Physical water/wastewater

treatment processes
 Tentative schedule (I)
• Week 1: Introduction
• Week 2: Overview of water/wastewater
treatment processes
• Week 3: Major contaminants (Chemicals and
pathogens)
• Week 4: Preliminary treatment (Screen)
• Week 5: Preliminary treatment (Grit Chamber)
• Week 6: Sedimentation 1
• Week 7: Sedimentation 2
• Week 8: Mid-term
Sedimentation
 Classification of settling
• Based on the concentration of the particles and
the ability of the particles to interact
• Type 1: discrete, nonflocculent particles in a
dilute suspension
• Type 2: flocculent particles in a dilute
suspension
• Type 3: intermediate concentration of particles,
considerable interparticle forces
• Type 4: high concentation of particles, significant
interparticle forces (compression)
 Type III settling
• Also called zone or hindered settling.
• The settling of an intermediate concentration of
particles in which the particles are so close
together that interparticle forces hinder the
settling of neighboring particles
• The mass of particles settle as a zone.
• Example: the settling that occurs in the
intermediate depths in a final clarifier for the
activated sludge process
 Type IV settling
• Also called compression settling
• The settling of particles that are of such a high
concentration that the particles touch each other
and settling can occur only by compression of
the compacting mass.
• Example: the compression settling the occurs in
the lower depths of a final clarifier for the
activated sludge process
 Wastewater treatment plant
(typical municipal wastewater)
Settling of a concentrated
suspension
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
• Based on solids flux concept
– The rate of solids thickening per unit area in plan view (kg/h-m2)
• Gs = CtVt
– Where Gs = solid flux by gravity
– Ct = solid concentration
– Vt = hindered settling velocity
• Gb = CtVb
– Where Gb = bulk flux
– Vb = bulk velocity
• Total solid flux (Gt) for gravity setting and bulk movement
– Gt = Gs + Gb = CtVt + CtVb
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
• Vb = Qu/A
– Where Vb = bulk velocity
– Qu = flowrate of the underflow
– A = plan area of the tank
• Mt = Q0C0 = QuCu
– Where Mt = mass rate of solids settling
– Q0 = influent flowrate of the tank
– C0 = influent solids concentration
– Cu = underflow conc.
• AL = Mt/GL = Q0C0/GL
– AL = limiting cross-sectional area
– Where GL = limiting flux
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
• Finally,
• Vb = Qu/A = Mt/CuA =
GL/Cu

– Qu = Mt/Cu
– Mt/A = GL
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
 Example 1: Final clarifier
• Batch settling tests have been performed using an
acclimated activated sludge to give the data in Table 9.6
• The design mixed liquor flow to the final clarifier is 160
L/s, the MLSS is 2500 mg/L, and the underflow
concentration is 12,000 mg/L. Determine the diameter of
the final clarifier.
