CHAPTER THREE

3. WASTEWATER TREATMENT
3.1 Background
 Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater. It includes the physical,
chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical, and biological contaminants.

 It is crucial to provide some degree of treatment to wastewater before it can be used for agriculture,
irrigation, or aquaculture.

 Treatment methods in which the application of physical forces predominates are known as
physical unit operations. Typical physical unit operations are: screening, mixing, flocculation,
sedimentation, flotation, and filtration and membrane filter operations
Cont.…
 The removal or conversion of contaminants by the addition of chemicals or by other chemical
reactions are known as chemical unit processes. Neutralization, oxidation, reduction,
precipitation, gas transfer, adsorption, ion exchange, electro-dialysis etc. are the most common
examples of these processes used in wastewater
treatment
 the removal of the biodegradable organic substances (colloidal or dissolved) in wastewater
through a biological activity known as biological unit processes
 The most common approaches in the biological wastewater treatments are: aerobic processes
such as trickling filters, activated sludge, oxidation ponds (or lagoons), and anaerobic processes
such as anaerobic lagoons, sludge digestion,
Cont.…
Wastewater Treatment Standards
Effluents should be:
1. Free from materials and heat in quantities, concentrations, or combinations which are
toxic or harmful to human, animal, and aquatic life.
2. Free from anything that will settle in receiving waters forming putrescence or otherwise
objectionable sludge deposits or that will adversely affect aquatic life.
Cont.….

3. Free from floating debris, oil, scum, and other materials in amounts sufficient to be
noticeable in receiving waters;
4. Free from materials and heat that alone, or in combination with other materials will
produce color, turbidity, taste, or odor in sufficient concentration to create a nuisance or
adversely affect aquatic life in receiving waters;
5. Free from nutrients in concentrations that create nuisance growths of aquatic weeds or
algae in the receiving waters
The sequence of wastewater treatment
 WWT is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater including physical, chemical,
and biological processes to produce a waste stream (or treated effluent) and a solid waste or
sludge suitable for discharge or reuse back into the environment. This material is often
inadvertently contaminated with many toxic organic and inorganic compounds

Preliminary treatment
 It is separating the floating materials (like dead animals, tree branches, papers, pieces of rags,
wood, etc.), and also the heavy settle - able inorganic solids. It also helps in removing the oils
and greases, etc. from the sewage.

 This treatment reduces the BOD ( organic pollutant) of the wastewater, by about 15 to 30%
Preliminary treatment
The operation used are:
- Screening for removing floating papers, rags, clothes, etc.
- Grit chambers or Detritus tanks for removing grit and sand; and
- Skimming tanks for removing oils and greases

A. Screening process

 Screening is passing the sewage through different types of screens to trap and

remove floating matter such as pieces of cloth, paper, wood, cork, hair, fiber, kitchen refuse,
fecal solids, etc.
Screening process

 These floating materials, if not removed, will choke the pipes, or adversely
affect the working of the sewage pumps.

 providing screens to protect the pumps and other equipment from possible damages due to the
floating matter of the sewage.

 Screens should preferably be placed before the grit chambers.

 However, if the quality of 'grit' is not of much importance, as in the case of land fillings, etc.,
screens may even be placed after the grit chambers. They may sometimes be accommodated in
the body of the grit chambers themselves.
Screening process
 Depending upon the size of the openings, screens may be classified as coarse screens, medium
screens, and fine screens.
I. Coarse screens
 are also known as Racks, and the spacing between the bars (i.e. opening size) is about 50 mm
or more.
 These screens do help in removing large floating objects from sewage. They will collect about
6 liters of solids per million liters of sewage.
 The material separated by coarse screens usually consists of rags, wood, paper, etc., which will
not putrefy, and may be disposed of by incineration, burial, or dumping
Cleaning of coarse screen:
Hand-cleaned coarse screens
 Used in the screening process in wastewater
treatment at small facilities,
 hand-cleaned coarse screens are hand raked.
 They are ideal to use as a standby during
periods of high flow, or when more modern
mechanical screening methods are under
repair or maintenance.
Cont.….
Mechanically cleaned screens
 Mechanically cleaned coarse screens increase efficiency and reduce problems in the wastewater
treatment process.
 It is classified into the following four main categories:
• Chain-Driven Screens: These front and back chain-driven screens can rake from upstream or
downstream. An automatic chain cleans the stream, increasing the functionality of the entire wastewater
treatment solution.

