Sewage Treatment Plant in Robinsons Place Iloilo

A Plant Tour Report Paper

Presented to: Lucita De Guzman, PhD

School of Technology

University of the Philippines Visayas

In partial fulfilment of the requirements of Che 173: Industrial Pollution Control

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

by

Eli John V. Novela

December 04, 2017

Chapter I. Introduction

A. Location, Plant Size, Owner and Number of Employees

The sewage treatment plant is inside Robinsons place-Iloilo located at Iloilo City
Proper in the middle of downtown districts. It is surrounded by the city's major thorough
fares De Leon, Ledesma, Mabini, and Quezon Streets. The plant was created from the Clean
Water Protection Program in Collaboration with the City Government of Iloilo. The plant was
created to lessen the waste discharge by the mall and also to save money from the
consumption of water. The plant size is just about 800 m2 , the area for the plant is quite
small is for maximizing the use of the land area because they need to maximize the space for
the tenants inside the mall.

The owner of the sewage treatment plant is the Robinsons Land Corporation. The
sewage treatment facility started being operational in year 2000. The contractor and the
designer of the plant are from the Megatech Company. The plant has about 31 regular
workers based from there organizational chart. The STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) is headed
by their Chief engineer, Engr. Anselmo Emboltaryo which is a mechanical engineer with
Engr. Andicoy as Chief supervisor of the treatment.
B. Organizational Chart (Figure1)

Chief engineer
Anselmo
Emboltaryo

Shift Engineer 1 Shift Engineer

Coordinator
Engr. Andicoy 2

Plumbing Mechanic Relievers SME AC Mechanic

Chiller STP
Technical Clerk Plumbing
Operator Operator
Chapter 2 II. Process

A. Flow Process of The process

B.Grease Tank and
Conveyance C.
D.Screening Solid Blowers
E. Separation
F. V-Weir Equalization Settling
Aeration
G. Measuring Neutralization Basin 1&2 Tank 1&2

Flowrate
Indicator
Aerobic
Non-Potable & Cooling
H. Tower
#
Tank Digester

Chlorinator
V-Weir
Activated Measuring
Carbon Filter
Clear Water Tank &
Multi-Media
Filter Disinfection Tan

Recovery
Pump-Motor
Figure2

The activated sludge process is a biological process by which treats solids in

substances occurring in dissolved and colloidal forms are converted into sludge which is
removed from the liquid carrier (water). Activated sludge is also the name given to the active
biological material produced by activated sludge plants. At the plant, the activated sludge is
settled out along with the suspended solids present in the wastewater. The basic purpose of
the activated sludge process is to establish and maintain a viable population of
microorganisms by supplying food and the proper environment.

In the proper environment millions of aerobic and facultative micro-organisms

remove pollutants thru living and growing process and convert the soluble and colloidal
material present in the wastewater into new cells (activated sludge) and make the end
products (CO2 and water). During their life cycle, the microorganisms undergo a
continuously changing cycle of growth and decline. The activated sludge process provides
one of the highest degrees of treatment obtainable within the limits of practical economy and
present knowledge of the art and science of waste treatment.

1. Source

The process starts with grease tank and conveyance where waste water from the
toilets and water from the food businesses. The incoming waste water that enters the system
is called the influent. The 2 source of influent is referred as sewer line and waste line which
are the influent or the waste water stream that enters the system. These sources of waste have
solids in the influent occurring in dissolved and colloidal forms.

2. Motorized Bar Screen

Before the waste water enters it needs to pass the Motorized Bar Screen to undergo
screening solid separation. This process screens and separates large solid particles from the
waste water to ensure that no large solids that can cause problems. Screening of the large
solids also helps in maintaining the efficiency of the system.

3. V-weir Measuring

After the waste water is screened it now goes to the V-weir Measuring where the
screened waste water enters the V shape equipment which has graduation on it that allows the
volume of waste water entering to be measured using Pythagorean theorem. The incoming
water is measured to monitor the amount of water to be treated.

4. Central lift station

It now goes to the central lift station where oil and water are being separated by using
the difference in the density of oil and water. The water is which will settle first before the oil
is being pumped to combine all waste line and the sewer line. This is where the influent is
mixed and will be treated together.
 5. Equalization and Neutralization Tank

The incoming waste water will be stored having varied flow. Equalization will now
occur; it is a process of controlling flow velocity and flow composition to dampen severe
variations in flow and water quality. The flow rate of the water is being monitored by their
flow rate indicator device to regulate and adjust the flow. After being equalize, neutralization
is employed to balance the excess acidity or alkalinity in water or adjustment of pH to
achieve the desired treatment objective, the desired pH of water from the standard of
Robison’s should be 6-9 ph level.

6. Aeration basin

The waste water now enters the aeration basin where they cultivate bacteria to treat
the waste water with it. The cultivation of bacteria needs to be monitored for their optimum
growth. there are many conditions to be met to insure proper plant operation. The following
conditions are essential to insure that the microorganisms present in the activated sludge are
in a state of proper growth and, therefore, working at maximum efficiency.

