CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT:

Waste water treatment plant is one of the most importance services a

municipality may provide one of the least visible. This chapter provides an overview
of the process of waste water treatment plant and provides information appropriate for
municipal leaders, the general public and operators. A process to convert waste water
which is water no longer needed suitable for its most recent use in to an effluent that
can be either returned to the water cycle with minimal environmental issues reduced

Waste water in residential areas comes from water for washing, bathing and
cooking By gravity flow, the water is on its way to your local waste water treatment
plant. We need to remove the waste water pollutants to protect the environment and
protect public health. When water is used by our society, the water becomes
contaminated with pollutants. If left untreated, these pollutants would negatively
affect our water environment. For example, Organic matter can cause oxygen
depletion in lakes, rivers and streams. This biological decomposition of organics
could result in fish kills and / or foul odours. Waterborne diseases are also eliminated
through proper waste water treatment. Additionally, there are many pollutants that
could exhibit toxic effects on aquatic life and the public.

1
 Fig:1.1 Waste water Treatment Plant

1.2 OBJECTIVE:

The objective of Waste water treatment plant is to extract pollutants, remove

toxicants, neutralize coarse particles, kill pathogens so that quality of discharged
water is improved to reach the permissible level of water to be discharged into water
municipal waste water treatment is to extract pollutants, remove toxicants, neutralize
coarse particles bodies or for agriculture land.

Treatment of water thus aims at reduction of BOD, CO,eutrophitation etc. of

receiving water bodies and prevention of bio-magnification of toxic substances in
food chain.

2
1.3 FUNCTIONS OF WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT:

 To improve quality of waste water

 Elimination of pollutants toxicants and many
 Preservation of water quality of neutral water resources
 To make waste water usable for other purpose
 Prevention of harmful diseases.

3
 CHAPTER-2

PROCESS AND UNIT OPERATIONS INVOLVED IN

WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT
2.1 STEPS INVOLVED IN WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT:

 Preliminary treatment
 Primary treatment
 Secondary treatment
 Tertiary or advanced treatments
 Sludge treatment and disposal.

2.2 UNIT OPERATIONS IN WASTE WATER TREATMENT

PLANT:

2.2.1.Physical unit operations:

Treatment methods in which the application is known as physical unit

operations. screening, mixing, flocculation, sedimentation, floatation, filtration and
gas transfer are examples of physical unit operations.

2.2.2.Chemical unit operations:

Treatment methods in which the removal or conversion of contaminants is

brought about by the addition of chemicals or by other chemical reactions are known
as chemical unit process. Precipitation and adsorption are the most common examples
used in waste water treatment plant.

2.2.3. Biological unit process:

Treatment involves in which the removal of contaminants is brought about by

biological activity are known as biological unit process. Biological treatment is used
primary to remove the biodegradable organic substances in waste waterr.

4
Fig:2.1 Operations involved in Waste water treatment plant.

5
 CHAPTER-3

PRELIMINARY TREATMENT
3.1 COLLECTION OF WASTE WATER:

Rivers constitute a major source of water in moist countries of the word for
both domestic and industrial purposes. After use, the water eventually returns to the
river or is discharged out to a sea, typical dry weather flow can be as high 500liters
per person per day. In large populated areas, discharges take place at many different
locations along the length of a river, there by affecting the condition of the subsequent
water abstracted downstream. Although the natural biological action of aquatic micro-
organisms tends to decompose chemical pollutants discharged into rivers, current
demand on the limited supplies and the time available is often insufficient. Therefore,
some method of purifying the effluent is required.

Sewage discharged out to a sea is eventually treated by similar natural

biological action, but, greater dilution and tidal flows normally quickly disperse the
polluting effects.

Fig:3.1 3.1 Collection & Treatment of sewage

6
 The area to be analysed may divided by a grid, and a sample taken at each
point of the grid. For air pollution studies, an air sample might be taken at fixed
intervals of time, say every three hours.

This approach does not require the prior knowledge of pollutants distribution,
is easy to implement, and should produce unbiased samples. However, systematic
sampling may require more samples to be taken than some of other methods.

3.2 GRIT CHAMBERS :

Grit consists of sand, gravel, cinders, and other heavy materials. It also
includes organic matter such as eggshells, bone chips, seeds, and coffee grounds. Pre-
treatment may include a sand or grit channel or chamber, where the velocity of the
incoming sewage is adjusted to allow the settlement of sand and grit.