• Catenary Screens: These front return, front cleaned chain driven screens use impressive, yet
straightforward, internal mechanics to prevent further jamming in the presence of large or heavy objects.
Cont.….
• Reciprocating Rakes: Also known as a climber screen, these wastewater treatment screening
solutions use one rake rather than multiple, making them less efficient when facing heavy loads
during the screening process in water treatment.

• Continuous belt screen: Ultra-high tech, functional and efficient, this type of screening has
many rakes and is continuous and self-cleaning, whether facing fine or coarse solid
loads.
II. In a medium screen
 The spacing between bars is about 6 to 40 mm and ordinarily collects 30 to 90 liters of material
per million liters of sewage.

 The screenings usually contain some quantity of organic material, which may putrefy and
become offensive, and be disposed of by incineration, or burial (not by dumping)

 Rectangular-shaped coarse and medium screens are nowadays widely used at sewage treatment
plants. They are made of steel bars, fixed parallel to one another at desired spacing on a
rectangular steel frame, and are called bar screens. The screens are set in a masonry or R.C.C.
chamber called the screen chamber.
II. In a medium screen

 These screens are generally kept inclined at about 30 to 60° to the direction of flow, so as to
increase the opening area, and reduce the flow velocity; thus making the screening more
effective.

 While designing the screens, clear openings should have sufficient total area, so that the
velocity through them is not more than 0.8 to 1m/sec. This limit, placed on velocity, limits the
head loss through the screens, and, thus, reduces the opportunity for screenings to be pushed
through the screens.
 .
II In a medium screen

 The material collected on bar screens can be removed either manually or mechanically. Manual
cleaning is practiced at small plants with hand-operated rakes.

 The inclined screens help in their cleaning by the upward stroke of the rake. Large plants,
however, use mechanically operated rakes, which move over the screens, either continuously or
intermittently.

 The cleaning of screens by rakes will be hindered by cross bars, if at all provided. They are,
therefore, generally avoided.

 Screens are sometimes classified as fixed or movable, depending upon whether the screens are
stationary or capable of motion.
II. In a medium screen

Fixed or movable bar screen

Specification and requirement for design of bar screen
The operation of screen is based on velocity head of flow , low velocity causes for greater
amount of waste accumulation

 approach velocity of wastewater in screening channel not fall below self cleaning velocity
of 0.42 m/sec or rise for screen dislodge opening

 approach velocity is 0.6 m/sec to 0.75 m/sec for grit bearing wastewaters for adjusted bed
slope

 for manual cleaned screen is 0.3 m/sec at average flow

 for mechanical cleaned screen is about 0.75 m/sec

 Velocity of 0.6 to 1.2 m/sec through opening screen for peak flow
Specification and requirement for design of bar screen
 head loss due to installation of screen for avoiding back water through bar rack measured
using kirchmer’s equation:-
1.67 for rectangular with both up and downstream
ℎ = 𝛽 (𝑤/𝑏)4/3 Vsin 𝜃
circular bar
Where, h head loss, m W width facing the flow
𝛽 = bar shape factor b clear spacing between bar

2.42 for sharp bar v velocity head of flow approaching

bar( v2/2g)
1.83 for rectangular bar with circular upstream
𝜃 angle of inclination of bar
1.79 for circular bar
Specification and requirement for design of bar screen
 Maximum head loss of 0.3 m for clogged hand cleaned screen

