DESIGN OF SEDIMENTATION UNITS

SEDIMENTATION TANK DESIGN

1. General Considerations

a. Full Treatment

Flows up to 3 x DWF and infiltration are normally given full treatment. Unless special
circumstances demand, full treatment consist of preliminary treatment, primary
sedimentation, single-stage biological treatment and secondary sedimentation. Double-
stage biological treatment, recirculation etc., are introduced if the wastes so require.
Tertiary treatment is included as an additional stage if higher standards or effluent are
required. Full treatment also incorporates sludge treatment on most schemes.

b. Primary Sedimentation

Preliminary treatment will have removed gross floating solids, grit and, if special provisions
have been made, grease and oil. the first stage of full treatment is to remove up to 75% of
the remaining suspended solids in the sewage to reduce the strength of the liquid passing
to the biological treatment process. Primary sedimentation must be efficient if the
following biological process is to work effectively and percolating filters are not to become
blocked or choked.

Certain sections of the treatment industry believe that the use of primary settlement tanks
is unnecessary. Some managers of treatment plant consider that if sewage is adequately
screened and macerated it can be passed direct for biological treatment if an activated
sludge plant is used. This view is held strongly in some parts of the USA and a large
number of plants of this type are operating. A serious disadvantage of this treatment
method is the large quantity of entirely activated sludge which is produced. This is more
difficult to treat than crude sludge which is discharged from primary sedimentation units.
A much higher load is also passed to the activated sludge units. If a trade waste is
discharged to the treatment works which is toxic to the purifying bacteria in the biological
sections no treatment will be given to the sewage. If primary sedimentation tanks are
incorporated within a scheme a measure of treatment is given to the sewage even if the
biological process has been put out of action by the discharge of a toxic waste.

Settlement is the cheapest and most satisfactory way of removing suspended solids from
sewage. Any liquid which contains heavy solid particles will become clarified if allowed to
stand in a tank.

The solids settle out and form a sludge at the bottom of the tank from where they can be
removed. It is undoubtedly true that the efficient operation and maintenance of
sedimentation tanks will enable an adequately sized biological plant to provide satisfactory
treatment and give rise to a highly efficient works. Efficiently designed sedimentation
tanks should effect a reduction in suspended solids of up to 75%. There is no reason why
this figure should not be reached unless a high percentage of colloidal matter is present in
the sewage. In addition to the removal of suspended solids, a reduction in biochemical
oxygen demand of about 35% will also be achieved. The following table gives a typical
appreciation of the settleable elements in the treatment stages.

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 Description of Discharge Percentage of annual Percentage of
aggregate flow aggregate time for
discharge
Flows exceeding Formula ‘A’ 2.4 1

Storm Tanks (3-6) x D.W.F 6.6 9

Primary settlement tanks 91 100

3 x D.W.F.

2. Theory of Continuous Flow Sedimentation

Because flow in such an apparently simple unit as a sedimentation tank is extremely

complex, any theory of sedimentation is bound to be based on a grossly simplified model
if complex analysis is to be avoided. A. Hazen proposed a theory of settlement based on
Stoke’s law for the smaller particles, larger particles being assumed to be less affected by
viscosity.

A detailed description of Hazen’s theory is unnecessary, the important conclusion being

that depth had little effect on sedimentation, and the smallest size of particle that could be
settled depended on the surface area of the tank. As the larger particles tend to settle
first, the smallest size of particle which can be settled is inversely proportional to the
percentage removal of suspended solids and hence is an indication of the efficiency of
removal.

Hazen’s conclusion can be explained as follows:

To achieve a particular degree of solids removal the time of detention of a parcel of

sewage must be such that all particles below a certain size can fall to the bottom of the
tank after entering at top water level:

The trajectory of the particle is shown in the simplified diagram above.

dbl d
Time of detention = =
Q VS

Q
which simplifies to: VS = bl = area, A
bl
Q
therefore VS =
A

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 From which it can be seen that, for a high percentage removal VS will be small and hence
A must be large.

A similar conclusion can be reached where the influence enters other than at the surface.

The flow pattern in a sedimentation tank is much more involved than that suggested by
the diagram above, and hence design is based on general rules formulated from
experience with existing tanks and on empirical conclusions.

Actual flow conditions arising in tanks take the form of currents and eddies, the effects of
which tend to reduce the effective capacity of the tank and to scour the previously settled
sludge.

3. Design Procedure

3.1 General
As has been shown in our simplified example, settling efficiency is partly dependant upon
surface area, and the theoretical concept of upward flow is used to assess the area, even
though in the actual design, flow is predominantly horizontal. Theoretically the upward
velocity relates to the settlement velocity of the smallest particles to be settled, i.e. V3 in
the simple example previously discussed. Upward velocities used for designs are at peak
flow, i.e. 3 x dwf.