Example 1. Analysis
 Actual sedimentation basins
(circular)
• Inlets: center or on the periphery
– Center: < 9.14 m in diameter: downward flow
– Center: > 9.14 m in diameter: upward flow
• Outlet: weir
• The depth of a circular clarifier: the depth
at the side of the tank (swd)
Actual sedimentation basins
(circular)
Actual sedimentation basins
(circular)
Actual sedimentation basins
(Circular)
Actual sedimentation basins
(circular)
 Theoretical vs. actual
retention time
• Actual retention time is affected by
– Dead spaces in the basins
– Eddy currents
– Wind currents
– Thermal currents
• If there are dead space, Mean
t/Theoretical t < 1
• If short circuiting is occuring, Mean
t/Median t < 1
Settling basin and tracer studies
 Main design criteria
• Overflow rate (design settling velocity)
• Detention time
• Depth
 Sedimentation
in water treatment plants (I)
• Two types: Plain sedimentation and sedimentation for
chemically coagulated water
• Plain sedimentation
– Water with high turbidity (due to silt)
– Very long detention time (30 days) and extremely large volume
• Sedimentation for chemically coagulated water
– Determining factors: the characteristics of the water, the
coagulant used, and the degree of flocculation
– The main design parameters (settling velocities, the required
overflow rates, and detention times) should be determined only
by experimental settling tests
 Batch settling test (procedure)
• Samples are removed at
periodic time intervals and the
suspended solids
concentration are determined
• The percent removal is
calculated for each sample
and plotted on a graph as a
number versus time and depth
of the collection
• Interpolation are made
between the plotted points and
the curves of equal percent
removal are drawn
 Sedimentation
in water treatment plants (II)
• Water coagulated with alum
– Produce light flocs
– Overflow rate: 20.4 to 32.6 m3/d-m2
– Weir or orifice channel loading: 149 to 224 m3/d-m2
– Detention time: 2 to 8 hours (4 to 6 hours common)
• Water coagulated with iron salts
– Produce dense flocs
– Overflow rate: 28.6 to 40.8 m3/d-m2
– Weir or orifice channel loading:199 to 273 m3/d-m2
– Detention time: 2 to 8 hours (4 to 6 hours common)
 Sedimentation
in water treatment plants (III)
• Water after softening
– Overflow rate: 28.6 to 61.2 m3/d-m2
– Weir or orifice channel loading:273 to 323
m3/d-m2
– Detention time: 4 to 8 hours
 Example 2: Clarifier for water
treatment
• A rectangular clarification basin is to be designed for a
rapid sand filtration plant. The flow is 30,000 m3/day, the
overflow rate or surface loading is 24.4 m3/d-m2, and the
detention time is 6 h. Two sludge scraper mechanisms
for square tanks are to be used in tandem to give a
rectangular tank with a length to width ratio of 2:1.
Determine the dimensions of the basin.
 Sedimentation in wastewater
treatment plants
• Primary sedimentation:
– To remove settleable solids from raw wastewaters
• Secondary settling procedure
– To remove the MLSS (activated sludge)
– To remove any growths that may slough off the filter
(trickling filters)
• Sedimentation for chemically coagulated water
– To remove flocculated suspended solids (advanced
or tertiary wastewater treatment plants)
 Wastewater treatment plant
(typical municipal wastewater)
Water treatment plant
(typical surface water)
 Batch settling test (procedure)
• Samples are removed at
periodic time intervals and the
suspended solids
concentration are determined
• The percent removal is
calculated for each sample
and plotted on a graph as a
number versus time and depth
of the collection
• Interpolation are made
between the plotted points and
the curves of equal percent
removal are drawn
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
• Finally,
• Vb = Qu/A = Mt/CuA =
GL/Cu

– Qu = Mt/Cu
– Mt/A = GL
Recommended criteria
for primary clarifier (I)
 Recommended criteria
for primary clarifier (II)
• Detention time: 45 min to 2 hr
• Multiple tanks should be used when the
flow > 3.8MLD
• Peak weir loading
– < 248 m3/d-m (< flow of 3.8 MLD)
– < 373 m3/d-m (> flow of 3.8 MLD)
• BOD5 removal
– Correlated to detention time and overflow rate
BOD5 removal vs. overflow rate
BOD5 removal vs. retention time
 Example 3: Primary clarifier
• A primary clarifier for a municipal wastewater treatment
plant is to be designed for an average flow of 7570 m3/d.
The regulatory agency criteria for primary clarifiers are
as follows: peak overflow rate = 89.6 m3/d-m2, average
overflow rate = 36.7 m3/d-m2, minimum side water depth
= 3.0 m, and peak weir loading = 389 m3/d-m. The ratio
of the peak hourly flow to the average hourly flow is 2.75.
Determine:
1. The diameter of the clarifier
2. The peak weir loading if peripheral weirs are used.
Is it acceptable?