Grit removal is necessary to the removal of grit is essential for equipment with
closely machined metal surfaces such as comminutors, fine screens, centrifuges, heat
exchangers, and high pressure diaphragm pumps. Grit chambers come in 3 types:
horizontal grit chambers, aerated grit chambers and vortex grit chambers. Vortex type
grit chambers include mechanically induced vortex, hydraulically induced vortex, and
multi-tray vortex separators. Given that traditionally, grit removal systems have been
designed to remove clean inorganic particles that are greater than 0.210 millimetres
(0.0083 in), most grit passes through the grit removal flows under normal conditions.
During periods of high flow deposited grit is resuspended and the quantity of grit
reaching the treatment plant increases substantially. It is, therefore important that the
grit removal system not only operate efficiently during normal flow conditions but
also under sustained peak flows when the greatest volume of grit reaches the plant

Purpose of grit chambers is to remove inert dense material such as sand ,

broken glass , silt and pebbles.

7
Avoid abrasion of pumps and other mechanical devices.

Fig:3.2 Grit chamber

3.3 EEQUALIZATION BASINS :

An equalizing basin or equalizing reservoir regulates the flow of water

below an intermittently operated hydropower station peaking power plant. This could
be a part-load power station or a storage power station. Also called a balancing
reservoir.

3.3.1 Functions of equalization basins:

The hydropower station sited above the basin works only a few hours a day.
Often it is only used to generate peak current electricity. During hours of low current

8
demand, the power station switches off in order to save the water available in the
headstream for the valuable peak power times.

Without some form of equalization, however, the tailwaters would run dry
when the turbines shut down. This would result in extremely low levels of water,
causing serious problems for the plants and animals that live in and around the stream
or river. In general, therefore, the power station operator today is required to regulate
the flow in order to ensure a specified minimum level of water flow into the
tailwaters. During periods when the turbines are running (peak current generation) the
equalizing basin fills up; during periods when the turbines are shut down, the basin
drains gradually. In the main, equalizing basins are small reservoirs located below a
larger dam and reservoir system. The water flowingout of theequalizing basin into the
tail stream can be used in a run-of-river power station.

When flow equalization is incorporated into a residential treatment system,

numerous benefits are produced:

1. In the case of a septic tank or pre-treatment tank, gravity separation of solids is

greatly enhanced. This prevents short-circuiting and eliminates excess solids from
being carried downstream into the secondary treatment facility or disposal system.

2. In the case of a secondary biological or chemical treatment system, elimination of

hydraulic surges guarantees adequate process retention time and a much higher degree
of treatment.

3. Clarifiers following secondary treatment will have greater solids separation and
improved effluent quality. If a filtration device is used, solids loading to the filtration
device will be reduced, resulting in longer filter life and higher effluent quality.

4. The operation of a downstream sand filter, media filter or constructed wetland is

enhanced by more consistent loading, the equalization of surge flows and the removal
of excess solids.

5. All types of effluent disposal systems, including tile fields, mounds, irrigation
systems, etc., will operate longer and more efficiently because organic and hydraulic
surges are eliminated system overloading is prevented.

9
Fig:3.3 Equalization tank

Fig3.4 Equalization tank

10
 CHAPTER-4

PRIMARY TREATMENT
4.1 GENERAL :

Primary treatment removes material that will either float or readily settle out
by gravity. It includes the physical processes of screening, comminution, grit removal,
and sedimentation. Screens are made of long, closely spaced, narrow metal bars. They
block floating debris such as wood, rags, and other bulky objects that could clog pipes
or pumps. In modern plants the screens are cleaned mechanically, and the material is
promptly disposed of by burial on the plant grounds. A comminutor may be used to
grind and shred debris that passes through the screens. The shredded material is
removed later by sedimentation or flotation processes.

Primary and secondary treatment of sewage, using the activated sludge process.

Fig:4.1 Primary treatment

Grit chambers are long narrow tanks that are designed to slow down the flow
so that solids such as sand, coffee grounds, and eggshells will settle out of the water.
Grit causes excessive wear and tear on pumps and other plant equipment.

11
 Its removal is particularly important in cities with combined sewer systems,
which carry a good deal of silt, sand, and gravel that wash off streets or land during a
storm.

Suspended solids that pass-through screens and grit chambers are removed
from the sewage in sedimentation tanks. These tanks, also called primary clarifiers,
provide about two hours of detention time for gravity settling to take place. As the
sewage flows through them slowly, the solids gradually sink to the bottom. The
settled solids known as raw or primary sludge are moved along the tank bottom by
mechanical scrapers. Sludge is collected in a hopper, where it is pumped out for
removal. Mechanical surface-skimming devices remove grease and other floating
materials.

Fig:4.2 Primary treatment

4.2 SEDIMENTATION TANK :

Sedimentation tank, also called settling tank or clarifier, component of a

modern system of water supply or wastewater treatment. A sedimentation tank allows
suspended particles to settle out of water or wastewater as it flows slowly through the
tank, thereby providing some degree of purification. A layer of accumulated solids,
called sludge, forms at the bottom of the tank and is periodically removed. In
drinking-water treatment, coagulants are added to the water prior to sedimentation in
order to facilitate settling process, which is followed by filtration and other treatment
steps.

