Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences Swinburne University of Technology HES4146 Water and Environmental Engineering

Project Milestone A
Group 8 Dayang Zulena (4210581) Muaid Abduklkareem Alnazir Ahmed (4207114) Peerun Mohammud Irfaan (4225929) Sharifah Nur Azureen (4224698) Tang Sieu Wei (4239547) Uhudhu Ahmed (4225953)

HES4146 Water and Environmental Engineering, Semester 2, 2010 GROUP DECLARATION

Declaration We declare that this report contains no material which has been submitted for assessment in any other subject at Swinburne University of Technology. To the best of our knowledge and belief, this report contains no material that has been previously published by any other person, except where due acknowledgement has been made.

Student ID 4225929 4207114 4224698 4239547 4225953 4210581

Family Name

Other Names

Contribution

Signature

Peerun Ahmed Nur Azureen Sieu Wei Ahmed Dayang

Irfaan Muaid Sharifa Tang Uhudhu Zulina

16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 16.67%

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 2. AERATED LAGOONS....................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Advantages ..................................................................................................................... 3 2.2. Disadvantages ................................................................................................................. 4 3. ANAEROBIC FILTER ....................................................................................................... 5 3.1. Advantages ..................................................................................................................... 6 3.2. Disadvantages ................................................................................................................. 7 4. BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT............................................................ 8 4.1. Preliminary Treatment .................................................................................................... 8 4.2. Primary Treatment .......................................................................................................... 8 4.3. Secondary Treatment ...................................................................................................... 8 4.4. Tertiary Treatment .......................................................................................................... 8 4.5. Sludge Treatment............................................................................................................ 9 4.6. Advantages ................................................................................................................... 10 4.7. Disadvantages ............................................................................................................... 10 4.8. Environmental Impacts ................................................................................................. 10 4.9. Prevention ..................................................................................................................... 11 5. CONSTRUCTED WETLAND ......................................................................................... 12 5.1. Design ........................................................................................................................... 12 5.2. Construction ................................................................................................................. 13 5.3. Advantages ................................................................................................................... 14 5.4. Disadvantages and Limitations..................................................................................... 14 6. GRAVEL CONTACT AERATED SYSTEM ................................................................. 15 6.1. Design ........................................................................................................................... 15 6.2. Advantages ................................................................................................................... 16 6.3. Disadvantages ............................................................................................................... 17 7. OXIDATION DITCH ....................................................................................................... 18 7.1. OD System Components .............................................................................................. 18 7.2. How does the OD work? .............................................................................................. 19 7.3. Construction ................................................................................................................. 19 7.4. Cost ............................................................................................................................... 20

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HES4146 Water and Environmental Engineering, Semester 2, 2010 Construction ..................................................................................................................... 20 Operation and Maintenance ............................................................................................. 20 7.5. Advantages ................................................................................................................... 20 7.6. Disadvantage ................................................................................................................ 21 7.7. Environmental Impacts ................................................................................................. 21 Solutions ........................................................................................................................... 21 7.8. OD in Malaysia............................................................................................................. 21 8. SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................. 22 9. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 24 9.1. Selection and Justification ............................................................................................ 24 10. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 25

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1. INTRODUCTION
Sibu is a town located near the Rajang River. It has a population of about 200 000 people. The town is found on the bank of the river and the terrain is known to be very flat. Several septic tanks are used to treat the black water since Sibu does not have a centralized sewage treatment facility. The grey water is being sent directly to the streams. Due to high raise in population and the flat terrain, a serious case of pollution has risen for the drains especially in dry seasons (Sewerage Services Department Sarawak 2011).

Figure 1.1. Map of Sibu Town (Sewerage Services Department Sarawak 2011)

The aim of this project is to find a suitable solution for the wastewater in Sibu town by selecting a suitable wastewater management. Milestone A consists of several proposition about wastewater treatment system such as: Anaerobic Filters, Constructed Wetland, Biological Wastewater Treatment, Gravel Contact Aerated System, Aerated Lagoon and Oxidation Ditch.

The most suitable system is being chosen using a matrix system where the specific components are taken into consideration such as the construction phase, operation, maintenance, design and environmental impacts.

