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building services & engineering I

SEWAGE TREATMENT

:: LECTURE SEQUENCE

:. 1.: introduction
:. 2.: objectives of sewage treatment
:. 3.: types of sewage treatment
:. 4.: individual septic tank
:. 5.: sewage treatment plant

:: 1. INTRODUCTION
SEWAGE
Liquid waste from 2 types 1. sanitary sewage.
stormwater

2.

Sanitary sewage generated from homes, institutions and

industries.
Stormwater generated from rain or melting snow that
drains off rooftops, lawns, parking lots, roads and etc.
Sewage is characterized in terms of its physical, chemical
and biological composition.
The main physical, chemical and biological constituents of
domestic sewage may be summarized as follows:
Physical Properties : Colour, Odor, Solids, Temperature
Chemical Constituents :
Organic - Carbohydrates, Fats, Oil, Grease, Proteins,
and Surfactants
Inorganic - pH, Chlorides, Citrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur
Gases - Hydrogen Culphide, Methane, Oxygen

SEWERAGE SYSTEM

Network of pipes that carries sewage to a sewage

treatment plant

SEWAGE TREATMENT
A multi-stage process to improve and purify the water,
removing some or all of the contaminants making it fit for
reuse or discharge back to the environment.
Discharge may be to surface water such as rivers or the
ocean,
or to ground water that lies beneath the land surface of
the earth.
Properly treating the wastewater acceptable overall water
quality is maintained.

:: 2. OBJECTIVES OF SEWAGE TREATMENT

Sewage treatment is done in order to remove or alter its
objectionable properties so as to render it less dangerous
or offensive.
Following reasons may be taken into account:
1.To stabilize the sewage without causing odour and nuisance,
and without endangering public health
2.To prevent damage done to receiving waters such as rivers,
canals, coastal waters and etc.
3.Basic wastewater treatment facilities reduce organic and
suspended solids to limit pollution to the environment.

:: 3. TYPES OF SEWAGE TREATMENT

TYPES OF SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM

Treat
larger
volumes
of
municipal or industrial waste

Treat small volumes of waste

(from a single household,small
commercial + industrial

:: 4. INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANK

INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANK
The purpose of the septic tank is to separate liquids from solids and to
provide some breakdown of organic matter in the wastewater.
A septic tank is a buried, watertight container made from concrete,
polyethylene or fiberglass, with an inlet and outlet pipe.
A septic system consists of two main parts-a septic tank and a drainfield.
Wastewater flows from the home to the septic tank through the sewer pipe.
The septic tank treats the wastewater naturally by holding it in the tank
long enough for solids and liquids to separate.
The wastewater forms three layers
inside the tank.
Solids lighter than water (such as
greases and oils) float to the top
forming a layer of scum.
Solids heavier than water settle at the
bottom of the tank forming a layer of
sludge. This leaves a middle layer of
partially clarified wastewater.

INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANK

The layers of sludge and scum remain in the septic tank where bacteria
found naturally in the wastewater work to break the solids down.
The sludge and scum that cannot be broken down are retained in the tank
until the tank is pumped. The layer of clarified liquid flows from the septic
tank to the drainfield or to a distribution device, which helps to uniformly
distribute the wastewater in the drainfield.
A standard drainfield (also known as a leachfield, disposal field, or a soil
absorption system) is a series of trenches or a bed lined with gravel or
course sand and buried one to three feet below the ground surface.
Perforated pipes or drain tiles run through the trenches to distribute the
wastewater.
The drainfield treats the wastewater by allowing it to slowly trickle from the
pipes out into the gravel and down through the soil. The gravel and soil act
as biological filters.

