Waste Water Treatment

Municipal Sewage Treatment

(Large scale)
Table1:Typical Concentration (ppm)
components of sewage
Parameter/constituent
Total solids 350-1200
Dissolved solids (TDS) 250-850
Suspended solids 100-350
Chloride 30-100
Nitrogen 20-90
Phosphorus 5.0-20
Grease 50-150
BOD (5 days at 27oC) 100-350
Total coliforms (TC) 109-1010 per 100 ml
Fecal coliforms (FC) 108-109 per 100 ml
Objective of Sewage treatment : Removal & degradation of Organic Matter under
controlled conditions.

The municipal sewage treatment systems includes

• primary or physical treatment,
• secondary or biological treatment/ microbial biodegradation and
• tertiary or physiochemical treatment removes nutrients (nitrogen ,DOM, pathogens).
Flow chart for stages of sewage treatment
A) PRIMARY/ PHYSICAL TREATMENT: To remove coarse solids and removal of
“settleable” solids)

• The primary treatment process consists of screening and sedimentation processes.

• Primary treatment physically removes 20 to 30% of the BOD that is present in
particulate form.
• Sewage receives at a sewage treatment plant, is first subjected to physical or
mechanical means to remove solid impurities floating solids, settling suspensions,
oils and fats.

• In this step, the sewage is passed through a series of filters of graded openings and
then allowed to flow through sedimentation unit.
• Such impurities are concentrated in and collected from sedimentation units called
sludge.

• Later, sludge and remaining watery liquid are processed during secondary treatment.

• Thus, primary treatment considered to be the preparation of sewage for further

treatment and purification.
1. Screening: The first step in primary sewage treatment, removes the largest floating
solids and larger organic solids which do not aerate and decompose, like boxes, bottles,
tires, cans, metals etc. using screen bars.

To prevent overloading with collected solids, the screen is slowly rotated so that solids can
be removed at regulars. Separated materials may be shredded into small sizes or incinerated
and used for landfill or composting (for anaerobic digestion).

2. Grit chambers: designed to remove smaller solids like pebbles, sand, gravel etc. from
sewage. The detritus chamber removes like sand, gravel, road scrapings and ashes.
Grit tank allows sand and gravel to settle out.

• Grit particles are of large size and hence high density compared to organic matter.
• Thus, they are removed by differential settling.

• Such particles must be removed otherwise they may cause damage to pumps and other
equipment or machines which are used during sewage treatment

The waste stream is then pumped into the primary settling tank (known as a sedimentation
tank or clarifier), where about half the suspended organic solids settle to the bottom as
sludge (referred as Primary sludge).
• Microbial pathogens are not effectively removed from the effluent in the primary process,
although some removal occurs.
Screening: bars
3. Sedimentation (primary settling tank).
It is a very large rectangular tank.
Purpose of sedimentation is to remove suspended solids and thereby reduce the
strength of the sewage.
Nearly 50-70% of the solids settle down under influence of gravity.
A reduction between 30-40% in the number of coliforms is obtained.

The organic matter which settles down is called sludge and is removed by mechanically
operated devices (scrapper) without disturbing the operation in the tank.

It removes smaller particulate material like paper and fecal matter by simple physical
settling of matter due to its density, the force of gravity etc.

A small amount of fat and grease rises to the surface to form a scum which is removed
from time to time and disposed.

Certain chemical agents called coagulants and flocculants (Alum) such as Aluminium or
Iron sulphate may be applied to raw sewage to speed up this process by encouraging
aggregation of particles.
It traps microbes and suspended organic solids debris to the bottom of settling tank as
biosolids or sludge which is often treated biologically through anaerobic degradation in
a sludge digester whereas clarified water will be collected through the outlet.
Schematic view of modern large scale Wastewater treatment plant
Schematic view of modern large scale Wastewater treatment plant
B. Secondary treatment (microbial biodegradation): It includes biological transformation
of dissolved organic matter to microbial biomass and carbon dioxide.

• About 90 to 95% of the BOD and many bacterial pathogens are removed by this
process.
•
• The effluent from the primary sedimentation tank, still contain a proportion of organic
matter in solution or colloidal state and numerous living organisms.
•
• Its BOD is high hence it is subjected to aerobic oxidation by various methods.

• Secondary treatment relies on microbial activity. Since these oxidation processes are
carried out by microorganisms, they are called as biological oxidators.

• This oxidation is either carried out on land (naturally) or in bacterial beds (artificially)
such as tricking filter or aerators. The preliminary treatment reduces the BOD while
the secondary treatment satisfies the demand of BOD with the help of bacterial beds.
Approaches used in secondary treatment to biologically remove dissolved organic
matter:
Under aerobic conditions, dissolved organic matter will be transformed into
additional microbial biomass plus carbon dioxide.