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2. AERATED LAGOONS
Aerated lagoons are suspended-growth process treatment units which provide artificial aeration involves biological oxidation of wastewater for a predetermined period of time. They can deliver a discharge limit of 30mg/L, both total suspended solids (TSS) and Carbonaceous Biological Oxygen Demand 5 (cBOD5) (Lagoon Systems in Maine, 2003).

Figure 2.1. Aerated Lagoons in Malaysia (Indah Water Konsortium, 2011)

Oxygen is supplied through mechanical or diffused aeration rather than by algal photosynthesis. Lagoons systems consists maximum of three lagoons in sequence; initial cell which is a complex mix unit, partial mix and settling cell, with total detention time depends on the water temperature (Environmental Protect Agency 2002).

Table 2-1. Typical figures for Aerated Lagoons (Indah Water Konsortium 2011)

(mg/L) Biological Oxygen Demand Suspended Solids

Raw Sewage 200-400 200-350

Effluent 20-80 40-100

DOE Standard B 50 100

The first lagoon is the most intense aeration, consists of surface aerators where they float on the surface and stir the input continuously with paddle mixer. They operate to maintain oxygen content in the sewage and prevent solids from settling. It requires high amount of energy for an equal sized mixing the municipal waste. It is similar to the activated sludge treatment process but excludes recycling of organic materials. Therefore, the process requires a longer hydraulic detention time compared to activated sludge treatment (Environmental Protect Agency 2002; Indah Water Konsortium 2011).

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Next is the second lagoon where degraded organic matter and sediments are settled to form sludge which takes an average of one day retention time. Lastly, the effluent passes to the final lagoon which function is to discharge to a receiving waterway that has little or no aeration to allow settling. As for today, there are approximately 40 aerated lagoons sewage treatment plants in Malaysia (Environmental Protect Agency 2002; Indah Water Konsortium 2011).

Figure 2.2. Aerated Lagoons diagram (Indah Water Konsortium 2011)

2.1. Advantages Lagoon systems are simple wastewater treatment plants. It can be cost-effective to design and construct in areas where land is inexpensive. Therefore, it is rarely found in densely urban areas (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003). Aerated lagoon systems use less energy compared to other wastewater treatment systems (National Small Flows Clearinghouse 1997). Furthermore, sludge disposal may be necessary but the quantity will be relatively small compared to other secondary treatment processes (Environmental Protect Agency 2002; Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003). The operation and maintenance of lagoon systems are simple; mowing grass and weed growth control around the lagoon. Long grass and weed growths will block wind around the lagoon and cause breeding areas for insects, trap trash, grease and scums to prevent odours. Besides that, they also cause damage to banks and dikes around the lagoons and increase BOD levels. Furthermore, weed growth on the surface of the water prevent sunlight and wind from penetrating the wastewater (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003).

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Lagoon systems are suitable for irrigation due to its high-nutrient and low pathogen content (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003).

2.2. Disadvantages Odour can become unpleasant during spring when algae blooms in cold climates as air changes the environment and microbes which process the wastewater as it reduces the rates of biological activity. As a result, chemical reactions between various types of microbes changes or reduces the odours produced by the lagoons (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003). The site should be distanced from the homes they serve, possibly incurring extra cost on pumps (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003). Cold climate increase sludge accumulation rates due to low temperature which inhibits anaerobic reactions (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003). Requires energy high input (Dawson Wastewater 2011; Environmental Protect Agency 2002). Lagoon systems require large hectares of stable, permafrost-free and level ground land where lagoon structures can be built depends on the soil conditions where the water table and composition of soil should be considered. Otherwise, the surface of the lagoons should be lined materials such as rubber or concrete to prevent environmental impact such as groundwater pollution. Therefore, this method may cause the increase of construction costs (Lagoon Systems in Maine 2003).

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3. ANAEROBIC FILTER
An anaerobic filter is a fixed-bed biological reactor. Organic matter can be dissolved by the filter and non-settleable solids are filtered and anaerobically digested by bacteria of the biofilm attached to the filter materials. When wastewater flows through the filter, particles are trapped and organic matter is degraded by the biomass. Anaerobic filters are commonly used as secondary treatment of waste water in household blackwater or greywater treatment systems. It also can improve the solid removal compared to septic tanks or anaerobic baffled reactors.