Typical section of
septic tank

INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC TANK

Malaysias most common form of sewerage system used.
Provides partial treatment of the sewage that flows into it and
needs to be desludged on a regular basis approx. once in 2
years to ensure that it functions efficiently.
The maximum amount of sludge that a septic tank can store is
approx. one third of its total volume.
Individual Septic Tanks is one of the simplest forms of sewage
treatment and dates back to the sewerage system development
in France in 1860
An IST comprises two chambers connected in a series.
In the first chamber, solids from the incoming sewage settle
forming a "sludge", while greases and oils float to the surface
forming a "scum" layer.
Effluent from between the scum and sludge layers then passes
into the second chamber where further sedimentation occurs.
Finally, the effluent leaves the second chamber and
discharged into a drain or allowed to percolate into the soil.

is

 The sludge in the tank undergoes anaerobic

digestion and is converted into more stable
organic compounds and gases such as carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and hydrogen
sulfide (H2S).
ISTs are usually designed for a 24-hour
retention time Enough storage capacity is
provided so that scum and sludge can be
deposited in the tank for up two years after
which it must be desludged to keep the tank
operating satisfactory.
Process:
a)Raw sewage flows into septic tanks, and solid
matter or sludge settles to the bottom
b)Oil + grease from sewage floats to the top
forming layer of scum. Scum prevents
oxygen from dissolving in the sewage and
results in anaerobic digestion taking place.
c) Raw sewage has to be retained for at least 24
hours for anaerobic digestion to breakdown the

:: 5. SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT

PUBLIC SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS IN
MALAYSIA
In Malaysia extensive use has been made of primary
treatment systems such as communal septic tanks and
imhoff tanks (chamber suitable for the reception and
processing of sewage) and unreliable low cost secondary
systems such as oxidation ponds.
Imhoff Tanks simple form of sewage treatment plants
requiring very little operator skill. There is no mechanical
equipment to maintain and operation consists of removing
scum, reversing the flow to keep an even distribution of
sludge and removing sludge.
In Malaysia, 38% of public sewage treatment plants in the
country are mechanical plants.
These plants operate using mechanical equipment that
accelerates sewage break down.
INDAH WATER KONSORTIUM (IWK) is responsible for planning
and rationalizing the public sewerage facilities to reduce the
number of treatment plants using the "multipoint concept"
or regionalization.

Public Sewage Treatment Plants

in Malaysia

SEWAGE TREATMENT METHODS

Sewage treatment methods may be classified into
1.physical unit operations
2.chemical unit processes
3.biological unit processes

PHYSICAL UNIT OPERATIONS

Physical unit operations are treatment methods, which
use the application of physical forces to treat sewage.
These include screening, mixing, flocculation, sedimentation,
filtration and flotation.

CHEMICAL UNIT PROCESSES

Treatment methods in which the removal or conversion of pollutants by
the addition of chemicals or by chemical reactions are known as Chemical
Unit Processes.
These include precipitation, adsorption (to gather gas, liquid, or dissolved
substance on a surface in a condensed layer) and disinfection.

BIOLOGICAL UNIT PROCESSES

Biological unit processes describe methods, which remove pollutants by

biological activity. Biodegradable organic substances are converted into
gases that escape to the atmosphere and cell tissue is removed by
settling.

OXIDATION TANK

BASIC BIOLOGICAL REACTIONS IN AN

OXIDATION TANK

TYPES OF SEWAGE TREATMENT

Historically unit operations have been grouped together to provide

various levels of treatment.

Preliminary and/or Primary Treatment physical unit operations

and is the first stage of treatment applied to any sewage.

Secondary Treatment biological and chemical unit processes.

Tertiary treatment combinations of all three.

1. PRELIMINARY SEWAGE TREATMENT

- Preliminary sewage treatment is defined as the removal of sewage
constituents that may cause maintenance or operational problems with
the treatment operations.
- This includes screening and comminution (grinding) for the removal of
debris and rags,
grit removal by sedimentation and flotation for the
removal of excess oil and grease.