 For mechanical cleaned screen, head loss is 150 to 600 mm

The head loss through the cleaned or clogged flat bar screen:

ℎ = 0.073(𝑉 2 - 𝑣 2 )

where h = loss of head , m

V = velocity through screen, m/sec

v = approach velocity, m/sec

 Slope of hand cleaned should, 30 to 60 degree with horizontal. Mechanically cleaned bar are
erected almost vertical with 45 to 60 degree
Specification and requirement for design of bar screen

the submerged surface area of screen including bar and opening should be 200 % of
incoming separate sewer system and 300 % for combined sewer

 clear spacing between bar may be in the range of 15 mm to 75 mm for mechanical cleaning .for
manual cleaning bar screen in range of 25 mm to 50 mm
 The width of bar facing flow is about 5 mm to 15 mm
Fine Screens

 It has perforations of 1.5 mm to 3 mm in size.

 The installation of these screens proves very effective, and they remove as much as 20% of the
suspended solids from sewage. These screens, however, get clogged very often and need
frequent cleaning.

 They are, therefore, used only for treating industrial wastewater, or for treating that municipal
wastewater, which is associated with heavy amounts of industrial wastewater.

 These screens will considerably reduce the load on further treatment units.
Cont.….
These are usually arranged in pairs to facilitate repairs and maintenance. Comminutors are of
recent origin and eliminate the problem of disposal of screenings, by reducing the soli plant.
They should always be preceded by grit chambers to prevent their excess Such devices are used
only in developed countries like the USA, and generally not adopted in our country.
c. Grit removal chamber
 Grit or Detritus tanks are the sedimentation basins placed in front of the wastewater treatment
plant to remove the inorganic particles (specific gravity about 2.65), such as sand, gravel, grit,
egg shells, bones, and other non-putresible materials that may clog channels or damage pumps
due to abrasion, and to prevent their accumulation in sludge digesters.

 Grit chambers are, in fact, nothing but like sedimentation tanks, designed to separate the
intended heavier inorganic materials by the process of sedimentation due to gravitational forces,
and to pass forward the lighter organic material

 The organic material is not allowed to settle in this process, as otherwise, the organic matter
gets entangled with the inorganic matter, causing septicity of sewage and requiring unnecessary
labor and expenses for disposal of removal
Cont.….
 The grit chambers may be placed either before or after the screens to avoid silting of the-screen
chambers. Since the grit chambers are sedimentation or settling basins.

I. Discrete settling particle

 Sedimentation is the physical separation of suspended material from water or wastewater by the action
of gravity. It is a common operation for water treatment and is found in almost all wastewater treatment
plants. It is less costly than many other treatment processes

 The very fundamental principle of sedimentation is that the organic matter present in sewage is having a
specific gravity greater than that of water (i.e. 1.0). In still sewage, these particles will, therefore, tend to
settle down by gravity; whereas, in flowing sewage, they are kept in suspension, because of the
turbulence in the water
Discrete settling particle

 Hence, as soon as the turbulence is retarded by offering storage to sewage, these impurities
tend to settle down at the bottom of the tank offering such storage. This is the principle behind
sedimentation.

 The design of sedimentation basins is thus, totally dependent upon the settling velocity of the
sewage solids.

 The settling velocity of a discrete solid particle is mathematically computed and analyzed on
the basis of the theory of sedimentation.
Cont.….
The settlement of discrete particle in water opposed by the following factors:
(i) The velocity of flow which carries the particle horizontally. The greater the flow area, the
lesser is the velocity, and hence more easily the particle will settle down.
(ii) The viscosity of water in which the particle is travelling. The viscosity varies inversely with
temperature. Warm water is less viscous and, therefore, offers less resistance to settlement.
However, the temperature of water cannot be controlled to any appreciable extent in "water
or wastewater purification processes" and hence this factor is generally ignored.
Cont.….
(iii) The size shape and specific gravity of the particle. The greater is the specific
gravity, more readily the particle will settle. The size and shape of the particle also
affect the settling rate
Cont.….

