Important Constituents and

their Sources
Colour Natural, Domestic and Industrial Wastes
Odour Natural, Domestic and Industrial Wastes
Temperature Doemstic and Industrial
Solids Domestic, Industrial, Natural, Soil
Erosion, Inflow and Infiltration

Important Constituents and their

Sources (Contd.)
Organic matter Domestic, Industrial,
Agriculture, Commercial
Alkalinity Domestic, Industrial,
Infiltration
Chlorides - Domestic, Industrial,
Infiltration, Softening
Heavy Metals - Industrial

Important Constituents and their

Sources (Contd.)

Nitrogen Industrial, Agriculture

pH Industrial
Phosphorous Industrial, Domestic
Sulphur - Domestic, Industrial, Agriculture,
Infiltration
Sulphides Industrial
Methane Natural, Domestic

Important Constituents and their

Sources (Contd.)
Animals Treatment Plants, Natural
Plants - Treatment Plants, Natural
Protista - Treatment Plants, Natural,
Domestic
Viruses - Domestic

CHARACTERISTICS
Colour
Fresh water colourless
Sewage Fresh Grey Like soap
Solution
Old Black
Industrial Depending on the
Industry

CHARACTERISTICS
Odour
Fresh Sewage Musty Not Offensive
Old Offensive

Water No Odour

ODOUR in Waste Waters

CHARACTERISTICS
Temperature
Water Pleasant 10 20 degree
Centigrades
Sewage Slightly higher than water

Warm 20 to 25 degree Centigrades

Increases metabolism of organisms
Increases viscosity tends to settle
Decreases solubility
Helps growth of aquatic plants

CHARACTERISTICS
Turbidity and Solids
Depends on strength of sewage
Solids 0.1 % solids and 99.9 % water

CHARACTERISTICS
pH
Fresh water depends on source
Fresh Sewage alkaline
becomes acidic with time
alkaline again when
relatively stable

CHARACTERISTICS
Chlorides
Indicator of Contamination
Human waste 6 8 gm/person/day
Industries like Ice plants, fishing, water
softeners reduce Chlorides
Interferes in oxygen transfer capacity
Not affected by bacteria
Affects uptake by plants

CHARACTERISTICS
Nitrogen
Nitrites methemeglobinemia
Sewage Nutrient value
Indicates age of sludge

CHARACTERISTICS
Iron and Manganese

Colour to water
Depends on source
Induces bacterial reduction
Corrosion of pipes

CHARACTERISTICS
Alkalinity
OH-, HCO-3, CO-3

CHARACTERISTICS
Hardness

CHARACTERISTICS
Hardness (Contd)

Impacts

CHARACTERISTICS
Surfactants
Primarily from synthetic detergents
Induces foaming
Alkyl benzene sulfonate (ABS)
normally used in synthetic detergents non
biodegradable

CHARACTERISTICS
Fats, Grease and Oil

Interferes in treatment
Reduces Oxygen transfer
Clogs treatment units
Forms ugly scums

CHARACTERISTICS
Phenols
Causes Odour
Non-biodegradable ( if >5000 mg/L)
Toxic

CHARACTERISTICS
Toxic Compounds
Cations : Copper, Lead, Silver, Chromium,
Arsenic, Boron
Results in malfunctioning of Treatment
plants
Anions: Cyanides, Chromates

CHARACTERISTICS
Organic Matter

Highly putrescible
Demands Oxygen for stabilization
Stable forms Carbon di-oxide and water
Degrades anaerobically or aerobically

BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN
DEMAND
BOD5,20oc

Limitations of the BOD Test

Equivalent tests

Chemical Oxygen Demand

Theoretical Oxygen Demand
Total Organic Carbon
Total Oxygen Demand

Relative Stability