Waste water engineering:

Overview: Water Pollution Wastewater Characteristics Wastewater Treatment Considerations Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Physical, Chemical and Biological

Processes

Water Pollution
Water is essential for life. Over 97% of water is present in the oceans but being unfit for human consumption. Only a limited amount of this is available for human use. Triggered by enormous increase in population and shrinking resources per capita availability of water is decreasing. Added to the lower availability is the high incidence of pollution of water supplies in the developing world.

Sources of water pollution

Point sources: pollutants are discharged from sewage plants, meat and dairy industries through pipes at specific points into the discharge waters (stream, pond, lake or ocean)

Non-point sources: pollutants present in soil are carried away as run offs by rain water into streams, rivers or oceans at several points

Types of water pollution sources

Agricultural wastes- Rain water carries them off as run offs from fields and animal farms. Industrial wastes- Waste water discharges from food, paper, leather, and distillery industries are heavy in terms of organic load. Domestic sewage- It is 99% water with 1% solids(dry matter). The solids are made up of 70% organic and 30% inorganic chemicals( grits, salt metal oxides) Natural sources / run offs- Run offs from virgin forests(free of human activities) or those due to earthquakes or cyclones are not considered as pollution.

Types of pollutants in water

1. Oxygen demanding pollutants 2. Pathogens 3. Nutrients 4. Salts 5. Thermal pollution 6. Heavy metals 7. Pesticides

8. Volatile organic compounds

9. Radionuclides 10.Oil pollutants

Effects of water pollution

1.Organic matter causes a decrease in O2 affecting aquatic life.

2. Release of nutrients into waters leads to eutrophication and algal

blooms. Shell fish feeding on toxic algae have caused paralytic shell-fish poisoning. 3.Pathogens as pollutants lead to gastroenteritis and dysentery. 4.Heavy metals cause nephro toxicity. 5. Presence of pesticides,VOC and radio nuclides are harmful; in drinking water supplies and aquatic life. 6. Pollutants impart colour, off-odour and off-taste to water

rendering it unfit for consumption.

Sewage treatment-Introduction
Water after use becomes sewage or waste water. Sewage includes all waste waters- from toilets, kitchen and laundry washings, rain water flowing into municipal drains, industrial wastes from citi drains etc. Municipal wastewater is 99.9 % water , balance made up of suspended and dissolved solids: Total solids = Total suspended solids + Total dissolved solids (suspended solids can be removed by filtration, while total dissolved solids cannot be removed) In large metropolitan cities this small percentage of solids May account for more than 1000tons of solids per day.

Overview: Wastewater Engineering

Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater is the water used by a

community Collected and treated prior to discharge Standards of treatment vary but are generally becoming more stringent Treatment is a process of removal of smaller and smaller particles

Overview: Wastewater Engineering

Sludge Treatment

Sludges are the product of biological

treatment of wastewater Sludges comprise solids found in wastewater plus organisms used in the treatment process Disposal is a major issue Various disposal techniques are used but each has advantages and disadvantages

Overview: Wastewater Engineering

Water Disposal and Re-Use

Wastewater treatment generates a Cleaned

Water Stream

Cleaned water is often discharged to a larger body of water for dilution Alternatively, cleaned water my be re-used for irrigation or rarely drinking water production

Wastewater Characteristics
Characteristics are normally estimated by empirical methods

Wastewater Flows

Flows arise from households, industry, infiltration and storm flows Flows are considered in both hydraulic and process design Levels of treatment may vary for different flowrates

Wastewater Characteristics
Wastewater Flows

There is a variety of methods for estimating flowrates However there may be great variability in the factors which affect flowrates from region to region Different multiples of the Dry Weather Flow will receive each level of treatment

Wastewater Characteristics
Wastewater Composition

Key design issues:

Solids: density, particle size, level of Volatile

Suspended Solids Biochemical Oxygen Demand Temperature Ammonia Nutrient levels

Wastewater Characteristics
Wastewater Treatment Considerations

Objective: to maintain or improve the quality of the receiving body of water Treatment stages:
Preliminary Primary Secondary Tertiary

Primary treatments
Raw sewage
Screening Grit chamber Primary settling tank

Secondary treatments
Objective of secondary treatment is to further remove BOD and suspended solids beyond what is achievable by primary settling tank. Secondary treatment follows three approaches all of which take advantage of microorganisms to convert organic waste into stable low energy compounds. Effluent from primary treatment is treated in a) Trickling filters or Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC) and b) Activated sludge process Sewage untreated can also be directly taken to oxidation ponds or lagoons for BOD removal.

Tertiary treatment
Primary and secondary treatments do not remove all the biologically

degradable organic matter.

Tertiary treatment is given to remove nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from the effluent.

To avoid these O2 depletion and eutrophication problems, treatment

plants have to be provided with additional facilities to achieve higher rates of N2 removal.

Wastewater Characteristics
Classification of Methods
Physical Processes
Screening Sedimentation Filtration

Chemical Processes
Precipitation Chlorination

Biological Processes
Aerobic Anaerobic

Wastewater Characteristics
Applicability and Selection of Methods

Different processes are used to treat wastewater depending on the contaminants present Similarly, different processes are used to treat sludges, depending on the objective of treatment

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Flowrate and Mass Loading

Wastewater feed is not specified, therefore the plant must be able to treat whatever the wastewater contains Plant design will take account of historical flows and loadings, but must also be able to deal with expansion Plant must also be able to deal with a range of flow and load conditions, plus peak upstream flow conditions (eg storms)

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Selection of Design Flowrates

Domestic: based on a flow per head. Varies between countries Industrial: Based on records of discharge consents and of metered supplies Infiltration/Exfiltration: based on a % of the domestic flow Peaking Factors: Depends on size of community

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Selection of Design Flowrates

Upstream Flow Equalisation

Plants are not normally designed to treat total

peak arisings Instead, hydraulic controls will direct flows above plant capabilities to storm system on larger works

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Selection of Design Flowrates

Upstream Flow Equalisation

UK maximum flow to treatment plant is determined by

Formula A: Formula A = PG+E+I+1360P+2E l/d

P=population G=average daily consumption per head l/h/d E=Industrial & commercial discharges to sewer l/d I=infiltration l/d

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Selection of Design Flowrates

Upstream Flow Equalisation

For larger works with storm tanks, only Full

Treatment Flow (FTF) will receive full treatment.

FTF=3PG+3E+I

Formula A-FTF will pass to storm tanks

Overview: Wastewater Treatment Plant Design

Selection of Design Mass Loadings

Average mass loadings for BOD and Suspended Solids are commonly determined by Population Equivalent (PE) Design mass loadings are more complex and must take account of seasonal, diurnal and industrial load variations

Manufacturing drinking water

process:

ordinary

packaged

1.Clarification: to remove particles, colloids and contaminant

2.Prefiltration : to protect final filter 3.Final Filtration/Sterilization: to remove particles, mould, algae and protozoa; water sterile filtration to remove bacteria and other microorganisms

4.Carbonation: to bring CO2 levels in water to original levels

in water. Carbonation. It is used to produce sparkling water. CO2 injected in water must be free of particles and microorganisms. 5.Filling