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 In modern sewage treatment, primary sedimentation must be followed by
secondary treatment to increase purification efficiencies. Sedimentation is usually
preceded by treatment using bar screens and grit chambers to remove large objects
and coarse solids.

Sedimentation is the process of allowing particles in suspension in water to

settle out of the suspension under the effect of gravity. The particles that settle out
from the suspension become sediment, and in water treatment is known as sludge.
When a thick layer of sediment continues to settle, this is known as consolidation.
When consolidation of sediment, or sludge, is assisted by mechanical means then this
is known as thickening.

In water treatment sedimentation might be used to reduce the concentration of

particles in suspension before the application of coagulation, to reduce the amount of
coagulating chemicals needed, or after coagulation and, possibly, flocculation. When
sedimentation is applied after coagulation, its purpose is usually to reduce the
concentration of solids in suspension so that the subsequent filtration can function
most effectively.

Sedimentation is one of several methods for application prior to filtration:

other options include dissolved air flotation and some methods of filtration.
Generically, such solids-liquid separation processes are sometimes referred to as
clarification processes.

There is a variety of methods for applying sedimentation and include:

horizontal flow, radial flow, inclined plate, ballasted floc and floc blanket
sedimentation.

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 Fig:4.3 Sedimentation tank

4.3 TYPES OF SEDIMENTATION TANKS:

4.3.1Horizontal flow tanks:

The simplest form of sedimentation is to fill a jar or tank with water, leave
alone for a long enough time for particles to settle and then decant off the resulting
water without the sediment. In practice this is rarely viable in treating water for
townships, and therefore sedimentation tanks are operated continuously.

The simplest method of sedimentation is to use rectangular tanks with

horizontal flow through them. The water with the particles in suspension is introduced
at one end of the tank, then as the water flows to the other end of the tank settlement
of particles in the water occurs. The aim is that a large proportion of the settling
particles manage to reach the tank floor before the water is drawn out of the tank at
the outlet end. Such horizontal flow tanks are usually built with a floor that slopes
gently down to the inlet end to a hopper. The tank is fitted with a mechanism to scrape
the sediment from the outlet end back to the inlet end and into the hopper from where
it can be discharged hydraulically. In the design of such tanks detailed attention has to
be given to the inlet and outlet ends so that the water flows from one end to the end as
uniformly as possible.

14
 Partly because rectangular tanks have a large footprint, multi-layer tanks (i.e.
two or three decks) have been built. These tanks are usually multi-pass in that the
water flows along the length of one layer before returning along the next.

Fig:4.4 Horizontal flow tank

4.3.2 Radial flow tanks:

Radial flow tanks are circular with the inlet for the water at the centre and a
peripheral outlet. Attention has to be paid to the design of inlet to support uniform
distribution of flow to the whole of the tank. The sediment is scraped to a central
hopper for its discharge.

Fig:4.5 Radial flow tanks

4.4 BALLASTED SEDIMENTATION:

The density difference between water and the particles produced in water
treatment by coagulation, flocs, in general is small. Therefore, they settle slowly.

15
Methods of plain sedimentation (i.e., horizontal, radial and inclined sedimentation)
are preceded by a slow mixing process called flocculation. The purpose of
flocculation is to assist coagulated particles to collide and adhere so as to grow into
larger particles that might settle faster, and for the particle size distribution to be as
small as possible. Flocculation can be assisted by the application of high molecular
weight polymers called polyelectron the first instance flocculation does not increase
particle density a property of flocs is that their density decreases with increase in
particle size.

The density of floc particles can be increased by application of a ballasting

agent such as Bentonite or fine sand. In the case of fine sand (80-200 µm), it is
possible to recover it for recycling by means of passing the sludge collected from the
sedimentation tank through hydro cyclones. The settling rate of floc ballasted with
fine sand can be three or more times faster than floc that is not ballasted, and is
usually settled in a tank with counter-current inclined plate system placed over a
hopper in which the settled sludge is collected.

Fig:4.6 Ballasted sedimentation

4.5 FLOC BLANKET SEDIMENTATION:

The first floc blanket tanks had an inverted pyramidal shape topped by a short
vertical section. (Floc blanket is used in preference to sludge blanket. This is because
the view is taken that floc in the suspension is still functioning as floc should, helping

16
to remove the particles in the incoming water. Once floc becomes part of sediment
and become surplus to the process, the sediment is sludge. Therefore, when sediment
is allowed to accumulate on the floor of a tank that might appropriately be referred to
as a sludge blanket, as is typical in sewage treatment.) The incoming suspension was
fed downward into the apex of the pyramidal hopper by a single pipe. The blanket
occupied most of the pyramidal hopper. The comparative success of floc blanket
settling resulted in adaptation of premix-recirculation tanks being developed to
include floc blanket zones. However, more effective developments and cheaper
designs led to use of flat-bottomed rectangular tanks fed by an arrangement of
multiple inlet pipes candelabra like, or horizontal pipes with multiple orifices close to
the tank floor. Further developments have led to the use of inclined plate or tube
modules in such tanks.

