Water Pollution:Any chemical, biological and physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms

or makes it unusable for agriculture.

The massive quantity of pollutants produced by humans, their machines, plants, animals

The growing number of technological pollutants released into the environment, i.e.
manufactured synthetic materials

Point Sources pollution: Comes from a specific source, like a pipe.

Factories, industry, municipal treatment plants.
Can be monitored and controlled by a permit system.
Non point source pollution:-

Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution is pollution associated with storm water or runoff

NPS pollution cannot be traced to a direct discharge point.

Examples of NPS
Oil & grease from cars
Fertilizers
Animal waste
Grass clippings
Septic systems
Sewage & cleaners from boats
Household cleaning products

Pollutant Transport Mechanisms

NPS pollutants build up on land surfaces during dry weather
Atmospheric deposition
Fertilizer applications
Animal waste
Automotive exhaust/fluid leaks
Pollutants are washed off land surfaces during precipitation events (storm water runoff)
Storm water runoff will flow to lakes and streams.
Characteristics of Waste Waters;-

Waste waters can be characterised on the basis of various physical, chemical and biological chracteristics.

Physical Charcteristics:Colour, odour, Disolved oxygen, Insoluble substances (setlleable and suspended solids), temprature,
corrosive properties.

Chemical Charcteristics:COD, pH, alkalnity Hardness, Total Carbon, TDS, Surfactants, HCS, oils an greases.

Biochemical Charcteristics:BOD, presence of pathogenic bacterias, toxicity.

Major Categories of Water Pollutants

Infectious Agents

Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, Parasitic Worms

Source: Human and animal waste

Oxygen-Demanding Waste

Organic debris & waste + aerobic bacteria

Source: Sewage, feedlots, paper-mills, food processing

Inorganic Chemicals

Acids, Metals, Salts

Sources: Surface runoff, Industrial effluent, household cleansers

Radioactive Materials

Iodine, radon, uranium, cesium, thorium

Source: Coal & Nuclear Power plants, mining, weapons production, natural

Plant Nutrients

Nitrates, Phosphates,

Source: Sewage, manure, agricultural and landscaping runoff

Organic Chemicals

Oil, Gasoline, Plastics, Pesticides, Solvents, detergents

Eroded Sediment

Sources: Industrial effluent, Household cleansers, runoff from farms and yards

Soil, Silt

Heat/Thermal Pollution

Source: Power plants, Industrial

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): BOD: Oxygen is removed from water when organic matter is consumed by bacteria.
Low oxygen conditions may kill fish and other organisms

Biochemical Oxygen Demand:The Quantity of Oxygen Used in the Biochemical Oxidation of Organic Material.
Under: Specified Time
5 Days
Specified Temperature
200 C
Specified Conditions
in the Dark
In the Presence of Bacteria
Dissolved Oxygen:Amount of FREE Oxygen O2 In the Water
Required By:
FISH MICROORGANISMS (Bacteria)
Water Treatment Technologies

Pre -Treatment

Primary Treatment

Secondary Treatment

Tertiary Treatment

Pre Treatment:-

Removes large objects and non-degradable materials

- protects pumps and equipment from damage
- waste water passed through bar screen and grit chamber.

Bar Screen
catches large objects that have gotten into sewer system such as bricks, bottles, pieces of
wood, etc.

Grit Chamber : removes rocks, gravel, broken glass, etc.

Mesh Screen
removes combs, towels pieces, plastic bags, syringes, empty bottles etc.
Primary Treatment

Equalization:-

Some Industries produces different types of wastes having different characteristics at

different interval, hence uniform treatment is not possible.

To obviate this problem different streams of effluents are held in big tanks for a specified
period of time and each unit must be mixed properly in order to produce homogeneous and
equalized effluent.

Neutralization:-

Highly acidic or highly alkaline waste should be properly neutralized before being discharged.

Acidic wastes are usually neutralized by treatment with lime or lime slurry or caustic soda depending
upon the type and quantity of of the waste.

Alkaline wastes may be neutralized by treatment with sulphuric acid or CO2.

Sedimentation:Sedimentation tanks are designed to enable smaller and lighter particles to settle down under gravity.
Most common equipments used are horizontal flow tanks and centre feed circular clarifiers.

