CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPT.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
1st SEMESTER 2017/2018

:
COURSE TITLE

WASTE MANAGEMENT
ENGINEERING
COURSE CODE:

CVE 517
 Course Contents

Quantity and quality of wastewater including parameters for the

determination of quantity and qualities. Planning, design and
constructions of wastewater treatment plants.
Treatment of wastewater: physical, chemical and biological processes;
including activated sludge and trickling filters.
Sludge treatment and disposal. Land treatment of wastewater using
aerated lagoon and anaerobic ponds.
Wastewater disposal methods including water dependent and water –
independent methods. Pollution in rivers, lakes oceans and water bodies.
Organizations and regulations controlling wastewater management. Water
quality and health.
Industrial wastewater management, nature of industrial wastes,
classification, treatment. Significance of SO x. Industrial effluent types and
characteristics.
 Prescribed Literatures

Concise Environmental Engineering by Dawel Harr. Available

at bookboon.com
Introduction to Wastewater Treatment by Templeton and
Butler. Available at bookboon.com
Handbook of Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies
by Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff. Boston Oxford Auckland
Johannesburg Melbourne New Delhi
Water and Wastewater Calculation Manual 2nd Edition by
Shun Dar Lin. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Wastewater Engineering, Treatment and Reuse 4 th Edition by
Metclaf and Eddy. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company
Limited
 What is Wastewater

Wastewater,” also known as “sewage,” originates

from household wastes, human and animal wastes,
industrial wastewaters, storm runoff and
groundwater infiltration . Wastewater basically is the
flow of used water from a community . It is 99.4 %
water by weight and o.o6% dissolved or suspended
materials. Wastewater is water carried waste either
in solution or suspension and conveyed by a sewer
 Sewage

Domestic or sanitary wastewater refers to liquid

discharged from residential, business buildings and
institutions. Industrial wastewater is discharged from
manufacturing plants.
Municipal wastewater is the general term applied to
the liquid collected in sanitary sewers and treated in
municipal plants
Domestic sewage is composed of human body waste
and sullage which is the wastewater resulting from
personal washing, laundry, and cleaning of kitchen
utensils
 Collection of Sewage

Sewage is conveyed in pipes known as sewers from

its place of production to its place of treatment and
disposal.
The sewers are usually in network of underground
conduits. They are either of the separate or
combined system
Pattern of sewer network
 Type of system
 Street layout
 Topography
 Location and type of treatment works
Intro. Contd.
 Characteristics of Wastewater

An understanding of the physical, chemical and

biological characteristics of wastewater is very
important in the design , operation and management
of collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater.
The nature of wastewater depends on the water
usage in the community, the industrial and
commercial contributions, weather and
infiltration/inflow.
 Physical Properties of Wastewater

When fresh, wastewater is gray in colour and has a

musty and not unpleasant odour . The colour
gradually changes with time from gray to black. Foul
and unpleasant odours may then develop as a result
of septic sewage. The most important physical
characteristics of wastewater are its temperature and
its solids concentration. Temperature affects
chemical reaction and biological activities . Solids
such as TSS, VSS, and Settleable solids affects the
operation and sizing of treatment units.
 Solids

Solids comprise matter suspended or dissolved in

wastewater . Solids are divided into several different
fractions and their concentrations provide useful
information for characterization of wastewater and
control of treatment processes .
TS is the sum of the TSS and TDS. Each of these
groups can be further divided into volatile and fixed
fractions. Total solids is the material left in the
evaporation dish after it has dried for at least 1hr in
an oven at 103 to 105C
 Solids Contd.