Filter material normally used includes gravel, crushed rocks, cinder or specially formed plastic pieces. Typical filter material sizes range from 12 to 55mm in diameter. Filters with two to three filter layers and a minimum depth of 0.8 to 1.2m are recommended. The material will provide 90 to 300m2 of the surface area per 1m3 of reactor volume. There is increased between the organic matter and the active biomass that effectively degrades it to providing the large surface area for the bacterial mass.

The anaerobic filter can be functioned as up-flow or down-flow systems. The up-flow systems are recommended because there is less risk that washed out active bacteria. On the other hand, flushing of the filter for the purpose of cleaning is easier with the down-flow system. A combination of the down-flow and up-flow chambers is also possible. The water level should cover the filter media by at least 30cm to guarantee an even flow system. Filter material size may decrease from bottom to top with the up-flow systems. As the wastewater flows through the filter usually from the bottom to the top (up-flow), it comes into contact with the biomass on the filter and is subjected to anaerobic filter.

Anaerobic filter are used for wastewater with a low percentages of suspended solids and narrow COD/BOD ratio (Chemical Oxygen Demand/Biological Oxygen Demand). It is suitable for all industrial wastewater and domestic wastewater which has a low content of suspended solids. The anaerobic filter can be built above or below ground depending on land availability and the hydraulic gradient of the sewer. However, most often they are below the ground surface to save space, to reduce health risks and to provide insulation and protection against cold climates.

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Figure 3.1 Three chamber anaerobic filter units following a septic tank. Source: SASSE (1998)

Figure 3.2 Three setting chambers followed by five anaerobic filter units. Source: SANIMAS (2005)

3.1. Advantages Resistant to organic and hydraulic shock loadings. Low reduction of nutrients, thus outflow adapter for reuse in agriculture. Low sludge yield. No electrical energy required. Can be built and repaired with locally available materials. Long life services. Moderate capital costs, moderate operating costs depending on emptying; can be lowered depending on number of users. High reduction of BOD and solids. Low-energy process and making it more environmentally friendly. Lower running costs as a result of the low energy inputs.

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3.2. Disadvantages Not good at removing non-organic pollution within wastewater, such as nutrients or disease-causing micro-organisms (pathogens). Requires constant source of water. Effluent requires secondary treatment and appropriate discharge. Low reduction of pathogens and nutrients Requires expert design and construction. Long to start up time. Only suitable for low-density housing in areas with low water table and not prone to flooding.

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4. BIOLOGICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Biological Wastewater Treatment is known as the process to treat wastewater using biological products such as micro-organisms, to achieve the required water standard. It consist mainly 3 stages namely Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Treatment (SA Water 2004).

4.1. Preliminary Treatment This stage consists of removing large solids like rags, plastics, sticks by the use of a screen. This is to prevent any problems caused to the machinery or processes of the treatment system.

4.2. Primary Treatment The primary treatment consists of the removal of suspended solids and organic matter by the use of a primary settling tank. The wastewater consisting of the solid particles is flowed through the settling tank at a specific rate where the solid waste are being collected at the centre of the tank and pumped for advance treatment.

4.3. Secondary Treatment Micro-organisms are being used to break down the organic solids also known as the activated sludge process. The settled wastewater flows to an aeration tank oxidation occurs by the means of blowing air into the wastewater. The oxidation makes the micro-organisms to achieve a high growth and reproduce. The composition of the wastewater and the micro-organisms are then further passed through a clarifier, also known as secondary sedimentation tank, where the biomass is being settled at the bottom of the tank and is saturated as sludge. Part of the sludge is reused in the aeration tank to maintain the biomass. This process is called the activated sludge. The rest is pumped out to anaerobic digesters for advanced treatment (SA Water 2004). The cleared water is then sent to tertiary treatment.

4.4. Tertiary Treatment This stage is to disinfect so as to reduce pathogens that are the micro-organisms which is hazardous to human health. A certain dose of chlorine is usually used for the disinfection. Further treatment is needed so that the wastewater can be reused for purposes like irrigation.