Sedimentation Aids

Finally divided suspended solids and collidal particles cannot be efficiently removed by simple
sedimentation. In such cases mechanical floculation and chemical coagulation is employed.

Mechanical Floculation: The waste water is passed through a tank with detention time of 30
minutes and fitted with paddles rotating at pripheral speed of 0.43 m/s.
Under this gentle stirring, the finally divided solids are attached togather and floc is formed
which setlles down under garvity.
Specialized equipments calrifloculator is used.

Chemical Coagulation:-

Waste water is treated with certain chemicals which form a floc (floculant precipitate) that
adsorb suspended and collidal particles. The common coagulants are

Hydrated Lime

Alum Al2 (SO4)3.14H2O

Copperas FeSO4.7H2O

Ferric Chloride

Chlorinated Copperas FeSO4.Cl

THEORY

Settling- process by which particulates settle to the bottom of a liquid and form a sediment.

Particles experience a force, either due to gravity or due to centrifugal motion; tend to move in a
uniform manner in the direction exerted by that force.
Gravity settling- the particles will tend to fall to the bottom of the vessel, forming a slurry at the vessel
base.
For dilute particle solutions, two main forces enacting upon particle. Primary force is an applied force,
such as gravity, and a drag force that is due to the motion of the particle through the fluid. The applied
force is not affected by the particle's velocity; the drag force is a function of the particle velocity.

Settling or Sedimentation

Settling- a unit operation in which solids are drawn toward a source of attraction. The
particular type of settling that will be discussed in this section is gravitational settling. It should be
noted that settling is different from sedimentation.
Since smaller particles have lower settling velocities, if you want to remove smaller particles in the
settling basin you have to have a lower overflow rate or large surface area of the settling basin.

Settling Tanks
Advantages

Simplest technologies.

Little energy input.

Relatively inexpensive to install and operate.

No specialized operational skills.

Easily incorporated into new or existing facilities.

Disadvantages

Low hydraulic loading rates.

Poor removal of small suspended solids.

Large floor space requirements.

Re-suspension of solids and leeching.

Sedimentation

Vs

g(p )Dp2
18

Stokes Law

Denser and large particles have a higher settling velocity.

Settling Tanks, Basins, or Clarifiers

Generally, two types of sedimentation basins (also called tanks, or clarifiers) are used:

Rectangular and Circular.

Rectangular settling, basins or clarifiers, are basins that are rectangular in plans and cross sections. In
plan, the length may vary from two to four times the width.

The length may also vary from ten to 20 times the depth. The depth of the basin may vary from 2 to 6 m.
The influent is introduced at one end and allowed to flow through the length of the clarifier toward the
other end.

Table 1 Typical Dimensions of Sedimentation Tanks

_____________________________________________
Description

Dimensions
Range

______________________________________________________
Rectangular
Depth, m
Length, m
Width, m

3-5

3.5

15-90

25-40

3-24

6-10

Diameter, m

4-60

12-45

Depth, m

3-5

4.5

Circular

Bottom Slope, mm/m

60-160

80

____________________________________________________

Example 1

Typical

A water treatment plant has a flow rate of 0.6 m3/sec. The settling basin at the
plant has an effective settling volume that is 20 m long, 3 m tall and 6 m wide.
Will particles that have a settling velocity of 0.004 m/sec be completely
removed? If not, what percent of the particles will be removed?

v0 = Q/A = 0.6 m3/sec / (20 m x 6 m) = 0.005 m/sec

Since v0 is greater than the settling velocity of the particle of interest,
they will not be completely removed.
The percent of particles which will be removed may be found using the
following formula:
Percent removed = (vp / v0) 100
= (0.004/0.005) 100 = 80 %
Example 2
How big would the basin need to be to remove 100% of the particles that
have a settling velocity of 0.004 m/sec?
v0 = Q / A
0.004 = 0.6 / A
A = 150 m2
If the basin keeps the same width (6 m):
A = 150 m2 = 6m x L
L = 25 m
Example No 3

A water treatment plant consists of the following unit processes coagulation floculation and
sedimentation and filtration. The suspended solids of the raw water is 500 mg/L and the plant
treats 36400m3/day. Alum is used as coagulant with a dose rate 50 mg/L .
(a) Compute the sludge solids produced daily if the complete reaction of alum to aluminium hydroxide
ocuurs at 98% total solids are removed by sedimentation/ filtration.
(b) Design the flash mixing unit for floculation assume detention period in the mixing unit is 40 sec.
(c) Design the sedimentation tank assumes detention time 40 min and depth of 4m.