There are four different types of oxidation processes:

Fixed film sewage treatment

➢ Biological filter or trickling filters
➢ Rotating biological contractor or biodisc system

Suspended cell sewage treatment

➢ Oxidation ponds
➢ Activated sludge process
1) Trickling Filter system : Fixed biofilm aerobic sewage treatment method.
It works on the principle of filtration.
Sewage is distributed by a sprinkler revolving over a bed of porous material which is
normally an artificially constructed bed consisting of crushed stones, ceramic material, hard
coal or other suitable material.
(Plastic media of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polypropylene are used today in high-rate
trickling filters).

• The aerobic microbes that grows on the surface of such material , oxidise and nitrifies the
organic matter present.

• Whenever sewage flows over a contact surface, aerobic bacteria (lying dormant in the
liquid) become active and start breeding readily in favourable condition and form a film
called the Zoogleal layer on the surface.

• Sewage percolates the porous bed where bacteria and other microorganisms have
formed a dense slimy biofilm on the filter surfaces. These microorganisms intercept the
organic material as it trickles past and decompose it aerobically and the effluent is
collected at the bottom.
•
• Zooglea ramigera has a principal role in generating slime matrix through secretion of
exopolysaccharides which accumulates a heterogeneous microbial community (bacteria,
fungi and protozoa).
• Other most frequent bacteria: Beggiatoa alba, Sphaerotilus natans, Achromobacter spp.,
Pseudomonas spp. and Zooglea spp.
• This community absorbs and mineralise the dissolved organic nutrients in the sewage thus
reducing the BOD of the effluent.
• Aeration is passively provided by the porous material.
• Sewage is re-circulated several times through the same filter to further clear the sewage.

Trickling filter, where waste water flows over

biofilms attached to rocks or other solid
supports, resulting in transformation of
dissolved organic matter to new biofilm
biomass and carbon dioxide. Excess biomass
and treated water flow to a final clarifier.
Over time, the increase in biofilm thickness leads to limited oxygen diffusion to the
deeper layers of the biofilm, creating an anaerobic environment near the filter medium
surface.
As a result, the organisms eventually slough from the surface and a new biofilm is formed.
 A unit of plastic material used
to create a biofilter (trickling
filter). The diameter of each
hold is approximately 5 cm.

2) Biodisc system/ Rotatating biological contractor: Advanced type of aerobic film flow
treatment system.

• Rotating biological contactor contain a number of rotating discs on a shaft submerged

in a tank partially or completely filled with liquid.
• Bio-film grows in immobilized form on the surface of a large number of closely spaced
discs partially in the air space above the reactor.

• Continuous rotation of the disc keeps bacterial slime well aerated and in contact
with sewage.

• System is used in communities for treatment of domestic and industrial sewage

effluents.
3) Oxidation ponds (lagoon ponds/stabilization
ponds):
Used for simple secondary treatment in rural
areas or Industrial units.

Oxidation ponds are large, shallow ponds

designed to treat wastewater through the
interaction of sunlight, bacteria, and algae.
Algae grow using energy from the sun and carbon
dioxide and inorganic compounds released
by bacteria in water.

Within an oxidation pond, heterotrophic bacteria

degrade organic matter in the sewage which
Oxidation Pond showing the
results in production of cellular material and
biological processes involved in
minerals which supports the growth of algae in sewage treatment.
the oxidation pond.
Typically oxidation ponds need to be
Growth of algal populations allows further less than 10 feet deep in order to
decomposition of the organic matter by support the algal growth
producing oxygen.
Sludge deposits in the pond must eventually be
periodically removed.
• Use of oxidation ponds is largely restricted to warmer climatic region because
they are strongly influenced by seasonal temperature change.
• Oxidation ponds tend to be inefficient and require large holding capacities and
retention times.
• The degradation is relatively slow and the effluents containing the oxidised
products need to be periodically removed from the ponds.
• Microbes grow as suspended particles within the water column rather than as
biofilms.

• Partially treated sewage is used for ground water.

• After settling of most of the algal and bacterial biomass, the water is transferred
to large shallow infiltration a ponds.
• From these ponds, water flows through sand and soil layer and slowly returns
underground
4) Conventional Activated Sludge: Activated sludge plants encompass a variety of
mechanisms and processes that use dissolved oxygen to promote the growth of
biological floc that substantially removes organic material.

Widely used aerobic suspension type of liquid waste treatment system.

Floc are microbial biomass held together by slime.

 Activated Sludge Process (ASP):
This is the most common option in secondary treatment and is also a method of
suspended cell sewage treatment method.

• It starts with. aeration that encourages the growth of microbes in the waste
• The microbes feed on the organic material, which then allows solid to settle out.

• Bacteria –containing activated sludge is continually re-circulated back to the

aeration basin to increase the rate of organic decomposition.

• After primary settling, sewage containing dissolved organic compound is

introduced into an aeration tank. Aeration is provided by air injection or
mechanical stirring by allowing compressed air continuously from the bottom of
the aeration tanks.

• Microbial activity is maintained at high levels by introduction of most of the settle

activated sludge (also called returned sludge which is rich in culture of aerobic
bacteria) thus the name activated sludge process.