4.6 CHLORINATION EFFLUENT :

Chlorination is by far the most common method of wastewater disinfection

and is used worldwide for the disinfection of pathogens before discharge into
receiving streams, rivers or oceans. (11-14) Chlorine is known to be effective in
destroying a variety of bacteria, viruses and protozoa, including Salmonella, Shigella
and Vibrio cholera.

Wastewater chlorination was initially applied in 1910 in Philadelphia, PA, and

was soon implemented in many other cities in the United States based on this early
success.

Today, wastewater chlorination is widely practiced to reduce microbial

contamination and potential disease risks to exposed populations.

A number of different by-products can be produced from the reactions in the

disinfection process. By-products created from the reactions between inorganic
compounds and chlorine are harmless and can be easily removed from the water by
filtration.

Other by-products, such as chloramines, are beneficial to the disinfection

process because they also have disinfecting properties. However, there are undesired
compounds that may be produced from chlorine reacting with organic matter. The
compounds of most concern right now are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic
acids (HAAs). THMs and HAAs are formed by reactions between chlorine and

17
organic material such as humic acids and fulvic acids (both generated from the decay
of organic matter) to create halogenated organics. A greater level of THM formation
has been found in surface water or groundwater influenced by surface water.

Trihalomethanes are associated with several types of cancer and are

considered carcinogenic. The trihalomethane of most concern is chloroform, also
called trichloromethane. It was once used as an anaesthetic during surgery, but is now
used in the process of making other chemicals. About 900 ppm of chloroform can
cause dizziness, fatigue, and headaches. Chronic exposure may cause damage to the
liver and kidneys. Other harmful disinfection by-products are: trichloracetic acid,
dichloroacetic acid, some haloacetonitriles, and chlorophenols.

Trichloracetic acid is produced commercially for use as a herbicide and is also

produced in drinking water. This chemical is not classified as a carcinogen for
humans, and there is limited information for animals. Dichloroacetic acid is an
irritant, corrosive, and destructive against mucous membranes. This is also not
currently classified as a human carcinogen. Haloacetonitriles were used as pesticides
in the past, but are no longer manufactured. They are produced as a result of a
reaction between chlorine, natural organic matter, and bromide. Chlorophenols cause
taste and odour problems. They are toxic, and when present in higher concentrations,
affect the respiration and energy storage process in the body.

There is a water use cycle in which drinking water is treated, then consumed
and discharged as wastewater. Following additional treatment, wastewater is
discharged and may enter source waters used for drinking and recreation. Then the
treatment-use-discharge process begins again, continuing the water use cycle.

18
Fig:4.7 Chlorination effluent

19
 CHAPTER-5

SECONDARYTREATMENT
5.1 GENERAL :

Secondary treatment is a treatment process for wastewater (or sewage) to

achieve a certain degree of effluent quality by using a sewage treatment plant with
physical phase separation to remove settleable solids and a biological process to
remove dissolved and suspended organic compounds. After this kind of treatment, the
wastewater may be called as secondary-treated wastewater.

Secondary treatment is the portion of a sewage treatment sequence removing

dissolved and colloidal compounds measured as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
Secondary treatment is traditionally applied to the liquid portion of sewage after
primary treatment has removed settleable solids and floating material. Secondary
treatment is typically performed by ((indigenous, aquatic microorganisms in managed
aerobic habitat. Bacteria and protozoa consume biodegradable soluble organic
contaminants (e.g., sugars, fats, and organic short-chain carbon molecules from
human waste, food waste, soaps and detergent) while reproducing to form (cells of
biological solids. Biological oxidation processes are sensitive to temperature and,
between 0 °C and 40 °C, the rate of biological reactions increase with temperature.
Most surface aerated vessels operate at between 4 °C and 32 °C.

Fig:5.1 Secondary treatment

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5.2 ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS :

Activated sludge is also the name given to the active biological material
produced by activated sludge plants. Excess sludge is called "surplus activated
sludge" or "waste activated sludge" and is removed from the treatment process to
keep the ratio of biomass to food supplied in the wastewater in balance. This sewage
sludge is usually mixed with primary sludge from the primary clarifiers and
undergoes further sludge treatment for example by anaerobic digestion, followed by
thickening, dewatering, composting and land application.

The amount of sewage sludge produced from the activated sludge process is
directly proportional to the amount of wastewater treated. The total sludge production
consists of the sum of primary sludge from the primary sedimentation tanks as well as
waste activated sludge from the bioreactors. The activated sludge process produces
about 70–100 kg/ML of waste activated sludge (that is kg of dry solids produced per
ML of wastewater treated; one mega litre (ML) is 103 m3). A value of 80 kg/ML is
regarded as being typical. In addition, about 110–170 kg/ML of primary sludge is
produced in the primary sedimentation tanks which most - but not all - of the
activated sludge process configurations use.