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4.5. Sludge Treatment The sludge collected from the tank can be furthermore processed by heating it at 35 degrees Celsius in an enclosed digester. During this process, methane gas is being produced which can be used to produce electricity. It is a good means of reducing the use of non-renewable energy.

The water from the sludge is being dried by natural evaporation and the dry bio-solid obtained is used as fertilizer (SA Water 2004).

Figure 4.1 Biological Wastewater Treatment Process (SA Water 2004)

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4.6. Advantages Environment friendly reduces the use of non-renewable energy Affordable suitable for a small scale project Gas and fertilizer are obtained as residue it can produce its own electricity by using the gas produced and the fertilizers can be sold and reduce the operational cost. Low cost to construct and operate simple technology used, no expensive machinery required. Good water quality obtained the water can be reused for several purposes such as irrigation. Less-skilled operators can be recruited employment is being created for the people nearby. Chemical-free non-toxic process.

4.7. Disadvantages Slow process since the wastewater has to be flowed at a specific rate, the production is relatively slow. Cultural acceptability the community people do not accept the recycled wastewater heartily. Unpleasant odour resulting complaints if it is located nearby a residential area. Constant maintenance required the plant has to be maintained constantly so as to achieve a good water quality. Requires a large piece of land the treatment plant consisting of the screening, primary settling tank, secondary settling tank, biological filters and sludge tank, hence a big area is required for this system.

4.8. Environmental Impacts There will be a temporary impact while considering the construction phase of the treatment plant such as drilling, blasting rocks, excavation works and natural habitats might be destroyed depending on the site location. Solid waste during the construction should be treated or reused so as not to pollute the surroundings. But all these are considered as short term impacts.

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Since this project is to be built in an urban area, the odour from the wastewater might be a problem and also if there is any residential area nearby, several complaints would be imminent. But since it does not use much energy to operate and also it can produce its own electricity by means of the residual gas, methane, it is considered as eco-friendly and hence reduces the use of non-renewable energy. There is no use of toxic materials during the production.

4.9. Prevention The workers can be trained so as to reduce the wastage on site while operating or maintaining the treatment plant. During construction, the trucks entering and going out of the construction site shall be covered and the dust areas shall be spilled with water so as to reduce the dust. Workers will be provided with appropriate safety mask and equipment. The construction and operation time should not be during the night so as not to disturb people from any source of noise.

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5. CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
Constructed wetlands are designed based on natural wetland ecosystems. Compared to natural wetlands, constructed wetlands allow for controlled performance and higher reliability. They use the physical, chemical and biological processes to remove contaminants and rely primarily on natural components to maintain the major treatment operations, compared to other alternatives which use energy intensive mechanical equipment while using natural process such as gravity and biodegradation only to some extent. This results in constructed wetlands requiring lower operations and maintenance requirements and comparatively lower energy usage (Vesilind 2004)

5.1. Design A constructed wetland is typically an artificial wetland, marsh or swamp built to treat contaminated wastewater. There are two main categories of wetlands which are surface flow and subsurface flow. There are four key components in all constructed wetlands, Soil and drainage materials (such as pipes and gravel), Water, Plants (both above and below the water) and Micro-organisms.

Figure 5.1 Surface flow and subsurface flow constructed wetlands (Vesilind 2004)

Surface flow wetlands are more common in wastewater treatment and consist of a low permeability material such as clay or synthetic liner to prevent groundwater contamination. Project Milestone A 12

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Influent passes at elevated height into the system which consists of plant, microorganisms and water (Vesilind, 2004). The plants has several functions including Support for microorganisms Shade which reduces algae growth Insulate the water from heat loss Filter solids, debris and pathogens Provide dissolved oxygen

The plants will dominate the systems due to the high nutrient level. Commonly used plants include cattails, reeds, rushes, bulrushes, arrowhead and sedges. Subsurface flow wetlands are differentiated by the wastewater being kept below the surface of the medium consisting of materials ranging from coarse gravel to sand type materials. This reduces mosquito and odour problems.

