CH1: What’s in the water: Dissolved Oxygen• Biochemical Oxygen Demand – sometimes

mistakenly called biological oxygen demand – CBOD, UBOD, NBOD • Chemical Oxygen
Demand • Total Solids• Population Equivalent• Volatile Organic Compounds• Total Organic
Carbon • Total Dissolved Carbon • Bacteria (bugs). Nitrification: usually begins 6 to 10 days
after the start of BOD incubation period. When there is enough number of nitrifying bacteria
in water, nitrification can occur rapidly. Problems with the BOD5 test: High concentration of
active, acclimated seed bacteria required • Pre-treatment is needed when dealing with toxic
wastes • Only biodegradable organics measured • Test no longer valid after soluble organics
degraded • Long period of time required for test is inconvenient • Nitrification interferes with
accurate measurement.CH2: What factors control flow? Short term/long term : Weather,
morning, behaviour social. Wastewater composition; flow rate, ph, bod, tss, cod. Ss, tds,
nitrate, ammonia, phosphorus, sulphate, do and oil and grease. Reactors: Batch: solution
preparations • Complete-mix: aerated lagoons, aerobic sludge • Complete-mix with recycle:
activated sludge biological treatment • Plug-flow: chlorine contact basin, natural treatment
systems • Plug-flow with recycle: activated sludge (channel) • Packed bed: air stripping,
trickling filter, depth filtration • Fluidised bed: aerobic biological treatment, upflow sludge
blanket reactors, air stripping. Mass Balances: Assumptions: Volumetric flow rate is
constant, Evaporation does not occur within the control volume, the control volume is
completely mixed. CH3: Types of wastewater treatment: Activated Sludge; very common
treatment, actively aerated system, the waste is digested biogically, sludge is recycled to
digested to maintain high biological activity. Oxidation ditch: Long oval ditches, aerated and
circulated, hydraulic retention, 24-48 hrs, sludge age, 8-12 days. Extended Aeration:
modified activated sludge treatment, pre-fabricated facility, combined sludges from primary
and secondary treatment, good for small communities. Sequencing batch reactor:
activated sludge process, five stages; fill, react, settle, decant, idle and better process
control. Tricking filter: spraying over fixed substrates, biofilm grow on substances, aeration
maintain by splashing and diffusion. Aerated lagoons; many different variations.
Facultative lagoons: requires sufficient space, retention time in months, polishing ponds
required. Preliminary treatment: Physical removal of large solids from the incoming
wastewater, Flow equalization, May involve chemical pre-treatment. Bar screening: Remove
large materials from flow to protect pumps, valves, etc. from damage. Some systems may
grind or shred and return to waste flow. Concern 1: head loss, Removal of large items.
Concern 2: sulphide (Routine inspections and replacements) Fine screening, Comminutor;
Often used in place of a bar screen, Eliminates the need to landfill waste. Concern 1: worn
teeth, Concern 2: cost, • Concern 3: solids handling. Grit chamber; Aeration is applied: •
maintains organics and lighter particles in water, • Prior to grit removal. Concern 1: odours,
Concern 2: flow control • Necessary to maintain velocities • Concern 3: aeration (pumping) •
costs. Flow equalisation; Reduces/minimizes shock loadings • Stabilised flows improve: •
Biological treatment (flushing) • Chemical treatment (dosing) • Sedimentation (velocity).
Chemical pre-treatment; Chemicals may be added to help sedimentation • Flocculation
(aggregation) of wastewater particles • pH Control (e.g. coagulation). Primary
sedimentation; Physical removal of majority of solids, Primary sedimentation / clarifiers
remove: • 90-95% of settleable solids • 40-60% of suspended solids • 30-40% of BOD.
Types of: rectangular, circular, Influent zone • Inlet to the clarifier; Top end of rectangular
tank, Centre of circular tank. Perforated to spread water evenly: • Baffled; Reduces short-
circuiting. Settling zone • Largest portion of tank • Water velocity = 0.01 – 0.02 m/s •
Detention time = 2 hours • Depth: 2-4 m • Surface loading rate: 30 – 50 m3/m2/d • Minimise
upward flow velocity. Skimming zone • Arm skims the surface of water • Substances < 1.0
specific gravity are removed • Fats, oils, greases • Things that ”float” • Ultimately disposed.
Effluent zone • Effluent launder collects water to effluent pipe (for secondary treatment) •
Most commonly a V-notch weir is used for overflow. Sludge zone • Bottom of tank, settled
sludge collects • Sludge rake pushes sludge. Concern 1: Excessive anaerobic sludge.
Concern 2: Short-circuits. • Concern 3: • Wind-induced circulation. Primary sedimentation:
design summary 1. Given a flowrate, calculate the surface area required 2. Based on tank
shape, determine size/dimensions 3. Calculate overflow rate and retention time 4. Repeat #3
for peak flow conditions 5. Calculate the scour velocity 6. Compare scour velocity from #5 to