 the weight and volume of the spherically shaped particle, varies with the cube of its diameter
(volume being equal to where d is the diameter) or its size; and its area varies with the
square of the diameter (area being equal to

 Hence, very small sized particles will settle very slowly. It, therefore, clearly follows that the
shape and size of the particles do affect their setting velocities

 The settling velocity of a spherical particle is expressed by Stoke's law, which takes the above

 three factors into account. The final Stoke's equation for d < 0.1mm is expressed as:
Cont.….

𝒈 𝒅𝟐
𝑽𝒔 = (G-1) [For viscous flow and small sized particles, represented by Re < 1]
𝟏𝟖 𝝁

Where, vs = velocity of settlement of particle (assumed to be spherical) in m/sec

d = diameter of the particle in m
G = sp. gravity of the particle
υ = kinematic viscosity of water in m2/sec, and is equal to Where, µ = absolute or dynamic

viscosity of water in kg.sec/m2 ρw = density of water

Cont.….

 When a solid particle settles down in water, its downward settlement is

opposed by the drag force offered by the water.

 The effective weight of the particle (i.e. actual weight buoyancy) causes the
particle to accelerate in the beginning, till it attains a sufficient velocity (vR) at
which the drag force becomes equal to the effective weight of the particle. After
attaining that velocity the particle falls down with that constant velocity (vR)
 Now, the drag force offered by the fluid is given by Newton's law, as
𝑉2
𝐹𝐷 = 𝐶𝐷 * A * 𝜌𝑤 *
2

Where, CD = Coefficient of drag

A = Area of particle
ρw = Density of water
v = velocity of fall
Note: This drag force increases with the increasing velocity, till it becomes equal to the
effective weight of the particle; and at that time, v becomes equal to vs.
The effective weight of the particle = Total weight – Buoyance
.
The above Stoke's equation is valid for particles of size less than 0.1mm; in which case, the
viscous force predominates over the inertial force, leading to what is known as streamline
settling
 If, however, the settling particles are larger than 0.1mm, the nature of settling tends to become
turbulent, with a transition zone in between. It has been established that turbulent settling occurs
for particle size greater than 1.0mm, whereas settling remains transition settling for particle
sizes between 0.1mm to 1.0mm. The relation between coefficient of drag (CD) and Re for these
three types of settling are as follows:
The actual settling velocities in the sedimentation basins will be much less than those calculated
by these formulas, because of the non-sphericity of the particles, the upward displacement of the
fluid caused by the settling of other particles, and convection currents

C. Skimming Tank

 Skimming tanks are employed for removing oils and grease from the sewage, and
placed before the sedimentation-tanks. They are, therefore, used where sewage contains too
much of grease or oils, which include fats, waxes, soaps, fatty acids, etc. These materials may
enter into the sewage from the kitchens of restaurants and, houses, from motor garages, oil
refineries, soap and candle factories, etc. They are, thus, normally present in large amounts in
the industrial wastewaters.
 If greasy and oily matter is not removed from the sewage before enters further treatment units,
it may form unsightly and odorous scums on the surface of the settling tanks, or interfere with
the activated sludge treatment process, and inhibit biological growth on the trickling filters.

 These oil and greasy materials may be removed in a skimming tank, in which air is blown by
an aerating device through the bottom.

 The rising air tends to coagulate and congeal (solidify) the grease, and cause it to rise to the
surface (being pushed in separate compartments), from where it is removed.

 The skimming tank consists a long trough shaped structure divided into two or three lateral
compartments by means of vertical baffle walls (having slots in them) for a short distance
below the sewage surface
 The baffle walls help in pushing the rising coagulated greasy material into the side compartments
(called stilling compartments). The rise of oils and grease is brought about by blowing compressed air
into the sewage from diffusers placed at the bottom of the tank

 The collected greasy materials are removed (i.e. skimmed off either by hand or by some mechanical
equipment. It may then be disposed of either by burning or burial.