As water flows through the system, the velocity is reduced and the suspended solids are trapped by vegetation and settles. Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, are deposited into wetlands from storm water runoff, from areas where fertilizers or manure have been applied and from leaking septic fields (Davis, 1998). These excess nutrients are often absorbed by wetland soils and taken up by plants and microorganisms. Other pollutants are transformed to less soluble forms or rendered inactive while the microorganisms also remove the pollutants from the water.

A typical design criterion includes a detention time of 7 days and a hydraulic loading 200 m3 /ha-d. Water depths in surface flow wetlands have been 100 to 450mm while bed depths for subsurface flow wetlands have been 0.45 to 1m. The system can achieve effluent of 5 to 10 mg/L BOD and total nitrogen and 5 to 15 mg/L total suspended solids (TSS).

5.2. Construction Wetlands are usually constructed on uplands and outside floodplains in order to avoid the impact on natural wetlands and other aquatic resources. The construction consists of excavating, backfilling, grading, and diking. Water control structures are installed at the design levels to establish hydraulic flow patterns. Wetland vegetation is then planted or allowed to establish naturally.

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5.3. Advantages Wetlands are biologically diverse and productive. When artificially replicated it can be a sustainable alternative for the treatment of wastewater. They are an environmentallysensitive approach that is viewed with favour by the general public (Vesilind 2004). Constructed wetlands require low construction and maintenance cost as use of mechanical instruments are limited and the system depends mostly on natural processes. Operation and maintenance require only periodic, rather than continuous, on-site labour. The approach of using wetlands is technically feasible in most areas where space is available. The scale of the wetland can be adjusted to the required needs and as such, the usage is flexible. Wetlands can tolerate fluctuations in flow. Wetlands are aesthetically pleasing compared to other alternatives to water treatment. It can reduce or in some cases eliminate odour associated with wastewater. They can be built to fit harmoniously into the landscape

5.4. Disadvantages and Limitations They generally require larger land areas than do conventional wastewater treatment systems. Wetland treatment may be economical relative to other options only where land is available and affordable. Performance may be less consistent than in conventional treatment. Wetland treatment efficiencies may vary seasonally in response to changing environmental conditions, including rainfall and drought. Wetland treatment cannot be relied upon if effluent quality must meet stringent discharge standards at all times. The biological components are sensitive to toxic chemicals, such as ammonia and pesticides (Vesilind 2004). Flushes of pollutants or surges in water flow may temporarily reduce treatment effectiveness. They require a minimum amount of water to survive. They can tolerate temporary drawdown but cannot withstand complete drying.

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6. GRAVEL CONTACT AERATED SYSTEM

In Japan, their Ministry of Land, Infrastructures, Transport and Tourism using gravel contact aeration system to clean water in the rivers, process in which the pollutants are broken down and removed by the microorganisms growing on the surface of the gravel. Besides that, the waters have been cleaned through removal of Nitrogen and Phosphorus by aquatic plants such as reeds and others plants.

The gravel contact aeration system is a simple structurally process and it is can be designed for different size of population with a vary site conditions. This system is a low maintenance cost because it gives out a little sludge. This system is agreed for rural areas and it is decentralized treatment system.

6.1. Design A gravel contact oxidation treatment system is a kind of packed-bed reactor with the packed medium of gravels as biofilm carriers. It might be classified as one type of natural and ecological treatment techniques for the improvement of river water quality. When the system is applied to treat the polluted river water, two installation ways are always seen (Crite et al. 2000; Reed 2000; Kivaisi 2001; Zhen 2002; Tsai 2007). First one is installing the treatment system beside the river, and the other one is installing it inside the river. For the first way, the river water should be pumped or directed by gravity to the gravel contact oxidation treatment system located beside the river. However, for the second way, the river water normally flows by gravity through the gravel-packed-bed reactor. No matter which way is selected, biofilm will grow on the surface of gravels and utilize the organic pollutants in the river water. Some researchers reported that the biofilm growing on the gravels will be thicker for an open channel with lower flow velocity (Lau, 1990; Lau and Liu, 1993). The whole treatment system included a compound section of inlet channel, two bar screens, one grit chamber, three influent distribution channels, three effluent collection channels, and three gravel-packed contact oxidation tanks with the backwash air pipes and sludge collection channel installed at their bottoms. The sludge must be removed once or twice a year and it is then recycled as a fertilizers.