A typical upward velocity is 1.25 m/hr, from which a surface loading rate can be
calculated. In this instance the surface loading rate would be:

1.25 x 24 m3/m2/day = 30m3/m2/day

From the surface loading rate, the tank area can be determined.

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In practice however, study has shown that the settling behaviour of organic sewage
particles is not only dependant on surface loading as Hazens classical theory indicates but
is also dependant on detention period. The particles agglomerate (called flocculation)
during the sedimentation process by chance collision, particle attraction (because of
differential rates of settling) and electro-molecular forces. These processes are time
related and it has been shown that rapid settling takes place in the first hour followed by a
period of more gradual clarification. Fluctuations in influent concentration will not affect
effluent quality in a tank where detention period is a dominant parameter.

Detention periods in excess of two hours at the maximum rate of flow is not economically
sound and this is the figure generally adopted in the UK although some designers use
detention periods in the range 1 - 1½ hours for primary tanks prior to aeration tanks.
Although detention periods should always be referred to in terms of capacity at the
maximum flowrate they are sometimes given in terms of dry weather flows: as the peak
flow for full treatment is approximately 3 dwf the detention may be referred to as 6 hours at
dwf i.e. 2 hours x 3 dwf = 6 dwf.

3.2 Circular and Rectangular Tanks

In a rectangular tank the horizontal velocity is ‘linear’ as sewage enters at one end
and overflows at the other. In a circular tank sewage enters at the centre and
overflows at the perimeter.

The merits and details of each type of tank will be discussed later. The length/breadth
ratio for a rectangular tank is generally taken as between 3 and 4.

The third parameter is sedimentation tank design is the weir overflow rate calculated by
dividing maximum treatment flow by total weir length. Too high a weir overflow rate may
result in solids being carried over. The weir overflow rate is generally kept between 150
m3/m/day and 300 m3/m/day, though the IWPC Manual on British Practice allows up to
450 m3/m/day. Thus the design procedure can be summarised as follows:

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GIVEN:

MAXIMUM RATE OF FLOW & TANK TYPE

Decide Calculate Volume

Retention Time

Decide Surface Calculate Area

Loading Rate

Decide on No. of
Tanks

Decide on
Critical Calculate Amend, or
Proportion Dimensions of Tanks Change no. of
Dimensions Tanks

NO
Are Dimensions
Reasonable

YES

Check Weir Overflow

Rate

YES

PROCEED WITH DETAILED DESIGN

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6
 The Sedimentation tanks discussed previously are tanks in which the flow is nominally
horizontal. This type utilises upward flow such that particles of sewage whose settling
velocities are less than the upward velocity would be carried upwards, and would meet
larger particles settling. The settling particles coalesce with the rising particles and the
resulting flocculants solids continue to settle, entrapping other rising particles being
carried upwards.

The upward velocity referred to in connection with horizontal flow tanks is a theoretical
concept, but in the case of the upward flow type tank is the actual velocity of flow.

If the settling velocity of the smallest particle to be settled is known (Vs) then the area of
tank is
Q
A=
Vs

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 Table 1 Circular sedimentation tanks: diameter and surface loading related to
population equivalents.

Tank Population equivalents (x 103) for surface loadings of:

dia. (m)
1.5 m3/m2.h 2.0 m3/m2.h
8 2.4 3.2
10 3.8 5.0
12.5 5.9 7.9
15 8.5 11.3
17.5 11.5 15.4
20 15.1 20.1
22.5 19.0 25.4
25 23.5 31.4
27.5 28.5 38.0
30 33.9 45.2

Table 2 Circular sedimentation tanks: sidewall depths

Sidewall depth (incl. 600 mm freeboard) for 2 h retention and 1.5 m3/m2. h surface
Internal loading
tank Floor gradient
dia. (m) 1 in 2 1 in 5 1 in 10 1 in 50
Actual Preferred Actual Preferred Actual Preferred Actual Preferred
8.0 2.93 3.0 3.33 3.5 3.47 3.5 3.55 3.5
10.0 2.77 3.0 3.27 3.5 3.43 3.5 3.53 3.5
12.5 2.57 2.5 3.19 3.0 3.40 3.5 3.50 3.5
15.0 2.35 2.5 3.10 3.0 3.35 3.5 3.48 3.5
17.5 2.14 2.0 3.02 3.0 3.31 3.5 4.48 3.5
20.0 1.93 2.0 2.93 3.0 3.27 3.5 3.47 3.5
22.5 - - 2.85 3.0 3.22 3.0 3.45 3.5
25.0 - - 2.77 3.0 3.18 3.0 3.43 3.5
27.5 - - 2.68 2.5 3.14 3.0 3.42 3.5
30.0 - - 2.60 2.5 3.10 3.0 3.40 3.5