Sewage enters the tank from one end, flows through longitudinally, and finally goes out through

a narrow inclined duct, as shown. This is so narrow that the suspended heavier particles are

carried up its slope and out of the tank.

 A detention period of about 3 to 5 minutes is usually sufficient, and the amount of compressed air
required is about 300 to 6000m3 per million liter of sewage. The surface area required for the tank can
be found out by using the formula:
Vr = Minimum rising velocity of greasy material to be removed in m/minute = 0.25m/minute in most cases
Primary wastewater treatment

 Primary treatment consists in removing large suspended organic solids. This is usually
accomplished by sedimentation in settling basins.

 The liquid effluent from primary treatment, often contains a large amount of suspended organic
material, and has a high BOD (about 60% of original).

 Sometimes, the preliminary as well as primary treatments are classified together, under primary
treatment. The organic solids which are separated out in the sedimentation tanks (in primary
treatment) are often stabilized by anaerobic decomposition in a digestion tank or are
incinerated. The residue is used for landfills or soil conditioner
Primary wastewater treatment

Sedimentation

 sedimentation is the process of suspended organic solids that are too heavy to be removed as
floating matters, and too light to be removed by grit chambers settled at the bottom under
gravity forces. The removal of heavy inorganic solids that have a size of more than 0.2 mm, and
of sp. gravity 2.65, is called plain sedimentation.

 the sedimentation is, in fact, carried out twice; once before the biological treatment (i.e.
primary sedimentation) and once after the biological treatment (i.e. secondary sedimentation)

 When chemical coagulants are used for flocculating the organic matter during the process of
sedimentation, the process is called chemical precipitation or sedimentation aided with
coagulation
Types of settling
Type- I
1. Discrete
 No interaction with other
 no flocculation up on contact
 no change in shape, size, or mass during the settling
 e.g. sand
Type - II
1.Flocculent
 Flocculate during settling
 tends to increase in mass and thus settle faster
2. Hindered settling
 Inter-particle forces are sufficient to hinder the settling of neighboring particle
 the particle tends to remain in a fixed position with respect to each other
Types of settling
3. Compression settling

 Particle concentration is so high that particles at one level are mechanically influenced by
particles on the lower level
flocculent settling particle analysis
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Cont.…
Sedimentation tank

 Sedimentation basins also called settling tanks or Clarifiers are large tanks in which water
is made to flow very slowly in order to promote the sedimentation of particles or flocs.

 wastewater treatment plants are so large that they are situated outdoors and usually
have an open surface

 Its removes about 60 to 65% of the suspended solids, and 30 to 35% of the BOD from the
sewage
Cont..….
Tank function based:

Intermittent settling tank -

 It is a simple settling tank that stores sewage for a certain period and keeps it in complete rest.

 After giving it a rest of about 24 hours, during which the suspended particles settle down to the
bottom of the tank, the cleaner sewage from the top may be drawn off and the tank is cleaned off
the settled silt. The tank is again filled with raw sewage to continue the next operation.

This type of tank, thus, functions for a period of about 30 to 36 hours and is required to put the
tank again in working condition. This necessitates the commissioning of at least two tanks. Such
tanks are generally not preferred, because a lot of time and labor is wasted and more units are
required to become completely obsolete these days.
Continuous flow

 Type of sedimentation tank, which is generally used in modem days, the flow velocity is only
reduced, and the sewage is not brought to complete rest.

 The working of such a tank is simple, as the water enters from one end, and comes out from the
other end.