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Figure 6.1 The flow of the gravel contact aeration process and gravel contact aeration process.

The design flow rate of this system was 10,000 CMD (m3/day), and it flew through the whole system by gravity. During clear days, the polluted river water will flow through inlet channel, pass through two bar screens, then enter the grit chamber. At the end of grit chamber, three distribution weirs and three distribution channels are used to evenly distribute river water into three gravel-packed contact oxidation tanks. The treated water of each contact oxidation tank will flow through a collection channel and then back to the downstream of the river. During wet days, if the river flow rate is higher than the design flow rate, the superfluous flow will directly pass through the treatment system to the downstream of the river. The sludge assembly about 15 to 25 percentages if compared to activated sludge process or oxidation ditch process. This is very much lower than activated sludge process and low maintenance cost is required.

6.2. Advantages Rural areas, which are less densely populated than urban areas, require a decentralized sewage treatment system to cover a relatively highly populated area rather than a large-scale centralized sewage treatment system as seen in urban areas. In view of the economic situation of rural areas, systems that have low construction, maintenance, and operation costs are required. The environmental impact of this system is low because it is produce less sludge than activated sludge process and it require a small land. Low construction, low maintenance, low operation cost

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The improvement of hygienic conditions in rural areas and the reduction of effects on watersheds. No odours-topped with soil. Less sludge produces than activated sludge process. No power consumed in the whole treatment process. It is buried underground.

Figure 6.2 The construction status of the low cost facility.

6.3. Disadvantages

There is less information available on domestic wastewater discharge conditions in

rural areas than on those in urban areas. Unable to cater for increase in wastewater volume. Decentralized sewage treatment- each residential area required one or two system.

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7. OXIDATION DITCH
According to United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA (2010) Oxidation ditch (OD) is a modified form of activated sludge system which utilizes long solids retention time (SRTs) in order to remove biodegradable organics. The treatment or detention process via OD takes long time and is capable of removing 75%-95% of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) based on Indah Water Consortium Corporate (n.d).

Figure 7.1 Oxidation ditch overview (The Water Treatments 2011)

7.1. OD System Components OD system comprises of a single or multiple channel that has a ring or elliptical basin. Besides that, the channel is equipped with aqua rotor to circulate and aerates the waste water in the channel therefore OD can be considered as a mechanical system. Also, the OD system needs a clarifier to remove the suspended solids (Japanese Advanced Environment Equipment 2002).

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7.2. How does the OD work?

Figure 7.2 Typical oxidation ditch (United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA 2010 cited in Parsons Engineering Science Inc. 2000)

General design of the OD process includes two separate aeration basin, the first is anoxic and the second is aerobic (United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA 2010). The waste water is diverted to the ditch after the primary treatment to mix with the return activated sludge from a secondary clarifier. The mixture enters the anoxic zone. Then a rotor works to mix the liquor to increase the amount of the Oxygen and foster the microbial growth to start the biological process to treat the raw water from the organic waste. The waste water in the ditch has to maintain a depth of 0.9-1.5 m to prevent any anaerobic condition at the bottom of the basin (The Water Treatments 2011). When the treatment is completed in the ditch, the water is taken to a secondary clarifier to clean it from the suspended solids before proceeding to the disinfection stage to make the effluent ready to dispose.

7.3. Construction Normally the channel is constructed from a reinforced concrete. Other materials such as gunite, asphalt, clay or even butyl rubber can also be used (United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA 2010).

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7.4. Cost Construction A large area is needed to build the OD treatment system. Therefore this system is not advisable for the urban areas where the land is expensive. Operation and Maintenance The system requires little maintenance, minimal operator attention, low energy, no chemicals are used in the system, and limited staff needed to operate the system, all together, contributes to the saving costs of the OD system compared to other secondary system used.