TSS are referred to as nonfilterable residue. TSS is a very

important quality parameter for wastewater and is a
wastewater treatment effluent standard . The TSS standards
for primary and secondary effluents are usually set at 30 and
12 mg/L.
TDS is also called filterable residue . TDS in raw wastewater
are in the range of 250 – 850 mg/L.
Fixed and volatile solids : The residue from TS, TSS or TDs
is ignited to constant weight at 5500C, The weight lost on
ignition is called volatile solids, whereas the remaining
solids represents the fixed total ,suspended or dissolved
solids.
 Solids Contd

The determination of the volatile portion of solids is

useful in controlling wastewater treatment plant
operations because it gives a rough estimation of the
amount of organic matter present in the solid
fraction of wastewater , activated sludge and in
industrial waste.
Settleable solids is the term applied to material
settling out of suspension within a defined time. It
may include floating material , depending on the
technique.
 Chemical constituents of wastewater

The dissolved and suspended solids in wastewater

contains organic and inorganic material . Organic
matter may include carbohydrates, fats and oils,
grease, surfactants, protein, pesticides and other
agricultural chemicals . Inorganics may include
heavy metals, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus),
pH, alkalinity , chlorides , sulphur and other
inorganic pollutants . Gases such as CO2, N, O2, H2S
and CH4 may also be present in wastewater .
 Dissolved Oxygen

The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in water has an important

impact on aquatic animals and plants. The two main sources
of O2 in water are from diffusion from the atmosphere across
the water surface and photosynthetic oxygen production
from aquatic plants such as algae and macrophtyes.
Important factors that affect DO in water include
 Temperature
 Aquatic plant photosynthetic activity
 Wind and Wave mixing
 Organic contents of the water
 Sediment oxygen demand
 Chem. Contd.

The strength (organic content) of a wastewater is usually

measured as 5 day BOD, COD and TOC. The BOD5 test
measures the amount of O2 required to oxidize the organic
matter in the sample during a 5 day biological stabilization at
20oC. This is usually referred to as the 1st stage of carbanaceous
BOD (CBOD), not nitrification (2nd stage ) 20 wastewater
treatment plants are typically designed to remove CBOD.
BOD test measurements are used to
 Determine the approximate quantity of O2 required to react
with organic matter
 Determine the sizing of the wastewater treatment process
 DO Contd.

Excessive growth of algae (bloom) or other aquatic

plants may provide very high concentration of DO,
so called supersaturation
Oxygen deficiency can occur when plant respiration
depletes O2 beyond the atmospheric difussion rate.
This occur during the winter ice cover period and
when intense decomposition of organic matter in the
lake bottom sediment occurs during the summer.
These O2 deficiencies result in fish being killed
 Chem. Contd.

 Measure the efficiency of some treatment processes

 Determine compliance with the wastewater discharge
permits or consents
Limitations of BOD test
 Takes 5 days to obtain
 Only measures biodegradable organics (not suitable for recalcitrant or toxic waste)
 The 5 day period may or may not correspond to the point where soluble organic material has
been degraded (e.g. Cellulose can take longer to degrade)
The ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in
wastewater is very important for biological treatment
processes , where there is normally a surplus of
nutrients
 Chem. Contd.

The commonly accepted BOD/N/P weight ratio for biological

treatments is 100/5/1
COD is a measurement of the oxygen equivalent of the organic
matter content of a sample that is susceptible to oxidation by a
strong chemical oxidant, such as potassium dichromate. This
takes 3 to 4 hrs as against the 5 days required in BOD.
The COD results are typically higher than the BOD values. The
correlation between COD and BOD varies from plant to plant.
The BOD:COD ratio varies across the plant from influents to
process units to effluents. The ratio is typically 0.5:1 for raw
wastewater and may drop to as low as 0.1 :1 for well stabilized
20 effluents .
 Biological Characteristics

The principal groups of microorganisms found in

wastewater are bacteria, fungi, protozoa, microscopic
plants and animals , and viruses.
Most microorganisms (bacteria , protozoa) are
responsible and are beneficial for biological
treatment processes of wastewater.
However, some pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa
and viruses are found in wastewater of public
concern
 Bio. Contd.