A variant of the activated sludge process is the Nerada process where aerobic
granular sludge is developed by applying specific process conditions that favour slow
growing organisms.

Activated sludge may be define as the sludge which settled down after the sewage
has been agitated freely in the presence of abundant atmospheric oxygen. Activated
sludge contains a large number of aerobic bacteria and other organism and acts as a
fertilizing constituent (agent) when it is mixed with raw sewage containing sufficient
O2, the bacteria perform two functions.

1. It oxidizes organic solids.

2. Promotes coagulation and flocculation and converts colloidal and dissolved
solids into settleable solids.

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The flow diagram of activated sludge process is shown in the figure below:

5.2.1 Aeration and Methods of Aeration in Activated Sludge Process:

The process of absorbing oxygen from air is known as aeration. High amount
of O2 is provided in the aeration tank because of high BOD in sewage. This cannot be
provided naturally therefore aerators are used to provide O 2 artificially. When the
dissolved oxygen level (D.O) falls below 2mg/l anaerobic activities starts.

There are three methods for aeration in activated sludge process.

1. Diffused air aeration

2. Mechanical aeration
3. Combine aerator

5.2.2 Advantages of Activated Sludge Process:

1. Low installation cost

2. Good quality effluent
3. Low land requirement
4. Loss of head is small
5. Freedom from fly and odor nuisance high degree of treatment

Fig:5.2 Activated sludge process

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5.3 SECONDARY CLARIFIERS :

Secondary clarifiers are equipment used in sewage treatment plants for

gravitational separation of solid particles from water. As this process is chemically
activated by adding flocculants to improve the settling, a mathematical model may be
developed considering a mixture model and taking into account the relative velocity
between the solid phase and the liquid one. This study presents issues regarding
mathematical modelling of sedimentation process in secondary clarifiers.

In a sewage treatment plant, the role of secondary clarifiers is to retain the

sludge formed previously in the biological treatment stage (i.e. treatment in biological
filters or in aeration basins with activated sludge Usually are used circular secondary
clarifiers in which water flows in horizontal direction. Also known as Dorr clarifiers,
they are composed of settling basin made of concrete, wastewater inlet system
positioned centrally clean water peripheral outlet and a sludge outlet system at bottom
.This study is centered on dimensioning secondary clarifiers and on mathematical
method to model the mixture behavior inside secondary clarifiers, to improve their
efficiency.

Fig:5.3 Secondary clarifiers

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5.4 AERATION TANKS :

The quantity of the biomass required depends strongly on the load and the
effluent quality to be met. Once the quantity of the biomass is known, the oxygen
command (OC) can be determined and the aeration tank can be designed. The aeration
tanks can be subdivided in complete mix, plug flow and circulator systems. In plug
flow systems mixing is mainly concentrated in some parts of the tank, while in
complete mix and circulator systems the mixing affects the whole tank. Therefore, the
concentrations of oxygen and pollutants differs much more in plug flow systems than
in complete mix systems. This has important effects on the biological process.

Aeration brings water and air in close contact in order to remove dissolved
gases (such as carbon dioxide) and oxidizes dissolved metals such as iron, hydrogen
sulphide, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Aeration is often the first major
process at the treatment plant. During aeration, constituents are removed or modified
before they can interfere with the treatment processes. Aeration brings water and air
in close contact by exposing drops or thin sheets of water to the air or by introducing
small bubbles of air (the smaller the bubble, the better) and letting them rise through
the water. The scrubbing process caused by the turbulence of aeration physically
removes dissolved gases from solution and allows them to escape into the surrounding
air. Aeration also helps remove dissolved metals through oxidation, the chemical
combination of oxygen from the air with certain undesirable metals in the water. Once
oxidized, these chemicals fall out of solution and become particles in the water and
can be removed by filtration or flotation. The efficiency of aeration depends on the
amount of surface contact between air and water, which is controlled primarily by the
size of the water drop or air bubble.

Oxygen is added to water through aeration and can increase the palpability of
water by removing the flat taste. The amount of oxygen the water can hold depends
primarily on the temperature of the water. (The colder the water, the more oxygen the
water can hold). Water that contains excessive amounts of oxygen can become very
corrosive. Excessive oxygen can also cause problems in the treatment plant i.e., air
binding of filters. CHEMICALS REMOVED OR OXIDIZED BY AERATION
Constituents commonly affected by aeration are:

24
  Volatile organic chemicals, such as benzene (found in gasoline), or
trichloroethylene, dichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene (used in dry-
cleaning or industrial processes)

 Ammonia

 Chlorine

 Carbon dioxide

 Hydrogen sulphide

 Methane

 Iron and Manganese

Fig:5.4 Aeration tank

5.5 TRICKLING FILTERS :

A trickling filter is a type of sewage treatment system. It consists of a fixed

bed of ((rocks, lava, ((coke, gravel, slag, polyurethane foam, sphagnum peatmoss,
ceramic, or plastic media over which sewage or other wastewater flows downward
and causes a layer of microbial slime to grow, covering the bed of media. Aerobic
conditions are maintained by splashing, diffusion, and either by forced-air flowing
through the bed or natural convection of air if the filter medium is porous.