7.5. Advantages Japanese Advanced Environment Equipment (2002) and United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA (2010) highlighted both advantages and disadvantages of the OD system. The main advantage of the method is the ability to achieve performance objective with low operational and maintenance requirements and costs. More specified advantages include: OD system is a measure of reliability and performance owning to a constant water level and continues discharge that lowers the weir overflow rate and prevents the periodic effluent surge which is common to other secondary processes. The system is energy efficient as little energy required which results in saving costs. The sludge resulted is little compared to other biological methods due to extended biological activity during the activated sludge treatment. The ease of operating OD process which helps on minimizing the number of staff required to operate the process. The system minimizes the impact of a shock load or hydraulic surge due to long hydraulic retention time (HTT) and complete mixing using the rotor.

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7.6. Disadvantage OD needs a large land area compared to other biological systems. The basin area depends on the capacity size, design effluent limitations, land and construction costs and others. The suspended solids concentration is quite high compared to other sludge modification activated processes.

7.7. Environmental Impacts As mentioned earlier the system requires a large piece of land, therefore, clearing the land, cutting the trees, noise and displacement of animals during the construction period are considered as negative impacts. While the long term impacts can include the sludge that is resulted from the treatment if it is being disposed direct without further treatment that will definitely harms the surrounding. Moreover, the unpleasant odours cannot be avoided in the treatment plant. Solutions The surrounding of the treatment area has to be planted to replace the trees that were cut during the construction. Also, the sludge has to be taken to further treatment to be used as source energy and fertilizers in agriculture.

7.8. OD in Malaysia Currently there are approximately 30 OD systems in Malaysia. The system is graded to be A standard in waste water treatment according to Indah Water Consortium Corporate (n.d).

Table 7-1 Typical figures for ODs (Indah Water Consortium Corporate n.d) (mg/L) Raw Sewage Effluent DOE Standard A 10-30 15-40 20 50

Biological Oxygen Demand 200-400 Suspended Solids 200-350

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8. SELECTION OF ALTERNATIVE
The factors that were considered in the selection of the alternatives (American Water Works Association, 1999) included: (1) Source water quality, (2) Regulatory compliance and contaminant removal requirements, (3) Process reliability and flexibility, (4) Initial construction and annual operating and maintenance costs, (5) Environmental impacts, (6) Utility preferences and capabilities, (7) Available site space, and (8) Residuals handling requirements and site constraints.

Factors such as source water quality and regulatory compliance and contaminant removal requirements and available site space were site dependent and thus common to all the alternatives. The above mentioned factors were evaluated and scored on a matrix to

determine the best alternatives. Weightage was based on the importance of that particular factor in the selection of alternative.

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Table 8-1 Matrix

Design Sustainability Environmental Impacts Utility Requirements

Construction

Operation

Maintenance

Expansion Capacity

Level of Flexibility

Process Reliability

Regular/Periodical

Space Required

Contamination

Water Quality

Alternative Difficulty Cost Cost

Residual Handling

Weightage 1) Aerated Lagoons 2) Anaerobic Filter 3) Biological Wastewater Treatment 4) Constructed Wetland 5) Gravel Contact 6) Oxidation Ditch

5 I III III I I II

5 I I II I II I

4 I I II II I I

2 1 2 1 3 2 2

3 3 1 1 3 3 2

3 1 3 3 3 3 2

2 P P R P P P

4 I III I II I I

5 III II III I II III

4 B A A C A A

5 III II II III II III

2 A A C A B A

3 1 3 2 1 3 1

Centralized

Possibility

Cost

3 Y N Y Y N Y 133 107 108 102 112 129

Legends I II
Low 1 Large A Minor Moderate Major SIMPLE MODERATE COMPLEX R P Regular Periodical Y N Centralized Decentralized 3 points 2 points 1 point Weightage Scale from 1 (low importance) to 5 (high importance)

Medium 2 Medium B 3 Small C

III High

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Overall Score

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9. CONCLUSION
In conclusion the report highlights six different alternatives for the wastewater treatment plant project for Sibu town. The six options are aerated lagoons, anaerobic filter, biological wastewater treatment, constructed wetland, gravel contact aerated system and oxidation ditch. Each one of the alternative was discussed and then graded based on six criteria the team decided to use in the matrix. The chosen option is the one which has the highest overall score namely the aerated Lagoons with 133 points.

9.1. Selection and Justification The aerated lagoons are the best systems which can be used for the waste water treatment for Sibu town as the system successfully fulfil the requirements of the client about the cost, sustainability and environmental impacts.

