UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

MAY 2010

PROGRAMME BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering Level 2
MODULE NAME Environmental Engineering
DATE Monday
17 May 2010

MODULE CODE

CIVE 2002Y(3)

TIME 9:30 12:30 hrs DURATION 3 Hours
NO. OF
QUESTIONS SET
7 NO. OF QUESTIONS
TO BE ATTEMPTED
5

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Answer any FIVE (5) Questions

Nomograph and Table of Proportionate values of velocity and discharge are
attached.








Page 1 of 4
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CIVE 2002Y(3)

Question 1


(a) Define the standard unit of colour and explain its limitation when used to
measure the colour of a wastewater sample from a textile dyeing factory.
[4 marks]

(b) Explain why a limit is placed on turbidity in water supplies.
[6 marks]

(c) What are the limitations of the WHO guide-line values and how should the
competent authority react if a guide-line value is exceeded.
[6 marks]

(d) Discuss the role of aeration at a water treatment plant.
[4 marks]


Question 2

(a) Identify the characteristics of each of the following:

(i) Class I - Sedimentation
(ii) Class II - Sedimentation
[4 marks]

(b) Tests on a flocculent suspension in a settling column with three sampling
points gave the following results:

% SS Removed at
Sampling Time
(min.)
1m 2m 3m
0 0 0 0
10 30 18 16
20 60 48 40
30 62 61 60
40 70 63 61
60 73 69 65

Determine the probable % removal of solids from this suspension in a tank
2m deep and a retention time of 50 min.
[16 marks]


Page 2 of 4
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CIVE 2002Y(3)

Question 3

(a) With the help of chemical equations discuss the importance of alkalinity and
pH in water treatment processes. [8 marks]

(b) A request for bids for the supply of sand for a new filter stipulated that the
sand should have an effective site in the range of 0.35 to 0.55mm and a
uniformity coefficient in the range 1.3 to 1.7. A bidder supplied the following
sieve analysis (sample size 500.00 g) as evidence that their sieve will meet the
specifications. Determine whether the sand meets the specifications.

Sieve Size
(mm)
Mass retained
(g)
1.68 0.000
1.19 2.000
0.84 65.500
0.59 272.500
0.42 151.000
0.29 8.925
0.21 0.075
[12 marks]

Question 4

(a) Differentiate between the term Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and the
term Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD).
[5 marks]

(b) Explain why for reliable BOD data the dissolved oxygen concentration
remaining in a BOD bottle after 5-day incubation period should be greater
than 2mg/L.
[3 marks]

(c) A BOD analysis begins on a Monday. Thirty (30) mL of a wastewater sample
with a dissolved oxygen conc. (DO) of zero is mixed with 270mL of dilution
water with a DO of 10mg/L. The diluted sample is then placed in the
incubator. The final DO, measured the following Monday, was found to be
4.0mg/L. However, the incubator in the laboratory had been set at 30

C.
Assuming that (k1)20 = 0.2 d
-1
and (k1)T = (k1)20 * 1.05
T-20
, determine the 5-day
BOD of the sample.
[6 marks]

(d) Briefly discuss the factors associated with a wastewater that can cause
variation in the BOD reaction rate constant.
[6 marks]


Page 3 of 4
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CIVE 2002Y(3)

Question 5

(a) Indicate the effect on the COD test results of the following conditions and
briefly explain why:

(i) Mercuric sulphate was not added
(ii) Silver sulphate was not added
(iii) The ferrous ammonium sulphate was assumed to have the same
normality as it did two weeks prior to the current analysis.
[6 marks]

(b) The concentration of ultimate BOD in a river entering the first of two lakes
that are connected in series is equal to 20mg/L. If the first-order BOD
reaction rate constant (K1) equals 0.35d
-1
and complete mixing occurs in each
lake, what is the concentration of ultimate BOD at the outlet of each lake? The
flow in the river is equal to 4000 m
3
/d and the volume of the first and second
lake is 20,000 and 12,000 m
3
respectively. Assume steady-state conditions and
prove any formula used.
[14 marks]

Question 6

(a) How does the self-purification of a stream occur when it has been polluted by
the discharge of a wastewater into it?
[6 marks]
(b) A wastewater treatment plant for a textile dyeing factory receives a flow of
12500m
3
/d at a BOD5 of 280mg/L. Effluent from the plant is discharged into
a stream which has a flow of 1.0m
3
/s, at a BOD5 of 2mg/L and a dissolved
oxygen concentration of 9.0mg/L. If the BOD5 of the stream immediately
below the outfall is not to exceed 4.0 mg/L,

(i) What is the maximum BOD5 which may be permitted in the plant
effluent and what would be the required percentage BOD5 removal
efficiency of the treatment plant?
[6 marks]
(ii) What is the critical DO concentration in the stream?

Assume that the temperature if 20

c throughout.
[8 marks]

K1 = 0.1d
-1
Saturation DO conc. = 9.17 mg/L

K2 = 0.3d
-1
Effluent DO conc. = 5.0 mg/L


( )
( )

=
0 1
1 2 0
1
2
1 2
1 ln
1
L k
k k D
k
k
k k
t
c




Page 4 of 4
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CIVE 2002Y(3)


Question 7

(a) Explain the rational method used in estimating runoff, stating all assumptions
that are made.
[6 marks]

(b) Design a circular sewer outfall of the separate system for a town with a
population of 100000 persons. The sewer can be laid at a slope of 1 in 1000.
The dry weather flow may be taken as
3
1
of the maximum discharge. State all
assumptions made. The appropriate Nomograph and table of proportionate
values of hydraulic elements are provided.
[7 marks]

(c) Three zones, A, B and C, of areas 0.020km
2
, 0.03 km
2
and 0.05 km
2
discharge
runoff to three manholes: A to manhole 1, B to manhole 2 and C to manhole 3.
The inlet time from each area is 6 minutes, 8 minutes and 20 minutes
respectively. All areas have an average runoff coefficient of 0.5. The direction
of flow is from manhole 1 to manhole 2 to manhole 3 and out. The time of
flow between MH is 5 minutes. The relation of rainfall intensity to time is
given by :

( )
in
c
m
h
mm
i
t
i = =
+
=
c
t and
18
1520


Using the rational method compute the diameter of the outfall sewer. The
velocity of flow in sewers flowing full = 0.75 m/s
[7 marks]




END OF QUESTION PAPER



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