2. PRIMARY SEWAGE TREATMENT

- In primary treatment screening and sedimentation remove some of the
suspended solids and organic matter.
- The effluent from primary treatment will contain high amounts or
organic matter.
3. SECONDARY SEWAGE TREATMENT
- Secondary sewage treatment is directed at the removal of
biodegradable organic and suspended solids, mainly using biological
unit processes.
- Disinfection may be included in secondary sewage treatment.
4. TERTIARY SEWAGE TREATMENT
- Tertiary sewage treatment includes the removal of nutrients, toxic
substances including heavy metals and further removal of suspended
solids and organic.
- Effluent from tertiary treatment is of a high standard and suitable for
reuse.

SEWAGE TREATMENT PROCESS

PRIMARY + SECONDARY SEWAGE TREATMENT PROCESS

:: 6. CRITERIA OF SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS

CRITERIA OF SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM
The sewage treatment systems should satisfy all of the
following criteria:
1.Health - To avoid the spread of pathogenic
organism either by direct contact with the sewage
or indirectly via soil, water or food (high
degree
pathogen destruction).
2.Re-use - Yield a safe recycle product preferably in
agriculture
and aquaculture.
3.Ecological
- In those cases when the waste cannot be
reused,
the discharge of effluent into a
surface water should
not exceed the selfpurification capacity of the
recipient
water.
4.Nuisance
below the

- The degree of odour released must be

nuisance criteria.

5.Cultural
treatment and
local habit and

- the method for waste collection,

reuse should be compatible with
social (religious) practice.

6.Operational
- skill required for the routine +
maintenance must be
available locally or can
be acquired with only
minimal

:: 7. LOCATION OF STP
LOCATION OF SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM
The location of sewage treatment works depends on the
following condition:
1.GENERAL
- Far from any existing commercial + residential area
- Adequate land available for future expansion
- Should be well located to minimize impacts on environment
+ public water supply intake
2.FLOOD PROTECTION
- The site should be free from flooding
3.

SEPARATION FROM PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY

- Shall be away from public drinking water supplies

4.ACCESS & TRANSPORTATION CONSIDERATION
- Adequate service road for maintenance vehicle should be
provided

:: 8. STP FOR URBAN AREA

SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR URBAN AREA
Treatment processes are divided into treatment which
utilises oxygen to breakdown organic matter (aerobic) and
treatment which doesn't utilises oxygen (anaerobic).
The breakdown of organic matter can occur while in
suspension (suspended growth) or on the surface of some
type of media (attached growth). In addition, processes
using ponds are also sometimes used where large areas of
land are available.
Treatment processes are categorized in this manner as
shown in Table 1.

*systems used in Malaysia

Table 1 Major Biological Sewage Treatment

Processes

:: 9. STP FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES

SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR SMALL
COMMUNITIES
Because of their size, small communities have traditionally
faced the problems of high per capital costs, limited
finances and limited operation and maintenance budgets for
sewage treatment.
Where populations are less dense, the receiving
environment is able to cope with lesser level of treatment,
often only primary treatment will be provided.
However as population increases, these primary treatment
systems must be replaced with secondary treatment
systems.
Sewage treatment plants for small communities are now
prefabricated before delivery to site and these are
commonly known as "package plants".
Package plants only suitable for small communities.
Package plants consist of:
a) Aerated lagoons
b) Extended Aeration System
c) Rotating Biological Contactor

Table 2: Commonly Used Treatment Systems for

Small Communities

1.Aerated Lagoons
Aerated Lagoons are relatively simple plants to operate and
maintain.
However, they require large land areas and are therefore
rarely found in densely populated urban areas.
Normally comprises two or three lagoons in a sequence.
Sewage has an average retention in the first pond of five
days During this time, bacteria consumed the oxygen to
breaking down the organic material in the sewage.

Effluent is passed into the second pond where the

degraded organic
matter and sediments are settle
out to form sludge.

The effluent may then pass to a third pond for

polishing or be discharged to a receiving waterway.

The average retention time in the second pond is

one day.