The no. of pathogenic organisms in wastewaters are

generally low in density and they are difficult to
isolate and identify. Therefore , indicator bacteria
such as total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC) and
fecal streptococcus (FS) are used as indicator
organism s.
Most regulatory agencies adopt FC density as an
effluent standard because FC is mostly from fecal
material
 Wastewater Treatment

The traditional aim of wastewater treatment is to

enable the disposal of wastewater safely without
endangering public health, polluting watercourse or
causing other nuisance.
Wastewater treatment is also aimed at recovering
energy, nutrients, water and other valuable resources
from wastewater.
The removal of SS is essential prior to discharge in
order to avoid settlement in the receiving
watercourse.
 Unit Processes in Wastewater Treatment

Unit processes are individual treatment options for

treating wastewater using either :
 Physical forces (e.g. gravity settling)
 Biological reactions (e.g. aerobic, anaerobic
degradation) or
 Chemical reactions (e.g. precipitation)
 A treatment train consists of a combination of unit
processes designed to reduce wastewater
contaminants to acceptable levels.
Process Selection and Design Considerations

The choice of which unit process to include in the treatment train

takes into account a number of criteria which include:
 Energy requirements
 Effectiveness in removing a particular target contaminant or set of
contaminants
 Sludge generation and disposal requirements
 Complexity
 Reliability/robustness
 Flexibility/adaptability
 Personal requirements
 Construction costs
 Total costs
Process Selection and Design Consdr. Contd

A process flow diagram is a graphical representation

of how unit processes make up a treatment train and
how they interconnect.
Another important consideration is the hydraulic
profile through the treatment train, which
establishes the amount of head at each unit
processes. Ideally trtment works should be sited to
take advantage of gravity flow through the treatment
train where possible to reduce energy requirements.
Impact of Wastewater effluent on Oxygen in receiving Water

Any organic matter remaining in the treated

wastewater effluent (e.g. as BOD, organic nitrogen) is
utilized by bacteria that are naturally present in the
receiving watercourse, thereby consuming dissolved
oxygen. This reduction in DO can have harmful effects
on higher forms of aquatic life.
The wastewater effluent introduces an oxygen
demand, the DO is also continually replaced by the
water surface being in contact with the atmosphere.
There is therefore simultaneous deo-oxygenation and
re-aeration, resulting in DO sag curve.
Flow Chart for Wastewater Treatment Processes
 Wastewater Treatment

The major categories of treatment steps include:

Preliminary treatment: this removes materials that could damage plant equipment or
would occupy treatment capacity without being treated.
Primary treatment: this removes settleable and floatable solids
Secondary treatment: this removes BOD, dissolved and colloidal suspended organic
matter by biological action.
Advanced wastewater treatment: this uses physical, chemical and biological
processes to remove additional BOD, Solids and nutrients.

Disinfection: this removes microorganisms to eliminate or reduce the possibility of disease

when the flow is discharged

Sludge treatment: this stabilizes the solids removed from wastewater during treatment,
inactivates pathogenic organisms and reduces the volume of the sludge.
 Wastewater Treatment

Preaeration: Often adopted to achieve and maintain an

aerobic state, strip off hydrogen sulphide, agitate solids, and
reduce biochemical oxygen demand
Chemical addition: The purpose of adding chemicals is to
improve settling, reduce odour, neutralize acids or bases,
reduce corrosion, reduce BOD, improve solids and gases
removal, reduce loading on the plant, add or remove
nutrients and aid downstream processes.
Equalization: This helps to reduce or remove the wide
swings in flow rates normally associated with wastewater
treatment plant loading, it minimizes the impact of storm
water flows.
 Wastewater Treatment (contd)

Primary treatment: The purpose primary

sedimentation or clarification is to remove settleable
organic and floatable solids. Normally, each primary
clarification unit can be expected to remove 90%
settleable solids, 40% to 70% TSS and 25-35% BOD
 Process Description: Wastewater enters a settling tank, solids that are heavier than water
settle to the bottom while those lighter than water floats on top. Settled solids are
removed as sludge and floating solids are removed as scum. Detention time, temperature,
tank design and condition of the equipment controls the efficiency of the process.
 Types of sedimentation tank
 Septic tank
 Imhoff tank
 Plain settling tank or clarifiers
Primary Sludge
Wastewater treatment Contd. Screening
Grit Chamber – 1o Settling tank
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment
 Activated Sludge Process

This process consists of microorganisms mainly

bacteria in high concentration. This microbes are kept
as flocs and kept in suspension by agitation with the
aim of removing organic matter from the wastewater.
Oxygen is consumed and carbon dioxide is produced
during the assimilative and endogenous respiration
phases of the microbial growth cycle.
The processes involved in the organic matter removal
include:
 Adsorption
 Carbonaceous oxidation and
 Nitrification
 Basic Terminologies in AS Process