• During the process of aeration, organic matter of the sewage gets oxidised with
the help of aerobic bacteria in tank which are suspended in the sewage water.
Aerobic Secondary Sewage Treatment. (c) An extended aeration process, to produce less sludge

Activated sludge with microbial biomass recycling.

The biomass is maintained in a suspended state to maximize oxygen, nutrient, and waste
transfer processes.

• Pathogenic typhoid and cholera organism are definitely destroyed and the coliforms
are greatly reduced.

• During the holding period in the tank, there is vigorous developing development of
diverse heterotrophic bacterial population like Micrococcus, Achromobacter,
Athrobacter, Flavobacterium, Zooglea.
• Filamentous bacteria like Sphaerotilus, Mycobacteria are also common. Filamentaous
fungi and yeast occur in low numbers. Protozoa are represented by ciliates. They are
important predator of bacteria.
 Poor settling characteristic are associated with the bulking of the sewage sludge, a
problem caused by proliferation of filamentous bacteria like Sphaerotilus,
Beggiatoa, Thiothrixand Bacillus, filamentous fungi such as Geotrichum,
Cephalosporium, Cladosporiumand Penicillium.

Bulking may be caused by a high C: N and C: P ratios and low dissolved oxygen
concentration.

A portion of the settled sewage is recycled for inoculation of incoming raw sewage.

 Excess sludge required incineration or addition of treatment by anaerobic digestion

and composting or disposal as landfills.

 Activated Sludge Process (ASP) tends to reduce the BOD to 5 -15% of raw sewage.
Treatment drastically reduces the number of intestinal pathogens in sewage
(through competition, adsorption, predation and settling).
• Numbers of E.coli and Enteroviruses are 90 – 99% lowered in the effluent by the
activated Sludge Process than in the incoming raw sewage.

• ASP is efficient and flexible and is able to withstand in sewage flow rate and
concentration and is widely used for the treatment of domestic waste and
industrial effluent. It produces large volume of sludge.
 Anaerobic digestion : The sludges from aerobic sewage treatment, together with the
materials settled out in primary treatment, are further treated by anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digesters are large tanks designed to operate with continuous input of
untreated sludge and removal of the final, stabilized sludge product.
Methane is vented and often burned for heat and electricity production.
This digestion process involves three steps: (1) the fermentation of the sludge components
to form organic acids, including acetate; (2) production of the methanogenic substrates:
acetate, CO2, and hydrogen; and finally, (3) methanogenesis by the methane producers.
 Non-conventional activated sludge process:
Modification of conventional ASP for removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by biological
processes

Nitrogen removed by encouraging nitrification followed by denitrification.

Single Sludge system: consists of series of aerobic and anaerobic tank, where methanol or
settled sewage serve as carbon source for denitrifiers.

Multisludge systems: Separate tanks for carbonaceous oxidation, nitrification and

denitrification. Methanol or settled sewage serve as carbon source for denitrifiers.

Phosphorus Removal by the Activated Sludge Process: The process depends on the uptake
of phosphorus by the microbes during the aerobic stage and subsequent release during the
anaerobic stage.
A/O (anaerobic/oxic) process: The A/O process consists of a modified activated sludge
system that includes an anaerobic zone (detention time 0.51 hour) upstream of the
conventional aeration tank (detention time 13 hours).

During the anaerobic phase, inorganic phosphorus is released from the cells as a result of
polyphosphate hydrolysis.
Removal efficiency is high when the BOD/phosphorus ratio exceeds 10.
During the aerobic phase, soluble phosphorus is taken up by bacteria, which synthesize
polyphosphates, using the energy released from BOD oxidation.
C. TERTIARY TREATMENT :
All the preliminary and secondary treatment reduces the BOD levels of the sewage.

• The aim of the tertiary treatment is to remove non-biodegradable toxic organic

pollutants such as chlorophenols, polychlorinated biphenyls and other synthetic
pollutants.

• They are removed by activated carbon filters.

• Phosphate is removed by precipitation as calcium phosphate.

• Nitrogen is removed by volatilisation as ammonia.

• Ammoniacal nitrogen can also be removed by breakpoint chlorination by adding
hypochlorous acid in 1:1 ratio.

• Removal of ammoniacal nitrogen lowers the BOD because nitrification would consume
oxygen dissolved in the remaining water.

• Removal of heavy metals like mercury, lead, chromium and cadmium also occur.
• The absorbed metal ions are generally converted into either toxic products or residues
that remain associated with the microbe biopolymer matrix and are either release
during sludge treatment or are remobilised after sludge disposal. The general tendency
of bacteria to concentrate heavy metals in their biomass is favourable to effluent quality,
but it complicates the disposal of sludge
 Removal of Pathogen: Enteric pathogens ( Salmonella, Giardia and
Cryptosporidium) can be effectively removed.

Disinfection is the final step in tertiary treatment. This is to kill escaped bacteria or
viruses.

This is accomplished by chlorination (chlorine gas, hypochloride and sodium

hypochlorite).
SLUDGE TREATMENT PROCESSES