FILTRATION:-

Slow Sand Filters

Rapid Gravity Filters

Secondary/ Biological Treatment;-

In secondary treatment dissolved and colloidal matter present in waste can be removed by biological
processes involving bacteria and other micro organisms.

Aerated Lagoons
Trickling Filters
Activated Sludge Process
Anaerobic Digestion
Rotating Biological Contractors (RBC's)
Aerated Lagoons:-

These are large ponds having depth of 2-6 m and are lined with cement or polyethylene.

Effluents from primary treatment processes are collected in these tanks and aerated with mechanical
devices.

Detention time 2-6 days.

During these days heavy floculant sludge formed which brings oxidation of organic matter.

BOD removal upto extent of 90%

Trickling Filters:-

The Trickling filters usually consist of the circular or rectangular beds. 1-3 m deep.

Made up of well graded media such as broken stones, PVC, coal and other synthetic materials of size
40 mm to 150 mm.
Water is sprinkled or dispersed uniformly over the entire bed of the with the help of slowly rotating
distributor equiped with orifices or nozzels.

Thus the water trickles through the media.

Air is passed at the bottom, counter current to the effluent.

A geletenious film comprising of bacterias and aerobic micro organisms known as zooglea is formed
on the surface of the medium.
The organic impurities in the waste water are adsorbed by gelentenious film and then oxidized by the
bacterias and other micro organisms.
Effluent from the trickling filter is allowed to the settle down in a settling tank to retain the sludge
particles and the discharged.
Efficiency depends upon the composition of waste, pH, strength of hydralic loading, depth of the filter,
uniformity of the distribution.
BOD removal to the extent of the 60 - 85%.

Trickling Filter (TF) - side view

TF consists of:

A rotating arm that sprays wastewater over a filter medium.

Filter medium: rocks, plastic, or other material.

The water is collected at the bottom of the filter for further treatment.

Types of Trickling Filter

Trickling filters have been divided in two ways:

According to organic/ hydraulic loading

Low rate trickling filter

High rate trickling filter

According number of units used in series

Single stage trickling filter

Double stage trickling filter

Design consideration

Influent wastewater characteristics.

Degree of treatment anticipated (BOD & TSS removal).

Temperature range of applied wastewater.

Pretreatment processes.

Type of filter media.

Recirculation rate.

Hydraulic and organic loadings applied to the filter.

Under drainage and ventilation systems.

Design consideration - Filter media

The ideal filter packing is material that

has a high surface area per unit of volume

is low in cost

has a high durability

has a high enough porosity so that clogging is minimized

provides good air circulation

Flow Diagram for Trickling Filters

Recirculation= A portion of the TF effluent recycled through the filter
Recirculation ratio (R) = returned flow (Qr)/ influent flow (Q)
Design consideration - Recirculation

Why is recirculation required?

Dilute toxic wastes

Recirculation flow dilutes the strength of raw wastewater & allows untreated wastewater to be
passes through the filter more than once.

A common range for recirculation ratio.

0.5~3.0

Advantages of trickling filter

The operational cost is low as compare to activated sludge process

The process has great adaptability with varying load and can adjust well and does not get upset with
nature of loading

Produces only small amount of sludge

Not much skilled attendance is required

Disadvantages of trickling filter

The initial cost of construction is higher than activated sludge

The process requires greater land area as compare activated sludge process

It may give rise the problem of odour

Stone media TF design

E2

100
NRC (national research council) formula
.0 4432 w
1 2
1 E1 VF

where:

E1 = BOD removal efficiency for first-stage filter at 20oC, %

w1 = BOD load applied, kg/day
V = volume of filter media, m3
F = recirculation factor

NRC formula
1R
F 2
(1R/10)

where:
F = recirculation factor
R = recycle ratio

Example # 01

A muncipal waste water has the following characteristics

Influent BOD5 = 360mg/L

Required Effleunt = 25 mg/L

Population equivalent = 20000 at 225L/h/day

Wastewater Temprature = 20oC

Using NRC equation determine the volume of a single stage trickling filter if the recirrculation ratio is
1:1 and 2:1

Example 2
A municipal wastewater having a BOD of 200 mg/L is to be treated by a two-stage trickling filter.
The desired effluent quality is 25 mg/L of BOD. If both of the filter depths are to be 1.83 m and
the recirculation ratio is 2:1, find the required filter diameters. Assume the following design
assumptions apply.