Absorption: taking in or reception of one Adsorption: the adherence of dissolved,

substance into the body of another by molecular or colloidal, or finely divided solids to the surface of
chemical actions and distribution throughout the solid bodies when they are brought into contact.
absorber. Aeration: mixing air and a liquid by one of the
Activated: to speed up reaction. When applied to following methods: spraying the liquid in the air,
sludge, it means that many aerobic bacteria and diffusing air into the liquid, or agitating the liquid
other microorganisms are in the sludge particles. to promote surface adsorption of air.
Activated sludge: a floc or solid formed by the Aerobic: a condition in which free or dissolved
microorganisms. It includes organisms, oxygen is present in the aquatic environment.
accumulated food materials, and waste products Aerobic organisms must be in the presence of DO
from the aerobic decomposition process. to be active.
Activated sludge process: a biological Bacteria: single-cell plants that play a vital role in
wastewater treatment process in which a mixture stabilization of organic waste.
or influent and activated sludge is agitated and Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD): a
aerated. The activated sludge is subsequently measure of the amount of food available to the
separated from the treated mixed liquor by microorganisms in a particular waste. It is
sedimentation and is returned to the process as measured by the amount of dissolved oxygen used
needed. The treated wastewater overflows the weir up during a specific time period (usually 5 d,
of the settling tank in which separation from the expressed as BOD5).
sludge takes place.
 Basic Terminologies in AS Process
 Biodegradable from “degrade” (to wear away or break down the amount of influent suspended solids available per pound of
chemically) and “bio” (by living organisms). Put it all together, and mixed liquor suspended solids.
you have a substance, usually organic, that can be decomposed by  Mean cell residence time (MCRT): the average length of time
biological action. mixed liquor suspended solids particle remains in the activated
 Bulking: a problem in activated sludge plants that results in poor sludge process. This is usually written as MCRT and may also be
settleability of sludge particles. referred to as sludge retention rate.
 Coning: a condition that may be established in a sludge hopper  Mixed liquor: the contribution of return activated sludge and
during sludge withdrawal, when part of the sludge moves toward the wastewater (either influent or effluent) that flows into the aeration
outlet while the remainder tends to stay in place. Development of a tank.
cone or channel of moving liquids surrounded by relatively stationary  Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) the suspended solids
sludge. concentration of the mixed liquor. Many references use this
 Decomposition: generally, in waste treatment, decomposition concentration to represent the amount of organisms in the liquor or
refers to the changing of waste matter into simpler, more stable the amount of organisms in the activated sludge process.
forms that will not harm the receiving stream.  Mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) the organic
 Diffuser: a porous plate or tube through which air is forced and matter in the mixed liquor suspended solids. This can also be used to
divided into tiny bubbles for distribution in liquids. Commonly made represent the amount of organisms in the process.
of carborundum, aluminum, or silica sand.  Nematodes microscopic worms that may appear in biological waste
 Diffused air aeration: a diffused air activated sludge plant takes treatment systems.
air, compresses it, then discharges the air below the water surface to  Nutrients substances required to support plant organisms. Major
the aerator through some type of air diffusion device. nutrients are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and
 Dissolved oxygen (DO): atmospheric oxygen dissolved in water or phosphorus.
wastewater. Note: The typical required DO for a well-  Protozoa single-cell animals that are easily observed under the
operated activated sludge plant is between 2.0 and 2.5 mg/L. microscope. Bacteria and algae are prime sources of food for
 Facultative: facultative bacteria can use either molecular advanced forms of protozoa.
(dissolved) oxygen or oxygen obtained from food materials. In other  Return activated sludge (RAS) the solids returned form the
words, facultative bacteria can live under aerobic or anaerobic settling tank to the head of the aeration tank.
conditions.  Rising sludge rising sludge occurs in the secondary clarifiers or
 Filamentous bacteria: organisms that grow in thread or activated sludge plant when the sludge settles to the bottom of the
filamentous form. clarifier, is compacted, and then rises to the surface in relatively short
 Food-to-microorganisms ratio (F:M ratio): a process control time.
calculation used to evaluate the amount of food (BOD or COD)  Settleability a process control test used to evaluate the settling
available per pound of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids. characteristics of the activated sludge. Readings taken at 30 to 60
 Fungi: multicellular aerobic organisms. min are used to calculate the settled sludge volume and the sludge
 Gould sludge age: a process control calculation used to evaluate volume index.
 Key Components of an activated sludge process