peak flow horizontal velocity 7. Even at peak flow, horizontal velocity should be less than
scour velocity 8. Using either the removal efficiency equation or figure, determine the BOD
and TSS removal. CH5: Secondary treatment objectives • Biological removal of dissolved
nutrients from the wastewater • Oxidise dissolved and particulate biodegradable constituents
• Capture and incorporate suspended and non-settleable colloidal solids into a biological floc
or biofilm • Transform or remove nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus • Remove
specific trace compounds (e.g., organics or inorganics). Bacterial growth patterns Lag
phase ii. Exponential growth phase iii. Stationary phase iv. Death phase. Lagoons and
stabilization ponds: Advantages • Inexpensive to construct • Do not require much
equipment • Do not require highly trained personnel • Treatment that equals other systems
with less sludge handling issues Disadvantages: Require a lot of land • Effluent quality
depend on temperatures • TSS may have regulatory problems • May have odour problems •
Recovery require weeks-months. Anaerobic lagoons (Classified by type of bacteria
responsible for decomposition process) • 3-5 meters in depth • Septic conditions and odours
are common. Facultative lagoons • Most common • Solids settle where they degrade
anaerobically • Circulation eventually bring bacteria to surface where they become aerated.
Aerobic lagoons • Very shallow lagoons, < 1 meter depth • Often used for polishing, as part
of a series • Sunlight allowed to penetrate, photosynthesis. Fixed media: Trickling filters •
80-85% BOD removal • May have be placed in series • Recirculation may also be needed.
Activated sludge system; Requires biomass of aerobic microorganisms • Maintained as
cellular aggregates, “flocs” • Aerated and suspended in aeration basin. a) Conventional
activated sludge • HRT (detention time) = 4-6 hours • Microorganisms completely stabilize
the BOD before the mixed liquor leaves the basin. b) Contact stabilization process • Two
separate aeration basins. c) Extended aeration processes • Stabilize all organic material in
aeration basins. d) Oxidation ditches • A form of extended aeration. e) Sequenced batch
reactor (SBR) • Small package plants – not continuous flow (completely mixed batch.
Tertiary treatment systems; Effluent polishing: filtration of secondary effluent. Nutrient
removal… the first goal of wastewater treatment is BOD and TSS removal. Denitrification:
removal of nitrogen. Other nitrogen removal strategies: • Ammonia stripping towers.
Disinfection; Provides pathogen protection • Coliform and faecal coliform regulations •
Receiving waters. • Control filamentous bacteria • More later (drinking water technology).
Dechlorination • Excessive chlorine added. CH6: Sources of Sludge: Wastewater
Treatment • Primary treatment (inert/inorganic particles) • Secondary treatment (wasted biosolids).
Water Treatment • Clarification • Filtration process. Sludge/biosolid properties: Sources / character
vary • Total dry solids (TS), Energy content, Protein • Nitrogen • Phosphorus • Potash (K2O) •
Cellulose. Primary sludge: 4-6% solids • Trickling filter sludge: 1-2% solids • Activated sludge: 0.5-1%
solids.
P1: Water = Food 70% Agriculture + 20% Industry + 10% Domestic. Water = Economic:
Every £1 invested in water and sanitation provides a £4 - £12 economic return. Water
Shortage: Natural 1. Global warming 2. Lack of rains. . Human 1. Industrial development 2.
Increasing population. Water Contaminants: Aesthetic: Offensive tastes and odors that
come from natural and unnatural sources. Biological: Pathogens that have serious effects on
human health. Chemical: Volatile organic compounds, chlorine, chloramines, pesticides and
heavy metals. Sodis: Solar water disinfection, UV + thermal treatment, Use for small
quantity of water. Bio-sand filter: A modified slow sand filter for domestic use, Remove
pathogens and suspended solids by filtration. Adsorption: This is electrostatic attraction.
Holocene aquifer: Contains 6% organic material – Anoxic, reducing conditions – Contains
high amounts of arsenic. Pleistocene aquifer: Contains no organic material – Oxic
conditions – Usually contains low amounts of arsenic. arsenic removal technologies:
SONO filter system: sono filter is a two-bucket system developed to reduce chemical
compounds by passing the water throuh coarse sand, composite iron matrix. P2: Treatment
issues: Seasonal variations in turbidity (cloudiness of water), Algae/cyanobacteria (more in
summer; can be toxic), Sediment. Water Treatment Processes: Clarification: Coagulation,
flocculation, Sedimentation, filtration. Disinfection: Chlorination, Ozonation. Softening.
Aeration; air is pumped through water. Aeration removes contaminants by either
volatilization, or by oxidation. Volatilization - Henry’s Law; Henry's law describes the
tendency of a constituent to transfer from the liquid to the gas phase. A higher Henry's Law
