the environment
transporting the excreta • Leakages may lead to contaminations
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Design Principle
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Design Principle
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Design Principle (PDH ENGINEER 2007)
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Design Principle – Transport of Wastewater (PDH ENGINEER 2007)
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Design Principle - Piping
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Costs
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Operation & Maintenance
Construction of
a sewer at the
left side and
pressure testing
et the right
side. Source: ROEDIGER
(2007)
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8. Vacuum Sewers
Applicability
Sewer Systems 42
8. Vacuum Sewers
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Requires less flushing water • Needs expert design
– Considerable savings in • Needs energy to create the
construction costs permanent vacuum
– Shallow and narrow trenches, • Relatively high capital costs
small diameter pipelines, • Recycling of nutrients and
flexible pipeline construction energy becomes difficult
– Sewers and water mains can be • Unsuitability for self-help,
laid in a common trench requires skilled engineers
– Closed systems with no leakage operators
or smell • It is still a flushing system. If
– No manholes along the vacuum there is no treatment plant and
sewers an unprofessional discharge it
– One central vacuum station can can contaminate the
replace several pumping stations environment
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Design Principle (WHO 1991)
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Design Principle Case
•‘El Gran Canal’ in Mexico City used as primary drainage system. The
water in this canal, which also transports rain and stormwater, is
heavily polluted with litter and untreated wastewater.
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Design Principle – Steep Terrain
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Design Principle – Flat Terrain
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Design Principle – Transport of Wastewater
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Costs (WHO 1991)
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Operation & Maintenance (WHO 1991)
Open drains bear a high health risk, because water in open channels
can contain all sorts of contaminants and pathogens
•Ponding enforces mosquito breeding
•Illegal disposal of solid waste leads to clogging
•Defecation into these channels is not an unusual habit
Children tend to play in such channels
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Applicability
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9. Open Channels and Drains
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Low-cost drain-off solution if • High health risk due to risk
drains already exist illegal discharge of wastewaters
– Simple to construct and solid waste
– Construction materials are • Blockages can cause spill-over
often locally available and flooding
– Creates employment • Foul odour source establishment
(construction and maintenance) • Breeding ground for insects and
pests
• Regular cleaning service
required to remove solids
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10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Design Principle (EESD 2003)
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10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Design Principle
A sewer pumping
station in Germany with
the pump shaft and the
electricity/control unit.
Source: MAW (2010)
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10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Costs
Sewer Systems 56
10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Operation & Maintenance
Sewer Systems 57
10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Applicability
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10. Sewer Pumping Stations
Pros and Cons
•Advantages: Disadvantages:
– Sewage can be pumped • Very costly
automatically to higher • Local availability of
elevations construction material and
– No contact with wastewater spare parts
is necessary • Needs expert design
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Design Principle (TILLEY et al. 2008)
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Design Principle (TILLEY et al. 2008)
• The dumping point at the transfer station should be built low enough
to minimise spills when labourers are manually emptying their sludge
carts.
• It should include a vent, a trash screen to remove large debris
(garbage) and a washing facility for vehicles.
• It should be well protected and maintained to prevent random
dumping into the sewer and to ensure the safety of the users.
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Costs (TILLEY et al. 2008)
•The moderate capital costs may be offset with access permits and the
construction and maintenance can create local income.
•The system for issuing permits or charging access fees must be
carefully designed so that those who most need the service are not
excluded because of high costs.
•Costs for maintenance, observation and operation of the facility must
be considered.
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Operation & Maintenance (TILLEY et al. 2008)
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Applicability (TILLEY et al. 2008)
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11. Transfer and Sewer Discharge Stations
Pros and Cons (TILLEY et al. 2008)
• Advantages: Disadvantages:
– May reduce illegal dumping of • Requires expert design and
faecal sludge construction supervision
– Moderate capital and operation • May cause blockages and disrupt
costs sewer flow (sewer discharge
– Potential for local job creation station)
and income generation • Sludge requires secondary
– Reduces transport distance and treatment and/or appropriate
may encourage more discharge
community-level emptying • Requires an institutional framework
solutions taking care of access fees,
connection to sewers or regular
emptying and maintenance
• Requires expert design and
construction supervision
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