Design assumptions:

Influent flow =7570 m3/d

Recirculation ratio = 2

Depth of media = 1.83 m

Water temperature =20oC

BOD removal in primary sedimentation = 35%

E1=E2

Activated Sludge Process

This is most verstile biological oxidation method employed for the treatment of waste water.

The waste water is aerated in reaction tank in which microbial floc is suspended.

The aerobic bacterial flora brings biological degradation of the waste into CO 2 and H2O while
consuming some organic matter for synthesising bacteria.
The bacterial flora grows and remains suspended in the form of floc which is called "Activated
Sludge"
The effluent from the reaction tank is separated from the sludge by settling and discharged.

A part of sludge is recycled to the same tank to provide an effective microbial population for a fresh
treatment cycle.

Basic Process:-

The basic AS process consists of:-

Liquid-solids separation, usually sedimentation tank

A recycle system for returning solids removed from the liquid-solids separation unit back
to the reactor

Important feature of the AS process is:-

A reactor in which the microorganisms responsible for treatment are kept in suspension
and aerated

Formation of flocculent settleable solids that can be removed by gravity settling

Activated Sludge process utilizes:-

Fluidized microorganisms

Mixed growth microorganisms

Aerobic conditions

Microorganisms:-

Use organic materials in wastewater as substrates

Thus, they remove organic materials by microbial respiration and synthesis

MLSS (Mixed liquor suspended solids)

Ranges between 2000 and 4000 mg/l

Flows

Feed wastewater (Q)

Waste activated sludge (Qw)

Recycled activated sludge (R)

Prior to entering aeration tank

OR immediately after entering

Oxygen Supply

Diffused compressed air

Mechanical surface aeration
Pure oxygen

Purposes of aeration

 Provides oxygen required for aerobic bio-oxidation

Provides sufficient mixing for adequate contact between activated sludge and organic substances

In order to maintain the desired MLSS in the aeration tank, R/Q ratio must be calculated.

Activated Sludge Process

The surplus sludge is digested in sludge digester.

An efficient aeration for 3 to 6 hours is adequate for sewage; whereas for industrial wastes 6 to 24
hours of aeration is required.
BOD removal to the extent of 90 - 95% can be achieved.

Activated Sludge Principles

Wastewater is aerated in a tank

Bacteria are encouraged to grow by providing

Oxygen

Food (BOD)

Nutrients

Correct temperature

Time

As bacteria consume BOD, they grow and multiply.

Treated wastewater flows into secondary clarifier.

Bacterial cells settle, removed from clarifier as sludge .

Part of sludge is recycled back to activated sludge tank, to maintain bacteria population .

Remainder of sludge is wasted.

Anaerobic Waste Treatment

Anaerobic treatment is a biological process carried out in the absence of O 2 for the stabilization of organic
materials by conversion to CH4 and inorganic end-products such as CO2 and NH3.
Anaerobic microorganisms
Organic materials + Nutrients __________________>
CH4 + CO2 +NH3 + Biomass
Steps Involved..

Phase One Hydrolysis:-

During this phase the long chain organic compounds (e.g. proteins, fats, carbohydrates) are split into
more simple organic compounds (e.g. amino acids, fatty acids, sugars) through bacterial action.

Phase Two Acidogenesis:-

The products of hydrolysis are subsequently metabolized in the acidogenesis phase by acidogenic
bacteria and broken down into short chain fatty acids (e.g. acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid,
valeric acid) and alcohol. Acetic acid, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are also created and act as initial
products for methane formation. The relationship between the products depends on the hydrogen
partial pressure, i.e. the concentration of hydrogen.