The terms trickle filter, trickling biofilter, biofilter, biological filter and
biological trickling filter are often used to refer to a trickling filter. These systems

25
have also been described as roughing filters, intermittent filters, packed media bed
filters, alternative septic systems, percolating filters, attached growth processes, and
fixed film processes.

Fig:5.5 Trickling filters

5.6 OXIDATION AND STABILIZATION PONDS :

Waste stabilization ponds are used worldwide for wastewater treatment and
are especially suitable for developing countries that have warm climates. They are
frequently used to treat sewage and industrial effluents, but may also be used for
treatment of municipal run-off or stormwater. The system may consist of a single
pond or several ponds in a series, each pond playing a different role in the removal of
pollutants. After treatment, the effluent may be returned to surface water or reused as
irrigation water.

Waste stabilization ponds involve natural treatment processes which take time
because removal rates are slow. Therefore, larger areas are required than for other
treatment processes with external energy inputs. Waste stabilization ponds described
here use no aerators. High-performance lagoon technology that does use aerators has
much more in common with the activated sludge process. Such aerated lagoons use
less area than is needed for traditional stabilization ponds and are also common in
small towns

The main configurations of pond systems are

 Facultative pond only;

 Anaerobic pond followed by a facultative pond;
 Facultative pond followed by maturation ponds in series;
 Anaerobic pond followed by a facultative pond

5.6.1 Anaerobic ponds:

Receive raw wastewater. They have a smaller surface area compared to

facultative ponds and are also deeper (usually 3.0 to 5.0 m). The depth decreases the
influence of oxygen production by photosynthesis, leading to anaerobic conditions.
Depending on loading and climatic conditions, these ponds are able to remove
between half to two thirds of the influent BOD. This significantly decreases the load

26
of organic matter that goes to the facultative ponds, and thus decreases their required
size.[4] Anaerobic stabilization ponds have the disadvantage of potentially releasing
malodorous gases. This especially includes hydrogen sulfide with an odour of rotten
eggs, if the system has operational problems.

5.6.2 Facultative ponds:

Fig:5.6 Facultative ponds

Facultative stabilization ponds that receive raw wastewater are called primary
facultative ponds. If they are receiving wastewater that has already been treated in
anaerobic ponds, they are called secondary facultative ponds. Facultative stabilization
ponds may also be used for treatment following other types of treatment processes
such as up flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, oxidation ditches or
aerated lagoons.

Compared with anaerobic ponds, facultative ponds are shallower (1.5 to 2.5 m
deep) and have much larger surface areas. The surface area is important because it
allows atmospheric oxygen to dissolve and sunlight radiation to penetrate the water.
This allows for photosynthetic activity to occur which produces more oxygen.

5.6.3 Maturation ponds:

Some additional removal of organic matter and other pollutants may be

achieved in maturation ponds. These ponds are only included in the treatment line
when high efficiencies of pathogen removal are required, either for discharge of the
treated effluent in surface water bodies, or for use for irrigation or aquaculture. They
are usually used after facultative ponds, but may also follow other treatment

27
processes, such as upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors.[16] They could
also be placed after an activated sludge process.

CHAPTER-6

TERITARY OR ADVANCED TREATMENTS

6.1 CHEMICALCLARIFICATION:

The flocculation/clarification process is applied when there is a high degree of

turbidity in the water or when solids must be separated from liquids.
Flocculation/clarification is highly effective at reducing turbidity and removing
colour, solids and colloidal material from water and wastewater when used together
with chemical feed, sludge treatment and filtration of clarified elements.

6.1.1 Four-Step Process:

28
 Flocculation/clarification consists of four distinctive processes – coagulation,
flash mixing, flocculation, and clarification. The variables that affect how these
processes are carried out are water velocity, time, and the pH. Sufficient time and
velocity are necessary to maximize the probability that particles will come together.
The pH level is an important determinant of how thoroughly colloids are removed.

6.1.2 Coagulation:

During the coagulation process, chemical coagulants are added to water to

destabilize colloidal and finely divided materials and to cause them to begin
aggregating. The most commonly employed metal coagulants fall into two groups –
aluminium-based, such as aluminium sulphate, aluminium chloride and sodium
aluminate; and iron-based, such as ferric sulphate, ferrous sulphate, ferric chloride and
ferric chloride sulphate. Other chemicals sometimes used as coagulants in the water
treatment process are magnesium carbonate and hydrated lime, among others.
Aluminium and iron coagulants work by forming highly adsorptive multi-charged
polynuclear complexes. The pH of the system can be manipulated to control the
characteristics of the complexes and their effectiveness.