A reactor bringing the waste in contact with the

microorganisms (often called and aerations tank)
A means of transferring oxygen to the
microorganisms
 A means of agitating the suspension
A system for separating the microorganisms from
the treated water
A system for recycling some of the microorganisms
back to the reactor
A system for wasting microorganisms (As sludge)
 AS Process Contd

The equipment requirements for the activated sludge

process are more complex than other processes.
They include an aeration tank, aeration, system
settling tank, return sludge, and waste sludge
The concentration of biological cells in an activated
sludge reactor is expressed in mg/l of mixed liquor
suspended solids (MLSS) i.e. the agitated biomass in
suspension in the reactor.
Wastewater treatment
 Sludge

Sludge or biosolids are the same substance or material; each is

defined as the suspended solids removed from wastewater during
sedimentation and concentrated for further treatment and disposal
or reuse.

The task of disposing, treating or reusing wastewater solids is called

sludge or biosolids management.

The difference between the terms sludge and biosolids is determined

by the way they are managed. Sludge is typically seen as wastewater
solids that are disposed while biosolids is the same substance
managed for reuse, commonly called beneficial reuse (e.g., for land
application as a soil amendment, such as biosolids compost).
 Sludge Contd.

Sludge is the commonly accepted name for wastewater solids.

Wastewater sludge is generated in primary, secondary, and chemical treatment processes. Raw primary
sludge from a typical domestic facility is quite objectionable and has a high percentage of water — two
characteristics that make handling difficult.
Those solids not removed in the primary clarifier are carried out of the primary unit. These solids are
known as colloidal suspended solids. The secondary treatment system (i.e., trickling filter, activated
sludge, etc.) is designed to change those colloidal solids into settleable solids that can be removed.
Secondary sludges are light and fluffy and more difficult to process than primary sludges..
The addition of chemicals and various organic and inorganic substances prior to sedimentation and
clarification may increase the solids capture and reduce the amount of solids lost in the effluent. This
chemical addition results in the formation of heavier solids that trap the colloidal solids or convert
dissolved solids to settleable solids.
The quantity of sludge produced during wastewater treatment may be as high as 2% of the original
volume of wastewater. Therefore the most costly and complex aspect of wastewater treatment can be the
collection, processing, and disposal of sludge.
Sludge can be as much as 97% water content and the cost of disposal will be related to the volume of
sludge being processed, one of the primary purposes or goals (along with stabilizing it so it is no longer
objectionable or environmentally damaging) of sludge treatment is to separate as much of the water
from the solids as possible. Sludge treatment methods may be designed to accomplish both of these
purposes.
 Sludge Treatment

Sludge treatment methods are generally divided into

three major categories: thickening, stabilization, and
dewatering.
Many of these processes include complex sludge
treatment methods (i.e., heat treatment, vacuum
filtration, incineration and others).
The ultimate purpose of sludge treatment is the
conversion of wastewater sludges into a form that can
be handled economically and disposed of without
damaging the environment or creating nuisance
conditions.
 Sludge Treatment Contd.

SLUDGE THICKENING: Sludge thickening (or concentration) is a unit process used to

increase the solids content of the sludge by removing a portion of the liquid fraction. Sludge
thickening processes include:

1. Gravity thickeners: This is most effective on primary sludge. Solids are withdrawn from
primary treatment (and sometimes secondary treatment) and pumped to the thickener. The
solids buildup in the thickener forms a solids blanket on the bottom. The weight of the
blanket compresses the solids on the bottom and “squeezes” the water out. The performance
of gravity thickening processes depends on various factors, including:
i. Type of sludge
ii. Condition of influent sludge
iii. Temperature
iv. Blanket depth
v. Solids loading
vi. Hydraulic loading
vii. Solid Retention Time
viii. HDT
 Sludge Thickening Contd.