2.Extended Aeration System

Fine Bubble Diffused Air Extended Aeration Systems
(FBDAEA) are mechanical secondary treatment systems.
To breakdown the organic material in sewage, bacteria
require oxygen. This may be introduced by agitation (using
surface aerators) or by submerged "diffusers".
Sewage entering a plant in passed through primary
treatment where coarse material and grit is removed.
The sewage then passes to secondary treatment in the form
of any aeration tank where it is injected with fine bubbles of
air from submerged diffusers
Solids in the sewage are held in suspension by the bubbles
and bacteria in the sewage break down organic materials.
Sewage is held in the aeration tank between 18-24 hours.
The effluent with suspended material is then passed into a
"clarifier" (sedimentation tank) where the material settles as
a sludge.
The sludge is drawn off with some being returned to the
aeration tank to ensure enough bacteria are present in the
tank to continue the process of breaking down newly
introduced sewage.

3.Rotating Biological Contactor

Rotating Biological Contactors
secondary treatment systems

(RBCs)

are

mechanical

Sewage entering a plant is passed through primary

treatment where coarse material and grit is removed. The
sewage then passes through one or more RBC units.
An RBC unit comprises a series of closely spaced "circular
disks" normally made from a plastic material.
The disks are partially submerged in the sewage and are
slowly rotated through it.
The rotating disks support the growth of bacteria and microorganisms present in the sewage, which breakdown and
stabilise organic pollutants.
Effluent from the RBC is then passed through final clarifiers
where the micro-organisms in suspension settle as a sludge.
RBC units are suitable where land is restricted. They are
quite and consistently produce a high quality effluent.

4.High Rate Trickling Filter (HRTF)

The modern trickling filter comprises a bed of highly
permeable medium to which micro-organisms are attached.
Sewage is percolated or trickled through this media which is
made from rocks (2cm to 10cm in size) or specially designed
plastic.
Rock beds are typically 2 meters deep and are circular.
A revolving arm is used to distribute the sewage over the
media.
Filters under the media drain the effluent and biological
solids, which have become detached from the media.
Air is circulated back through the drainage system to the
media.
The effluent from the drain is settled before discharge to the
receiving environment.

Trickling
Filter

VIDEO

VIDEO ONE

VIDEO TWO

VIDEO 1 WASTE WATER TREATMENT

VIDEO 2 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FLUSH?

:: 10. PERFORMANCE OF SEWAGE TREATMENT

Factors influencing the performance of sewage treatment:
1.VELOCITY OF INFLUENT FLOW
- The velocity of flow can be reduced by increasing the length
of the travel + by detaining the particle longer time in the
sedimentation basin.
- A steadier flow is neede so that the settling process of
suspended material can be within not too short / not too
long of detention time.
2.DETENTION TIME
- Time that septic effluent spends in the septic tank before
flowing out to the drain field.
- Too short time provided not enough materials removed.
- Too long time provided septic condition may occur
(odour).
- An increase in flow causes a decrease in retention time +
corresponding decrease in solids removal.
- The detention period should generally varies between 12-36
hours; but commonly depending on the type of plant.

3. TEMPERATURE
-

Primary settling is efficiently occurred in warm wastewater

and may also allow grease and scum to stay in
suspension.

Warm water is less dense and offers less resistance to

gravity settling but however, wastewater water
temperature is difficult to control.

4. PLANT UNIT CHARACTERISTICS

-

Design problems may occur if a unit too small or too

large for the average flow, incorrect weir dimensions or
poor baffling, leaking valves and etc.

Improper weirs of baffles may allow some of the flow to

pass through too quickly.

:: 11. ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT

BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) & SUSPENDED
SOLID (SS)
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measure of the
potential for the effluent to remove oxygen from any water
that it is discharged into.
This is important because removing oxygen from water will
kill other things such as fish, invertebrates and plants that
might also need to remove oxygen from the water.
An obvious visual sign of high BOD are algal blooms;
coloured blue or green in fresh water and red in the sea.
Malaysia has two standards for treatment of sewage waste;
Standard A is for discharge into drinking water catchment
areas and Standard B for all other areas, including the sea.
As a rule of thumb standard A should be the minimum target
everywhere.
Standard A criteria are; BOD = 20mg/l @ 20C and
Suspended Solid (SS) = 50mg/l

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