 The velocity is sufficiently reduced by providing a sufficient length of travel. The velocity is so
adjusted that the time taken by the particle to travel from one end to another is slightly more
than the time required for the settlement of that particle

 The flow may be either the in horizontal direction or a vertical direction

Continuous flow

a. Horizontal flow type sedimentation tank

These tanks are generally in rectangular shape. They have more length twice their width. Because
they need to flow more distance to settle all suspended particles. The maximum permissible
velocity, in this case, is 0.3m/sec.

b. Vertical flow type sedimentation tank

The vertical flow type sedimentations tanks are generally in circular shape and flow takes place in

the vertical direction. Hopper’s bottom is provided at the bottom of the tank to dispose of the

collected sludge.
 Shape-based types of tank
Circular tank

Circular sedimentation tanks are preferred for continuous vertical flow-type sedimentation
tanks. In this case influent is sent through a central pipe of the tank and radial flow takes
place. Mechanical sludge scrappers are provided to collect the sludge and collected sludge is
carried through the sludge pipe provided at the bottom. But circular tanks are uneconomical
compared to rectangular tanks but have high clarification efficiency.
 Cont.….
Rectangular Tanks:
 These are rectangular in plan and consist of large number of baffle walls. The function of baffle
walls is to reduce the velocity of incoming water to increase the effective length of travel of the
particle and prevent short-circuiting.

 These tanks are generally provided with channel type inlet and outlets extending on the full
width. The floor between two baffles is made like a hopper sloping towards the center where a
sludge-pipe is provided. The sludge is taken out through a sludge outlet under hydrostatic force
by operating the gate valve.
Rectangular tank
 Cont.….
Rectangular sedimentation tanks are mostly preferred sedimentation tanks and are
used widely. The flow takes place in the horizontal direction lengthwise in
rectangular tanks.

 Sometimes baffle walls are provided for rectangular tanks to prevent short-
circuiting.

 Maintenance costs are low in the case of rectangular sedimentation tanks. They
are also suitable for large-capacity plants.
 Hopper Bottom Tank

 In case of hopper bottom tank, a deflector box is located at the top which deflects the influent
coming from central pipe to downwards.

 Sludge is collected at the bottom and it is disposed through sludge pump.

 Design of rectangular basin
 It is assumed that the water containing sewage are uniformly enter rectangular basin with

uniform velocity. 1
 Cont.…..
 discrete particle is moving with a horizontal velocity V and a downward vertical velocity VS.

 The resultant path is given by the vector sum of its flow velocity (V) and its settling
velocity (Vs).

 Assuming that all those particles, whose paths of travel are above the line BD, will pass
through the basin, we have from geometric considerations:-

From 1 substitution:
 Cont.…
 This equation express that all particle with settling velocity equal to or greater than
Will settle down, when the particle enters at full height H of tank
 When particles enter the tank at h height, the smaller particle having settling velocity lower
than or greater than
Will also settle down the bottom of tank
Cont.….
 Normal values of overflow rates ranges between 40,000 and 50,000 liters/sq.m/day for plain
primary sedimentation tanks; and between 50,000 and 60,000 liters/sqm/day for sedimentation
tanks using coagulants as aids and about 25,000 to 35,000 liters/sqm/day for secondary
sedimentation tanks

 Decreasing the overflow rate will lead to the settlement of even those particles which are
having lower values of their settling velocities. Hence, smaller particles will also settle down, if
the overflow rate is reduced. Further, with a given Q, the overflow rate can be reduced by
increasing the planned area of the basin
 Cont..
It, therefore, follows that an increase in the plan area (i.e. width x length) will increase the
efficiency of the sedimentation tank; theoretically speaking, depth does not have any effect on
the efficiency of sediment removal. However, it is important for practical considerations, and
also for making allowance for the deposition of sludge and silt.

 Usual values of effective depth (i.e. depth excluding the bottom sludge zone) range between
2.4 and 3.6m (generally not exceeding 3m). Another important term, which is used in
connection with the design of sedimentation basins, is its detention time or detention period or
retention period.
Cont.…..
The detention time (t) of a settling tank may be defined as the average theoretical time required

for the sewage to flow through the tank.