2. Flotation thickeners: This is used most efficiently for waste sludges from suspended-
growth biological treatment process, such as the activated sludge process. Recycled
water from the flotation thickener is aerated under pressure. During this time the water
absorbs more air than it would under normal pressure. The recycled flow together with
chemical additives (if used) is mixed with the flow. When the mixture enters the
flotation thickener, the excess air is released in the form of fine bubbles. These bubbles
become attached to the solids and lift them toward the surface. The accumulation of
solids on the surface is called the float cake. As more solids are added to the bottom of
the float cake, it becomes thicker and water drains from the upper levels of the cake. The
solids are then moved up an inclined plane by a scraper and discharged. The
performance of dissolved air-thickening process depends on various factors that include:
i. Bubble size
ii. Solids loading
iii. Sludge characteristics
iv. Chemical selection
v. Chemical dose
 Sludge Thickening Contd.

3. Solids concentrators (belt thickeners) usually

consist of a mixing tank, chemical storage and
metering equipment, and a moving porous belt. The
process residual flow is chemically treated and then
spread evenly over the surface of the moving porous
belt. As the flow is carried down the belt (similar to a
conveyor belt) the solids are mechanically turned or
agitated and water drains through the belt. This
process is primarily used in facilities where space is
limited.
 Sludge Treatment Contd.

SLUDGE STABILIZATION
The purpose of sludge stabilization is to reduce volume, stabilize
the organic matter, and eliminate pathogenic organisms to permit
reuse or disposal. The equipment required for stabilization depends
on the specific process used. Sludge stabilization processes include:
1. Aerobic digestion
2. Anaerobic digestion
3. Composting
4. Lime stabilization
5. Wet air oxidation (heat treatment)
6. Chemical oxidation (chlorine oxidation)
7. Incineration
 Sludge Stabilization Contd.

Aerobic Digestion: Equipment used for aerobic digestion consists

of an aeration tank (digester) which is similar in design to the
aeration tank used for the activated sludge process. Either diffused or
mechanical aeration equipment is necessary to maintain the aerobic
conditions in the tank. Solids and supernatant removal equipment is
also required. In operation, process residuals (sludge) are added to
the digester and aerated to maintain a DO concentration of 1.0 mg/L.
Aeration also ensures that the tank contents are well mixed.
Generally, aeration continues for approximately 20 d retention time.
Aeration is periodically stopped and the solids are allowed to settle.
Sludge and the clear liquid supernatant are withdrawn as needed to
provide more room in the digester. When no additional volume is
available, mixing is stopped for 12 to 24 h before solids are
withdrawn for disposal.
 Sludge Stabilization Contd.

Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion is the traditional method of sludge stabilization. It
involves using bacteria that thrive in the absence of oxygen and is slower
than aerobic digestion. The advantage of anaerobic digestion is that only a
small percentage of the wastes are converted into new bacterial cells. Most
of the organics are converted into carbon dioxide and methane gas.
Equipment used in anaerobic digestion includes a sealed digestion tank
with either a fixed or a floating cover heating and mixing equipment, gas
storage tanks, solids and supernatant withdrawal equipment, and safety
equipment (e.g., vacuum relief, pressure relief, flame traps, explosion proof
electrical equipment). In operation, process residual (thickened or
unthickened sludge) is pumped into the sealed digester. The organic matter
digests anaerobically by a two-stage process. Sugars, starches, and
carbohydrates are converted to volatile acids, carbon dioxide, and
hydrogen sulfide. The volatile acids are then converted to methane gas.
 Sludge Stabilization Contd.

Composting
In a composting operation, dewatered solids are usually mixed with a bulking agent (i.e.,
hardwood chips) and stored until biological stabilization occurs. The composting mixture is
ventilated during storage to provide sufficient oxygen for oxidation and to prevent odors. After
the solids are stabilized, they are separated from the bulking agent. The composted solids are
then stored for curing and applied to farmlands or other beneficial uses.

Lime Stabilization
In lime stabilization, process residuals are mixed with lime to achieve a pH of 12. This pH is
maintained for at least 2 h. The treated solids can then be dewatered for disposal or directly land
applied.