Phase Three Acetogenesis:-

The organic acids and alcohols are broken down from acetogenic bacteria into acetic acid, hydrogen
and carbon dioxide which are the source compounds for biogas production.

Phase Four Methanogenesis:-

The products from the previous phases are converted into methane and carbon dioxide by
methanogenic micro organisms (archaea). The end product is a combustible gas called biogas.
Types of anaerobic reactors
Low rate anaerobic reactors
Anaerobic pond
Septic tank

 Imhoff tank
Standard rate
Anaerobic digester
Slurry type bioreactor, temperature, mixing, SRT or other environmental
conditions are not regulated. Loading
of 1-2 kg COD/m3-day.
High rate anaerobic reactors

Anaerobic contact process.

Anaerobic filter (AF).
Upflow anaerobic slugde
Blanket (UASB).
Fluidized bed Reactor.
Hybrid reactor: UASB/AF.
Anaerobic Sequencing Batch
Reactor (ASBR)

Able to retain very high concentration of

active biomass in the reactor. Thus extremely high SRT could be maintained
irrespective of HRT. Load 5-20 kg COD/m3-d
COD removal efficiency : 80-90%.

Anaerobic contact process (ACP)

Anaerobic contact process is essentially an anaerobic activated sludge process. It consists of a completely
mixed reactor followed by a settling tank. The settled biomass is recycled back to the reactor. Hence
ACP is able to maintain high concentration of biomass in the reactor and thus high SRT irrespective
of HRT. Degassifier allows the removal of biogas bubbles (CO 2, CH4) attached to sludge which may
otherwise float to the surface.

ACP was initially developed for the treatment of dilute wastewater such as meat packing plant which
had tendency to form a settleable flocs. ACP is suitable for the treatment of wastewater containing
suspended solids which render the microorganisms to attach and form settleable flocs.

The biomass concentration in the reactor ranges from 4-6 g/L with maximum concentration as high as 25-30
g/L depending on settleability of sludge. The loading rate ranges from 0.5 10 kg COD/m 3-day. The
required SRT could be maintained by controlling the recycle rate similar to activated sludge process.

Anaerobic filter

Anaerobic filter:

The filter was filled with rocks similar to the trickling filter.

Wastewater distributed across the bottom and the flow was in

the upward direction through the bed of rocks

Whole filter submerged completely
Anaerobic microorganisms accumulate within voids of media
(rocks or other plastic media)
The media retain or hold the active biomass within the filter
The non-attached biomass within the interstices forms a bigger
flocs of granular shape due to rising gas bubble/liquid
Non-attached biomass contributes significantly to waste treatment
Attached biomass not be a major portion of total biomass.
64% attached and 36% non-attached
Since anaerobic filter is able to retain high biomass, long SRT could be maintained. Typically HRT varies
from 0.5 4 days and the loading rates varies from 5 - 15 kg COD/m 3-day. Biomass wastage is generally not
needed and hydrodynamic conditions play important role in biomass retention within the void space
Down flow anaerobic filter (DAF)

Down flow anaerobic filter is similar to trickling filter in operation.DAF is closer to fixed film reactor as
loosely held biomass/sludge within the void spaces is potentially washed out of reactor. The specific surface
area of media is quite important in DAF than UAF. There is less clogging problem and wastewater with
some SS concentration can be treated using DAF.
Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB)
UASB is essentially a suspended growth system in which proper hydraulic and organic loading rate is
maintained in order to facilitate the dense biomass aggregation known as granulation. The size of
granules is about 1-3 mm diameter. Since granules are bigger in size and heavier, they will settle down
and retain within the reactor. The concentration of biomass in the reactor may become as high as 50
g/L. Thus a very high SRT can be achieved even at very low HRT of 4 hours.

The granules consist of hydrolytic bacteria, acidogen/acetogens and methanogens. Carbohydrate degrading
granules show layered structure with a surface layer of hydrolytic/fermentative Acidogens. A midlayer comprising of syntrophic colonies and an interior with acetogenic methanogens.

Anaerobic baffled reactor

In anaerobic baffled reactor, the wastewater passes over and under the
baffles. The biomass
accumulates in Between the baffles which may in fact form granules withtime. The baffles present the
horizontal movement of biomass in the reactor. Hence high concentration of biomass could be maintained
within the reactor.