It is, thus, the time that would be required for the flow of sewage to fill the tank, if there was

no outflow. In other words, it is the average time for which the sewage is detained in the tank.

 Hence, it is the ratio of the volume of the basin to the rate of flow (i.e. discharge) through the

Basin
Cont.….
 The detention time for a sewage sedimentation tank usually ranges between 1 to 2 hours. The
lower value of the detention period (i.e. 1 hour) is generally adopted when the activated sludge
treatment is used in secondary treatment after the sedimentation, and the higher and more
normal value (i.e. 2 hours) is generally adopted when the trickling filters are used as the
secondary treatment.

 Larger detention periods will result in higher efficiency, but too long a period induces septic
conditions and should be avoided. However, if the secondary sedimentation is to be avoided, a
longer detention period of about 2 hours to 3 hours may be adopted.
Cont.….
 The width of the tank is normally kept at about 6m, and not allowed to exceed 7.5m or so. The

 length of the tank is generally not allowed to exceed 4 to 5 times the width.

 The cross-sectional area of the sedimentation tank is such as providing a horizontal flow
velocity of about 0.3m/minute.

 The total amount of flow from the tank within 24 hours generally equals the maximum daily
flow of sewage.

 The maximum diameter of a circular tank may be kept at 60m or so

Bottom slope
 Sedimentation Aided with Coagulation (Type II Sedimentation

 Very fine suspend particles, present in wastewater, which cannot be removed in plain

sedimentation, may sometimes, be settled by increasing their size be changing them into

flocculated particles. For this purpose, certain chemical compounds (like ferric chloride, ferric

sulfate, alum, chlorinated copperas, etc.) called coagulants, are added to the wastewater, which

on thorough mixing, form a gelatinous precipitate, called floc.

 The fine mud particles and other colloidal matter present in wastewaters get absorbed in these
floes, forming the bigger-sized flocculated particles. The process of addition and mixing of

chemicals is called coagulation. The coagulated sewage is then made to pass through
sedimentation tank, where the flocculated particles settle down and get removed
Cont.….
 Cont.….
 The coagulation process is generally not adopted in modern sewage treatment plants, mainly
because of the following reasons:
1. More advanced methods of sewage treatment based on biological actions are available
these days and they are preferred to coagulation.
2. The coagulation process has various disadvantages, such as discussed below:
Disadvantages or Demerits of Coagulation in Sewage Treatment
(i) The biological secondary treatments used these days for treating sewage is complete in
themselves, and do not require coagulation. Moreover, coagulation rather makes some of
these processes more difficult.
Cont.….
(iii) Cost of chemicals is added to the cost of sedimentation, without much use, and thereby
making the treatment costlier

(iv) The process of coagulation and subsequent sedimentation produces larger quantities of
sludge than that produced in plain sedimentation, and thus adding to the problems of sludge
disposal.
(v) The process of coagulation requires skilled supervision and handling of chemicals

The various advantages offered by the coagulation process are:

(i) Sedimentation aided with coagulation produces better effluent with lesser BOD and suspended
solids, as compared to plain sedimentation.

(ii) Coagulated settling tank requires less space than that required by an ordinary plain settling
tank.
Cont.….
(iii) Coagulation process may also remove the phosphates from sewage, which may help in

controlling eutrophication (the excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants in a

river stream. The nitrogen and phosphorous present in sewage and industrial

effluents being discharged into the rivers, serve as fertilizing elements, which in the

presence of sun-light, stimulate the growth of algae and other aquatic plants) of river,

into which the effluent is discharged

Cont.….
 Secondary wastewater treatment
 it is the further treatment of the effluent from primary treatment to remove the residual
organics and suspended solids.

 In most cases, secondary treatment follows primary treatment and involves the removal of
biodegradable dissolved and colloidal organic matter using aerobic biological treatment
processes.

