FCE 581: Public Health Engineering 1B

Chapter 7 INTRODUCTION TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT

7.1 Purpose Of Wastewater Treatment
Sewage is treated so as to reduce undesirable characteristics, usually, its BOD and
suspended solids concentrated to the degree necessary to ensure it does not pollute or
contaminate to unacceptable degree, any water resource into which it is discharged.

7.2 Overview of Sewage Treatment Methods

1) Primary Treatment
A. Removal of floating solids and coarse suspended solid
1. Bar racks
2. Medium screens
3. Grit chambers
4. Skimming tanks with or without floatation
B. Removal of fine suspended solids
1. Fine screens
2. Sedimentation
a. Plain sedimentation tanks with or without mechanical sludge
removal
b. Septic tanks
c. Imhoff tanks
d. Chemical precipitation

2) Secondary Treatment
A. Biological Oxidation
1. Filters
a. Intermittent sand filters
b. Contact filters rock medium
2. Aeration
a. Activated sludge process
b. Aerated ponds mechanical or induced air
c. Oxidation ditches
3. Waste stabilization ponds
a. Facultative ponds
b. Maturation ponds
B. Disinfection
1. Chlorination
2. Ozonation

3) Advanced Tertiary Treatment

1. Rapid sand filtration
2. Slow sand filtration
3. Upward flow filtration
4. Microstraining very fine mesh to remove all suspended matter
5. Application on land, e.g. irrigation
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 FCE 581: Public Health Engineering 1B

6. Chemical precipitation
7. Nitrification denitrification
8. Reverse osmosis
4) Methods of Treating Sewage Solids
A. Screenings
1. Shredding followed by sludge digestion
2. Incineration followed by disposal of ash
3. Burial of untreated screening
B. Settled Sludge
1. Digestion in sludge digester
2. Conditioning with chemicals
3. Vacuum filtration
4. Pressure filtration or cake filtration
5. Drying on beds or kiln
6. Dumping into the sea

7.3 Elements of Plant Analysis and Design

1. FLOW SHEET Graphical representation of unit processes and operations
2. PROCESS LOADING CRITERIA The basis of sizing various treatment units
3. MASS BALANCE Quantities entering, leaving, consumed and generated in the
treatment units
4. HYDRAULIC PROFILE Elevation of water surface in treatment units
5. PLANT LAY0UT Spatial arrangement of physical facilities on site

Typical Flowsheet of a Conventional Treatment Plant