6.1.3 Flash Mixer:

After coagulant chemicals are introduced, the water is mixed quickly and
forcefully by the flash mixer so that the chemicals are evenly distributed throughout
the water. This step is very important to create the conditions for efficient, effective
water treatment.

Flash mixing must last at least 30 seconds, or else the chemicals will not be
properly distributed, but it typically lasts for less than 60 seconds. When water is
flash-mixed for a longer period, the mixer blades will tend to chop or shear the
aggregating material back into small particles. Coagulation actual begins during flash
mixing as the coagulants neutralize the electrical charge of the fine particles. This
stops the repulsion of like-charged particles and allows the particles to begin bonding
and forming larger clumps.

6.1.4 Flocculation:

After flash mixing, flocculation begins through a slower, gentler mixing that
brings the fine particles produced during the coagulation step into contact with each
other. The flocculation phase usually goes on for 30-45 minutes in a flocculation
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basin that may have multiple compartments. Each compartment has a different mixing
speed, and these speeds randomly decrease as water flows from the top of the basin to
its bottom. This approach allows increasingly large clumps of matter to form without
being broken apart by the mixing blades.

6.1.5 The Floc:

At the end of the mixing/flocculation process, most of the turbidity and

particulate matter in the water should be formed into a material called floc. Floc
consists of relatively large clumps of impurities and bacteria bound together in
clusters of about 0.1 to 3 mm in size. Smaller floc or larger floc does not settle as
well, and a larger floc is more likely to break apart in the flocculation basin.

6.1.6 Clarification:

Clarification is the last of the four steps in the process. Clarifiers consist of
tanks or basins which hold water or wastewater for a period sufficient to allow the
floc and other suspended materials to settle to the bottom. The clarification process
makes the water clear by removing all kinds of particles, sediments, oil, natural
organic matter and colour.

Fig:6.1 Clarification

Filtronics offers a packaged system for treatment of surface water with a

separate module for each step in the flocculation/clarification process. This packaged
system is used along with chemical feed, sludge treatment and filtration equipment
and processes for effective water treatment, industrial waste pre-treatment, and other
applications where the separation of solids from liquids is required. Filtronics
clarifiers incorporate our exclusive Super Slant design.

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6.2 DEMINERALIZATION :

Demineralization is the process of removing mineral salts from Water by using the
exchange process. Demineralised Water is Water completely free (or almost) of
dissolved minerals as a result of one of the following processes:

 Distillation
 Deionization
 Membrane filtration (reverse osmosis or nanofiltration
 Electrodialysis

Or other technologies.

Demineralized Water also known as Deionized Water; Water that has had its
mineral ions removed. Mineral ions such as cations of sodium, calcium, iron, copper,
etc and anions such as chloride, sulphate, nitrate, etc are common ions present in
Water. Deionization is a physical process which uses specially-manufactured ion
exchange resins which provides ion exchange site for the replacement of the mineral
salts in Water with Water forming H+ and OH- ions. Because the majority of Water
impurities are dissolved salts, deionization produces a high purity

Water that is generally similar to distilled Water, and this process is quick and
without scale build-up. De-mineralization technology is the proven process for
treatment of Water. A DM Water System produces mineral free Water by operating
on the principles of ion exchange, Degasification, and polishing. Demineralized
Water System finds wide application in the field of steam, power, process, and
cooling.

6.3 FILTRATION :

Filtration plays an important role in the natural treatment of groundwater as it

percolates through the soil. It is also a major part of most water treatment.
Groundwater that has been softened, or treated through iron and manganese oxidation,
requires filtration to remove floc created by coagulation or oxidation processes. Since
surface water is subject to run-off and does not undergo natural filtration, it must be
filtered to remove particles and impurities. Filtration can be compared to a sieve or
micro-strainer that traps suspended material between the grains of filter media.

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 However, since most suspended particles can easily pass through the spaces
between grains of the filter media, straining is the least important process in filtration.
Filtration primarily depends on a combination of complex physical and chemical
mechanisms, the most important being adsorption. Adsorption is the process of
particles sticking onto the surface of the individual filter grains or onto the previously
deposited materials. Forces that attract and hold particles to the grains are the same as
those that work in coagulation and flocculation. In fact, coagulation and flocculation
may occur in the filter bed, especially if coagulation and flocculation before filtration
was not properly controlled. Incomplete coagulation can cause serious problems in
filter operation.

