What is wastewater treatment

Usually refer to sewage treatment, or

domestic wastewater treatment
process of removing contaminants from
wastewater, both runoff and domestic
Goals
To produce waste stream (effluent)
To produce solid waste (sludge)
To discharge or reuse them back into the
environment
Where does wastewater come
from?
Residences (kitchen, bathroom)
Commercial institution
Industrial institution (usually require
specialized treatment process)
How can it be treated?
collected and transported via a network of
pipes and pump stations to a municipal
treatment plant
3 stages of water treatment
Primary
solids are separated
Secondary
dissolved biological matter is converted into a solid
mass by using water-borne bacteria
95% of the suspended molecules should be removed
Tertiary
biological solids are neutralized then disposed, and
treated water may be disinfected chemically or
physically
Types of treatment
Mechanical treatment
Influx (Influent)
Removal of large objects
Removal of sand and grit
Primary Sedimentation
Biological treatment
Trickling bed filter
Activated sludge
Chemical treatment
Disinfection
Preliminary treatment
Remove large objects
Ex: sticks, rags, toilet paper, tampons
Raked screen
Clog equipment in sewage treatment plant

Treatment stages - Primary
treatment
typical materials that are removed during
primary treatment include
fats, oils, and greases (aka FOG)
sand, gravels and rocks (aka grit)
larger settleable solids including human
waste, and
floating materials
Methods used in primary treatment
Sand catcher
Remove sand and grit
Control wastewater velocity
Sand grit and stone settle
Keep suspended organic matter in water
Damage equipments in the remaining
treatment stage
Landfill
Primary
Sedimentation Tank
Remove grease, oil
Fecal solid settle,
floating material rise to
the surface
Produce a
homologous liquid for
later biological
treatment
Fecal sludge are
pumped to sludge
treatment plant
Treatment stages - Secondary
treatment
Degrade biological content (dissolved
organic matter) of the sewage
Ex: human waste, food waste, soaps,
detergent
Added bacteria and protozoa into sewage
3 different approaches
Fixed film system
Suspended film system
Lagoon system

Three approaches
Fixed Film Systems
grow microorganisms on substrates such as
rocks, sand or plastic
wastewater is spread over the substrate
Ex: Trickling filters, rotating biological
contactors
Trickling filters bed
Spread wastewater
over microorganism
made of coke
(carbonised coal),
limestone chips or
specially fabricated
plastic media
Optimize their
thickness by insect or
worm grazing
Suspended Film Systems
stir and suspend microorganisms in
wastewater
settled out as a sludge
pumped back into the incoming wastewater
Ex: Activated sludge, extended aeration


Activated sludge
mixed community of microorganisms
Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria may
exist
Biological floc is formed
5 physical components of activated
sludge process
aeration tank
oxygen is introduced into the system
aeration source
ensure that adequate oxygen is fed into the tank
provided pure oxygen or compressed air
secondary clarifiers
activated-sludge solids separate from the
surrounding wastewater
Activated sludge
outflow line
Pump activated sludge
back to the aeration
tank
Effluent outflow line
discharged effluent
into bay or tertiary
treatment plant
Lagoon Systems
hold the waste-water for several months
natural degradation of sewage
Usually reeds are preferred
Treatment stages Tertiary
treatment
remove disease-causing organisms from
wastewater
3 different disinfection process
Chlorination
UV light radiation
Ozonation
Chlorination
Most common
Advantages: low
cost & effective
Disadvantages:
chlorine residue
could be harmful to
environment
UV light radiation
Damage the genetic
structure of bacteria,
viruses and other
pathogens.
Advantages: no
chemicals are used
water taste more
natural
Disadvantages: high
maintenance of the UV-
lamp
Ozonation
Oxidized most pathogenic microorganisms
Advantages: safer than chlorination
fewer disinfection by-product
Disadvantage: high cost
What can effluent use for?
discharged into a stream, river, bay,
lagoon or wetland
used for the irrigation of a golf course,
green way or park
If its sufficiently clean, it can be used for
groundwater recharge
Advanced Treatment
Nitrogen removal
Ammonia (NH
3
) nitrite (NO
2
-
) nitrate (NO
3
-
)
Phosphorous removal
Precipitation with iron or aluminums salt
Lead to eutrophication
May cause algae bloom
Sludge treatment
Primary sludge usually have strong odors
Secondary sludge have high concentration
of microorganism
Goals of treatments are:
Reduce odors
Remove water reduce volume
Decompose organic matter
Untreated sludge are about 97 percent water
Settling can reduce about 92 to 96 percent of
water
dried sludge is called a sludge cake
3 different sludge treatments
Aerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion
composting

Aerobic digestion
Bacterial process
Need oxygen
Consume organic matter
Convert into carbon dioxide (CO
2
)
Anaerobic digestion
Bacterial process
Do not require oxygen
Consume organic matter
Produce biogas, which can be used in
generators for electricity
Composting
aerobic process
requires the correct
mix of carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen
and water with
sludge
Generate large
amount of heat
Sludge disposal
Superheat sludge and convert into small
granules that are rich in nitrogen
Sell it to local farmer as fertilizer
Spread sludge cake on the field
Save landfill space
Summary
Questions
1. For you, what is the most effective way of
conserving water?
2. Write an interpretation or comment ( 6 to
10 sentences only) of your classmates
poster/drawing about conservation of
water.