Thermal Treatment
Thermal treatment (or wet air oxidation) subjects sludge to high temperature and pressure in a
closed reactor vessel. The high temperature and pressure rupture the cell walls of any
microorganisms present in the solids and causes chemical oxidation of the organic matter. This
process substantially improves dewatering and reduces the volume of material for disposal.
Chlorine Oxidation
Chlorine oxidation also occurs in a closed vessel. In this
process, chlorine (100 to 1000 mg/L) is mixed with a
recycled solids flow. The recycled flow and process residual
flow are mixed in the reactor. The solids and water are
separated after leaving the reactor vessel. The water is
returned to the wastewater treatment system and the
treated solids are dewatered for disposal. The main
advantage of chlorine oxidation is that it can be operated
intermittently. The main disadvantage is production of
extremely low pH and high chlorine content in the
supernatant.
 Sludge Treatment Contd.

SLUDGE DEWATERING
Digested sludge removed from the digester is still mostly liquid.
Sludge dewatering is used to reduce volume by removing the
water to permit easy handling and economical reuse or disposal.
Dewatering processes include sand drying beds, vacuum filters,
centrifuges, filter presses (belt and plate), and incineration.

Sand Drying Beds

Solids are pumped to the sand bed and allowed to dry by first
draining off excess water through the sand and then by
evaporation This is the simplest and cheapest method for
dewatering sludge. No special training or expertise is required.
 Sludge Dewatering Contd

Rotary Vacuum Filtration

Chemically treated solids are pumped to a vat or tank in which a rotating
drum is submerged. As the drum rotates, a vacuum is applied to the drum.
Solids collect on the media and are held there by the vacuum as the drum
rotates out of the tank. The vacuum removes additional water from the
captured solids. When solids reach the discharge zone, the vacuum is released
and the dewatered solids are discharged onto a conveyor belt for disposal. The
media are then washed prior to returning to the start of the cycle.

Pressure Filtration
Pressure filtration differs from vacuum filtration in that the liquid is forced
through the filter media by a positive pressure instead of a vacuum. Several
types of presses are available, but the most commonly used types are plate
and frame presses and belt presses.
 Sludge Dewatering Contd.

Centrifugation
` Centrifuges of various types have been used in dewatering operations for at lease 30
years and appear to be gaining in popularity. Depending on the type of centrifuge used
and the centrifuge pumping equipment for solids feed and centrate removal, chemical
makeup and feed equipment and support systems for removal of dewatered solids are
required.

Sludge Incineration
Incinerators produce the maximum solids and moisture reductions. The equipment
required depend on whether the unit is a multiple hearth or fluidbed incinerator.
Generally, the system requires a source of heat to reach ignition temperature, solids feed
system and ash handling equipment. The system also include equipment like scrubbers
to achieve compliance with air pollution control requirements. Solids are pumped to the
incinerator. The solids are dried and ignited (burned). As they burn the organic matter is
converted to carbon dioxide and water vapor and the inorganic matter is left behind as
ash or fixed solids. The ash is then collected for reuse of disposal
 Aerated Lagoon

An aerated lagoon is a through system with or

without solids recycles. The lagoons are 3-4m deep.
Solids in the complete-mix aerated pond are kept
suspended at all times by aerators or diffused air
devices. Depending on the HRT, the effluent from an
aerated pond will contain from one third to half the
concentration of the influent BOD in the form of cell
tissue. These solids must be removed by settling
before the effluent is discharged. Settling takes place
at a part of the aerated pond system separated with
baffles or in a sedimentation basin.
 Measuring Plant Performance

The performance efficiency or percent removal is always used

to evaluate how a plant or treatment unit process is operating.
= Influent concentration – effluent concentration x 100
Influent concentration
% volatile matter reduction in sludge = (% Vmin - % Vmout) x 100
{ % VMin – (% VMin x % VMout)}

Hydraulic Detention Time: This refers to the avearge length of

time (theoretical time) a drop of water, wastewater or
suspended particles remain in a tank or channel
= water or wastewater in tank = volume
flow rate through the tank flowrate