 The temperature are kept to 37 degree C

 the supply of dissolved oxygen are monitored to let the bacteria grow
 . The TDS( Total Dissolved Solids) and TSS(Total Suspended Solids) are also being
closely monitored because they serve as the food of the bacteria
 complete mixing of incoming wastewater and the microorganisms present in the
aeration basin (diffused aeration)
 Continuous supply of dissolved oxygen as supplied by the blower (diffused aeration).

The process depends upon groups of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, along with protozoan,
fungi and rotifers, being maintained in contact with the organic matter in the waste in an
aerobic (oxygen containing) environment. Many forms of organic matter carried in the
wastewater serve as a food supply for these microorganisms.

The Air is supplied to the diffusers by positive displacement blowers. These blowers
were designed to provide sufficient air to ensure that the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of
the aeration chambers can always be maintained within the range.
 7. Settling Tank

In the settling tank the water enters with the cultivated bacteria. The water is calm so that the
heavier particles are to settle with the cultivated bacteria. The particles and bacteria that
settles below are being pumped out and made to enter the aeration basin again to continue the
bacteria’s growth and cultivation.the treated water now enters another V-weir measuring
device to be able to measure that volume of the treated waste water.

8. Clear water tank and disinfection tank

The measured treated water enters the disinfection tank. The water was measured so that the
amount of chlorine added by the Chlorinator will be measured based on the amount of water
treated so that the Disinfection can be monitored easily. After being disinfected it is being
pumped to undergo tertiary treatment. It undergoes Multimedia filter to further separate the
suspended solids from the water. They use bed filter in filtering the suspended solids. Now
the water goes to an activated carbon filter to remove the scent. The last step is to chlorinate
it again with the help of a chlorinator then it goes the Non-Potable water which used in
flushing bowls or sprinklers in fire emergencies and to the cooling tower tanks from the
exhaust heat of their air conditioners. The excess water will be discharged to other bodies of
water like the ocean or rivers.

Average Quarterly Monitoring Data

Type Actual results Standards

pH 6.2 to 7.9 6 to 9
Dissolve Oxygen (DO) 1 to 3.5mg/L 5.0 mg/L
Biochemical Oxygen 8-15 mg/L 5-50 mg/L
Demand(BOD)
Total Dissolved Solids 1090mg/L 1,500 mg/L
(TDS)
Total Suspended Solids 18mg/L 90mg/L
(TSS)
(Table 1)

These are monitored values that maintained by the sewage treatment plant. All of their
results follow the standard. This means that the treatment plant is well manage and provides
excellent output in their sewage treatment plant.
B. Raw materials and Product

Type Amount
Raw Materials from:
a. Waste line Food, juices, water, etc 220-350 cubic meter of water
b. Sewer line Feces, urine, and etc. from both source

Products Water or H20 220-350 cubic meter of water

Activated Sludge Not stated but it is recycled
CO2 Not stated
(Table 2)

The raw materials are the sewer line and the waste line which consist of waste from
the toilets and waste water from food businesses, respectively. The waste from the toilets
consists of mostly organic materials from feces, tissues and napkins. The waste was from
food business mostly consisting of food, carbonated drinks, juice, and etc. The organic that
are not screened are eaten by the bacteria and transform them to activated sludge which has
by products of water and carbon dioxide.

C. Production

The plant works 3 shifts every 24 hours. Production of treated water is about 5-7
cubic meter of water per hour. The treatment plant can handle 500 cubic meters of waste
water per day based on its design. The treated water effluent per day reaches about 220-350
cubic meters. The plant is working 24 hours per day, it is continuous because if it will be
stopped the bacteria will die and it will take time to start the process again.
Chapter III. Observation

Base from my observations the Robinson’s sewage treatment plant use continuous
rate activation sludge process which is very efficient compared with the other sewage plants
that uses sequence batch reactor. Sewage treatment plant are very cost effective when done
on big scale like the one in Robinsons, it does not only save money from recycling water but
also diminishes the harmful effects of waste coming from the mall to the environment. The
mall does really live up to its tag line that says “Robinson’s mall is an eco friendly mall” they
always treat their waste before discharging it to water source and they always comply to the
standards made by the DENR.

I observed that there is only small number of workers in the plant and realized it is
because of the chosen process by the company in treating their waste water. The process
chosen needs only maintenance and the continuous work of the pumping station to make the
water flow to and be treated. The plant does not smell so bad compared to my expectation of
waste water this is also because there are ventilations inside the plant to keep the place
ventilated and remove the unwanted smell continuously. The equipments used looks a bit old
but I can see thay they are well maintained.

Overall the sewage treatment plant tour experience was very nice, I understood all the
concepts mentioned and realized that chemical engineers can really do many things like
designing this type of treatment plant. I understood all the mentioned key terms because of
the discussions and lectures done in Che 173 Industrial Pollution Control which is for the
environment. I realized that as chemical engineers we need to know about regulating waste
and eliminating pollution in our environment, this is part of being a chemical engineer
because this are one of the many things we are expected to do.
Chapter IV. References

Environmental policy and legislation". Department of Environmental and Heritage

Protection. Queensland Government. Retrieved October 20, 2017.

Lewis Dunbar B. Gordon (1851). A short description of the plans of Captain James Vetch for
the sewerage of the metropolis.

Christie Geankoplis, Transport processes and unit operations, Published on year 1998