SITE VISIT TO Waste WATER TREATMENT PLANT
SITE VISIT TO Waste WATER TREATMENT PLANT
SITE VISIT TO Waste WATER TREATMENT PLANT
WASTE WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
VISIT DETAILS
Screen Channel
The function of the bar screen is to prevent entry of solid particles/ articles above
a certain size; such as plastic cups, paper dishes, polythene bags, condoms and
sanitary napkins into the STP. (If these items are allowed to enter the STP, they
clog and damage the STP pumps, and cause stoppage of the plant.) The screening
is achieved by placing a screen made out of vertical bars, placed across the
sewage flow.
Preliminary Treatment
Preliminary treatment to screen out, grind up, or separate debris is the first step
in wastewater treatment. Sticks, rags, large food particles, sand, gravel, toys, etc.,
are removed at this stage to protect the pumping and other equipment in the
treatment plant. Treatment equipment such as bar screens, Comminutors (a large
version of a garbage disposal), and grit chambers are used as the wastewater first
enters a treatment plant. The collected debris is usually disposed of in a landfill.
Primary Treatment
Primary treatment is the second step in treatment and separates suspended
solids and greases from wastewater. Waste-water is held in a quiet tank for
several hours allowing the particles to settle to the bottom and the greases to
float to the top. The solids drawn off the bottom and skimmed off the top receive
further treatment as sludge. The clarified wastewater flows on to the next stage of
wastewater treatment. Clarifiers and septic tanks are usually used to provide
primary treatment.
Aeration tank
The Aeration tank (together with the settling tank/ clarifier that follows) is at the
heart of the treatment systems. The bulk of the treatment is provided here,
employing microbes/bacteria for the process. The main function of the Aeration
tank we observe there is to maintain a high population level of microbes. This
mixture is called MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids
Sludge Thickener
When the thickening of sludge is inadequate, the filtrate from dewatering will have
large amounts of suspended solids returning to the STP and affect the water
quality.
Sludge Digester
The goal is to reduce the amount of sludge that needs to be disposed. The most
widely employed method for sludge treatment is anaerobic digestion. In this
process, a large fraction of the organic matter (cells) is broken down into carbon
dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), and this is accomplished in the absence of
oxygen. About half of the amount is then converted into gases, while the
remainder is dried and becomes a residual soil-like material. The tank is capped –
a) to prevent oxygen from coming in, and –b) to capture the methane produced.
This methane, a fuel, can be used to meet some of the energy requirements of the
wastewater treatment facility (co-generation).
FINAL TREATMENT
Final treatment focuses on removal of disease-causing organisms from
wastewater. Treated wastewater can be disinfected by adding chlorine
or by using ultraviolet light. High levels of chlorine may be harmful to
aquatic life in receiving streams. Treatment systems often add a
chlorine-neutralizing chemical to the treated wastewater before stream
discharge.
LAGOON SYSTEMS
Lagoon systems are shallow basins which hold the waste-water for
several months to allow for the natural degradation of sewage. These
systems take advantage of natural aeration and microorganisms in the
wastewater to renovate sewage.
CONCLUSION