constant indicates a greater tendency of species to volatilize. Coagulation, flocculation,
sedimentation: Removes particulate impurities, e.g. bacteria, algae, organic particles,
clays, sediments and things that contribute to turbidity. Coagulation: removal of electrostatic
repulsion, allowing particles to aggregate ie: alum (Addition of alum with calcium bicarbonate
)and lime Flocculation: aggregation of particles into larger clumps known as “flocs”
Sedimentation: settling out of flocs to the bottom of the chamber. Membrane filtration:
Water is forced through very fine grade filter membrane. Either replace existing secondary
and tertiary filtration systems. Walkerton, Canada In 2000, the Walkerton Public Utilities
Commission was under the supervision of two men, brothers Stan and Frank Koebel. They
were relatively uninformed about water safety. A report throughout the 1990 noted that the
Walkerton was inadequately chlorinating water that ran through the Walkerton system. Best
practices dictated that chlorine residual levels after fifteen minutes of contact between the
chlorine and the water be maintained at 0.5 mg/L, with that level verified through daily
testing. Fecal coliform and E. coli testing on Well 5 between 1990 and 2000 showed ongoing
deterioration in the quality of water from the well. P3: Sedimentation Tanks: clean water at
the surface drains into collection flumes through small V-shaped notches. Stokes Law
Describes the speed at which a particle will fall by gravity through a liquid. Factors that can
increase settling time: Smaller particles, requiring longer retention times • Particle density
too close to water • Attachment to fine-bubbles during aeration - Particles float • Thermal or
wind currents in treatment process. Water Softening Process Options: Lime-soda process
– Lime – Ca(OH)2 – Soda ash – NaCO3 • Ion exchange process. P4: Disinfection •
Chlorination (The added chlorine (e.g. calcium hyperchlorite) reacts with impurities such as
organic molecules and ammonia, which creates a chlorine demand. It “uses up” the chlorine
preventing it from disinfecting the water. You have to add enough Chlorine to get beyond the
breakpoint before it can actually start disinfecting. Chlorine is very soluble in water but is not
very practical to work with) • Ozonation (Ozone is an unstable gas comprising of three
oxygen atoms, the gas will readily degrade back to oxygen, and during this transition a free
oxygen atom, or free radical form. Ozone has a greater disinfection effectiveness against
bacteria and viruses compared to chlorination Disadvantages to Ozone: 1. Higher equipment
and operational costs 2. Ozonation provides no germicidal or disinfection residual to inhibit
or prevent regrowth. 4.Ozone is less soluble in water, compared to chlorine, and, therefore,
special mixing techniques are needed.) • UV irradiation • Membrane processes.
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and Hypochlorite ions (ClO) both kill microorganisms by
attacking the lipids in the cell walls and destroying the enzymes and structures inside the cell
Goal: Reduction of undesirable waste components to a level where
discharge to the environment will not harm the environment
Aerobic bacteria tend to be more efficient metabolically and
biochemically than anaerobic bacteria.
Measure of waste: BOD, CBOD, UBOD, NBOD TOC and TDC.
DO: Bacteria use the oxygen to kill the waste but if it goes down too
much the fish can die so you need a renewal process to increase 02.
BOD:
Why 5 days for BOD? Nitrification usually begins 6 to 10 days after the
start of BOD incubation period
Problems with BOD test: High concentration of active, acclimated seed bacteria
required • Pre-treatment is needed when dealing with toxic wastes • Only biodegradable
organics measured • Test no longer valid after soluble organics degraded • Long period of
time required for test is inconvenient • Nitrification interferes with accurate measurement

Kinetics:

Nitrification: Lower the water ph to about 3 (acidic)

COD: Chemically convert the organics to carbon dioxide water, ammonia
and chromium by adding it in dichromate and acid.

What factors control flow? Weather, morning, behaviour social

Flow weighted constituent concentrations

Pro: more accurate representation of wastewater

Con: More data required

Uncertainties faced by operation/treatment: Peaking factors, statistical,

probabilistic models, estimate of Q.
Uncertainty in Design: Equalisation, overflow and over-design
Reactors formulas
Complete mix reactor
Plug – flow reactor
Key equations

Mass balance assumptions: Q is constant, evaporation does not occur,

control volume is completely mixed, reaction occurs in all section in
basin, first order reaction rate

Preeliminary treatment
Bar screening formula for coarse and fine screens

Primary treatment: Remove the inorganic stuff – solids – works via

sedimentation settlement
Retention time: R: volume/flow
Dd