Fig:6.2 Filtration tanks

6.3.1 TYPES OF FILTERS:

6.3.1.1 Slow sand filters:

Typically have filter rates of 0.05 gm/ft2 of surface area and require large
filter areas. The top several inches of the sand has to be removed regularly--usually by
hand--due to the mass of growing material ‘schmutzdecke’ that collects in the filter.
Sand removed is usually washed and returned to the filter. These filters are still in use
in some small plants, especially in the western United States as well as in many
developing countries. They may also be used as a final step in wastewater treatment.
Modern filters are classified as: Gravity Filters (Rapid Sand or High Rate-Dual
Media-Multimedia) or Pressure Filters (Sand or Multi-media).

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 Fig:6.3 Slow sand filter

6.3.1.2 Rapid sand filters :

Rapid sand filters have filter rates 40 times those of slow sand filters. The
major parts of a rapid sand filter are

 Filter tank or filter box

 Filter sand or mixed-media
 Gravel support bed
 Underdrain system
 Wash water troughs
 Filter bed agitators

The filter tank is generally constructed of concrete and is most often

rectangular. Filters in large plants are usually constructed next to each other in a row,
allowing piping from the sedimentation basins to feed the filters from the central pipe
gallery. Some smaller plants are designed with filters forming a square of four filters
with a central pipe gallery feeding the filters from a centre wall. Filter Sand The filter
sand used in rapid sand filters is manufactured specifically for the purpose of water
filtration. Most rapid sand filters contain 24-30 inches of sand, but some newer filters
are deeper. The sand used is generally 0.4 to 0.6 mm in diameter. This is larger than
the sand used in slow rate filtration. The coarser sand in the rapid filters has larger
voids that do not fill as easily.

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 Fig:6.4 Rapid sand filter

6.4 DISINFECTION :

The disinfection of potable water and wastewater provides a degree of

protection from contact with pathogenic organisms including those causing cholera,
polio, typhoid, hepatitis and a number of other bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases.
Disinfection is a process where a significant percentage of pathogenic organisms are
killed or controlled. As an individual pathogenic organism can be difficult to detect in
a large volume of water or wastewater, disinfection efficacy is most often measured
using "indicator organisms" that coexist in high quantities where pathogens are
present. The most common indicator organism used in the evaluation of drinking
water is Total Coliform (TC), unless there is a reason to focus on a specific pathogen.
The most common indicator organism for wastewater evaluation is fecal coliform but
there has been discussion regarding the use of Escherichia coli (E. coli) or Total
Coliform. As domestic wastewater contains approximately 1,000 times more indicator
organisms than typical surface water, understanding wastewater disinfection will
make it easier to understand water disinfection.

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Fig:6.5 Disinfection

35
 CHAPTER-7

SLUDGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL:

7.1 GENERAL:

The sludges accumulated in a wastewater treatment process must be treated

and disposed of in a safe and effective manner. The purpose of digestion is to reduce
the amount of organic matter and the number of disease-causing microorganisms
present in the solids. The most common treatment options include anaerobic
digestion, aerobic digestion, and composting. Incineration is also used, albeit to a
much lesser degree. The use of a green approach, such as phytoremediation, has been
recently proposed as a valuable tool to improve sewage sludge contaminated by trace
elements and persistent organic pollutants.

Sludge treatment depends on the amount of solids generated and other site-
specific conditions. Composting is most often applied to small-scale plants with
aerobic digestion for mid-sized operations, and anaerobic digestion for the larger-
scale operations.

The sludge is sometimes passed through a so-called pre-thickener which de-

waters the sludge. Types of pre-thickeners include centrifugal sludge thickeners,
rotary drum sludge thickeners and belt filter presses. Dewatered sludge may be
incinerated or transported offsite for disposal in a landfill or use as an agricultural soil
amendment.

36
V

Fig:7.1 Sludge treatment and disposal

37
 CONCLUSION
The ultimate goal of waste water treatment plant is the protection of the
environment in a manner commensurate with public health and socio-economic
concerns. Based on the nature of waste water, it is decided whether primary,
secondary and tertiary treatment will be carried out before final disposal.
Understanding the nature of waste water is fundamental to design appropriate waste
water treatment process, adopt an appropriate procedure, determination of acceptable
criteria for the residues, determination of a degree of evaluation required to validate
the procedure and decision on the residues to be tested based on toxicity. So, it is
necessary to ensure the safety, efficiency and quality of the treated waste water

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 REFERENCES
 Water supply and sanitary Engineering Textbook.
 Tchobanoglous, George; Burton, Franklin L.; Stensel, H. David; Metcalf & Eddy,
Inc. (2003). Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse .
 Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (1972). Wastewater Engineering.
 "The Historical Development of Wet-Weather Flow Management." US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
 Receiving Water Uses, Impairments, and Sources of Stormwater Pollutants".
 Khopkar, S.M. Environmental Pollution Monitoring And Control.
 Water and Environmental Health at London and Loughborough.
 "Primer for Municipal Waste water Treatment Systems."

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