 Aerobic biology is performed in the presence of oxygen by aerobic microorganisms

(principally bacteria) that metabolize the organic matter in the wastewater, thereby producing
more microorganisms and inorganic end-products (principally CO2, NH3, and H2O). Several
aerobic biological processes are used for secondary treatment differing primarily in the manner
in which oxygen is supplied to the microorganisms and in the rate at which organisms
metabolize the organic matter.
 Cont.…
 High-rate biological processes are characterized by relatively small reactor volumes and high
concentrations of microorganisms compared with low-rate processes. Consequently, the growth
rate of new organisms is much greater in high-rate systems because of the well-controlled
environment.

 The microorganisms must be separated from the treated wastewater by sedimentation to

produce clarified secondary effluent. The sedimentation tanks used in secondary treatment,
often referred to as secondary clarifiers, operate in the same basic manner as the primary
clarifiers described previously. The biological solids removed during secondary sedimentation,
called secondary or biological sludge, are normally combined with primary sludge for sludge
processing.
 Cont.…
 Common high-rate processes include the activated sludge processes, trickling filters or bio-
filters, oxidation ditches, and rotating biological contactors (RBCs). A combination of two of
these processes in series (e.g., bio-filter followed by activated sludge) is sometimes used to treat
municipal wastewater containing a high concentration of organic material from industrial
sources.

 Under aerobic conditions, ammonia is further oxidized to nitrate. Phosphorus and sulfur
contained in the organic substances are oxidized to phosphate and sulfate. These can be further
utilized by microorganisms for synthesis.
 Cont.…
 Conversion under anaerobic conditions Methane (CH4) is a useful gaseous by-product of
anaerobic conversion because it can be combusted to produce heat/energy. On the other hand, if
it is released into the atmosphere without being combusted, it contributes to the greenhouse gas
effect
 Cont.…
 Conversion under anaerobic conditions Methane (CH4) is a useful gaseous by-product of
anaerobic conversion because it can be combusted to produce heat/energy. On the other hand, if
it is released into the atmosphere without being combusted, it contributes to the greenhouse gas
effect

 Conversion under photosynthetic conditions:

 Microbial Growth Kinetics

 Prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria reproduce mainly by binary fission (i.e., each cell gives
two daughter cells). The growth of a microbial population is defined as an increase in numbers
or an increase in microbial mass. The growth rate is the increase in microbial cell numbers or
mass per unit of time. The time required for a microbial population to double in numbers is the
generation time or doubling time, which may vary from minutes to days.
 When a suitable medium is inoculated with cells, the microbial population grows in four
distinct phases.
A. lag Phase
 Bacteria are first introduced or adapt into media or environmental
 Cell are very active metabolically
 Shape of cell changes very little
 No increase in cell number
B. Exponential Growth Phase (Log Phase)

 Rapid cell growth

Exponential growth in the number of bacterial cell

Population double every generation

 Microbes are sensitive to adverse conditions like antibiotic

C. Stationary Phase

 Cell begin to encounter environmental stress

 Lack of nutrient
 Lack of water
 Lack of enough space
 Metabolic waste
 pH and oxygen
Cont..

The cell population reaches the stationary phase because microorganisms cannot grow
indefinitely, mainly because of a lack of nutrients and electron acceptors, and the production and
the accumulation of toxic metabolites. Secondary metabolites (e.g., certain enzymes, antibiotics)
are produced during the stationary phase. There is no net growth (cell growth is balanced by cell
death or lysis) of the population during the stationary phase.
D. Death Phase
During this phase, the death (decay) rate of the microbial population is higher than the growth
rate. Cell death may be accompanied by cellysis. The viable count of microorganisms decreases,
although the turbidity of the microbial suspension may remain constant
Cont…..

Microbial growth curve

1
Cont…
2
3
4
5
6
Types of Biological Process for Wastewater Treatment
Cont…