The aerated lagoons have a disadvantage in terms of reliability. However, aerated lagoons are being extensively used here in Malaysia as there are forty of them which indicate how the system can be relied upon. Therefore, aerated lagoons are the most suitable solution for Sibu town waste water treatment plant over the other treatment options.

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10.REFERENCES
American Water Works Association 1999, Water Quality and Treatmenet: A Handbook of Community Water Supplies, 5th Edition edn., McGraw-Hill, New York. Davis, L 1998, A Handbook of Constructed Wetlands, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Environmental Protection Agency-Region III, Pennsylvania Dawson Wastewater. (2011). Aerated Lagoon. Viewed on 18 September 2011,

<http://www.dawsonwastewater.ca/documents/aeratedlagoon/AeratedLagoonHandout.pdf> D. F. Juang, et.(1 June 2008), Treatment of polluted river water by a gravel contact oxidation system constructed under riverbed Viewed on 18 September 2011,

<http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/92220080303.pdf> EPA 2011, 'Constructed Wetlands', Constructed Treatment Wetlands, United States Environmental Protection Agency, viewed 19 September 2011. Environmental Protect Agency. (2002). Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet. Viewed: 17 September 2011, <http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/upload/2002_10_15_mtb_apartlag.pdf.> HakanModin, (2008), Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Treatment in Rural Areas in ChinaEfforts of the Japan-China Water Environment Partnership Project, Viewed on 17 September 2011,

<http://www.wepadb.net/pdf/0810forum/paper08.pdf > Introduction to Environemnetal Engineering 2004, Second Edition, P.Aarne Vesilind, Susan M. Morgan, Thomson Books/Cole Indah Water Consortium Corporate (n.d), Sewerage Facts, viewed 20 September 2011,

<http://www.iwk.com.my/sewerage-fact-02-01c.htm> Indah Water Konsortium. (2011). Sewage Treatment Plant: Package Plant. Viewed: 17 September 2011 , <http://www.iwk.com.my/sewerage-fact-02-01a.htm.> Lagoon Systems in Maine. (2003). Aerated Lagoons Wastewater Treatment, Viewed on 17th September 2011, <http://www.lagoonsonline.com/. > Malaysia Travel site, 2007, Sibu City Map, viewed on 18 September 2011,.

<http://travel.110mb.com/Maps/Sarawak/sibu.html> METCALF & EDDY, Fourth Edition, Wastewater Engineering Treatment and Reuse Motoyuki Mizuochi, (2008), Small-Scale Domestic Wastewater Treatment Technology in Japan, and the Possibility of Technological Transfer, Viewed on 18th September 2011, <http://www.wepadb.net/pdf/0712forum/paper18.pdf> National Small Flows Clearinghouse. (1997). Lagoon System Can Provide Low-Cost Wastewater Treatment, Viewed on 17th September 2011<

http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/WW/publications/pipline/PL_SP97.pdf. > SA Water, 2004, Wastewater Treatment Process, viewed on 19 September 2011.

<http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Education/OurWastewaterSystems/Wastewater%20Treatment% 20Process.htm> Sewerage Services Department Sarawak, 14th Septembre on 2011, 18 Ninth Malaysia Plan

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2011<http://www.ssd.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/page.php?id=76&menu_id=0 &sub_id=157> SSWM (sustainable sanitation and water management), Anaerobic Filter, Viewed on 19 September 2011, <http://www.sswm.info/category/implementation-tools/wastewater-treatment/hardware/site-storageand-treatments/anaerobic-fi> The Water Treatments 2011, Oxidation ditch, viewed on 20 September 2011,

<http://www.thewatertreatments.com/waste-water-treatment-filtration-purify-seprationsewage/oxidation-ditch-sewage-treatment.> United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA 2000, Wastewater technology fact sheet, viewed 20 September <http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/upload/2002_06_28_mtb_oxidation_ditch.pdf> UK Anaerobic Filter, Viewed on 18 September 2011,<http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Anaerobic_Filter>,. WELL Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater: How appropriate is it for low-income countries, Water, Engineering and Development Centre, viewed 19 September 2011, 2011,

<http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-htm/Anaerobic%20treatment.htm>.

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