Recommended criteria
for secondary clarifier
Suggested depth
for final clarifiers
 Recommended criteria
for final clarifier
• Detention time: 1.0 to 2.5 hr
• Multiple tanks should be used when the
flow > 3.8MLD
• Peak weir loading
– < 248 m3/d-m2 (< flow of 3.8 MLD)
– < 373 m3/d-m2 (> flow of 3.8 MLD)
 Designing of final clarifiers for
the activated sludge processes
 Example 4: Final clarifier
• A final clarifier is to be designed for an activated sludge treatment
plant serving a municipality. The state’s regulatory agency criteria
for final clarifiers used for activated sludge are as follows: peak
overflow rate = 57.0 m3/d-m2, average overflow rate = 24.4 m3/d-m2,
peak solids loading = 244 kg/d-m2, peak weir loading = 373 m3/d-m,
and depth = 3.35 to 4.57 m. The flow to the reactor basin prior to
junction with the recycle line = 11,360 m3/day. The maximum
recycled sludge flow is 100% of the influent flow and is constant
throughout the day. The MLSS = 3,000 mg/L, and the ratio of the
peak hourly influent flow to the average hourly flow is 2.50.
Determine
1. The diameter of the clarifier
2. The depth of the clarifier
3. The peak weir loading if peripheral weirs are used. Is it
acceptable?
 Inclined-settling devices
• To increase overflow rates (3-6 times)
• To increase the capacity of existing
clarifier
• Can be used both circular and rectangular
clarifier
Inclined-tube settler
Inclined-tube settler on a
circular clarifier
Inclined-tube settler on a
rectangular clarifier
 Inlet and outlet hydraulics
(a rectangular tank) (I)
• Inlet (an orifice flume)
– The discharge from the most distant orifice
from the influent pipe be at least 95 % of the
that from the most closest orifice
– Q = 0.6 A 2𝑔ℎ
• Where Q = discharge from an orifice (m3/s)
• A = orifice area (m2)
• h = head loss (m)
• g = gravitational acceleration
 Inlet and outlet
for a rectangular tank
Inlet details
Outlet details
 Inlet and outlet hydraulics
(a rectangular tank) (II)
• Outlet: suppresed weir or V-notched weir
• Suppressed weir
– Q = 1.84LH3/2
• Where Q = discharge (m3/s)
• L = weir length (m)
• H = head (m)
• V-notched weir
– Q = 1.40H5/2
 Inlet and outlet hydraulics
(a rectangular tank) (III)
2 2 2
2
2𝑄 𝑛
3 /
𝐿𝑄
• H0 =√(𝑑2 + + )
𝑔𝑏2𝑑 2 4 3
𝑏𝑟 𝑑𝑚
– Where H0 = upstream water depth (m)
– d = downstream water depth (m)
– Q = total discharge (m3/s)
– b = channel width (m)
– n = Manning’s friction factor
– L = channel length (m)
– r = mean hydaulic radius (m)
– 𝑑𝑚 = mean depth (m)
 Inlet and outlet hydraulics
(a rectangular tank) (IV)
• 𝑑𝑚 = H0 – 1/3(H0 –d)
• r = 𝑑𝑚b/2 𝑑𝑚+b
• The minimum value of d = critical depth
(yc) = (q2/g)1/3 where q = the discharge per
unit width of channel
 Example 5
• A rectangular setting tank basin is 21.33 m wide by 42.67 m long
and has a flow of 0.2146 m3/s. The inlet flume is an orifice channel
with eight orifices that are 216 mm in diameter, each with an area of
0.0366 m2. The difference in the elevations of the water surface at
the influent pipe (that is, the center of the flume) and at the last
orifice in the flume is 0.0061 m/ This head loss is due to the friction
and form loss in the flume. The effluent weir plate consists of 90 C
V-notch weirs spaced at 203 mm centers. The effuent channel is
48.77 m in length and extends across the downstream end of the
basin, which is 21.33 , and 13.72 m upstream along each side. The
effluent channel is rectangular in cross section and is 0.533 in width.
There is a 102 mm freefall between the crests of the V-notch weirs
and the maximum water depth. The Manning friction coefficient is
0.032, and there is a freefall at the effluent box. Determine,
• 1. The ratio of the flow from the last influent orifice to the flow from
the influent orifice nearest to the influent pipe
• 2. the head loss on the V-notch weirs