III.

PROPOSED TREATMENT PLANT

This wastewater treatment plant is designed to treat effluent water from a laundry industry. The total
volumetric flow rate of the influent is 8000 m3/day which consists of suspended solids, surfactants,
nutrients, and other pollutants as described from the previous section. Below is the list and descriptions
of the processes involved in the wastewater treatment in chronological order.

Screening

The screening process is intended to remove the large particles such as candy wrappers, tissue,
papers, coins, etc., that may clog the pipes and damage the equipment. The 5-mm spacing design is
applied to ensure the removal of these particles. A flow meter is installed in order to monitor if there is
a blockage causing the decrease in flow rate entering the rapid mixing unit. At this occurrence,
mechanical scrapper will clean the screens in order to return to its initial operation. The removed
particles are sent to trash bins.

Rapid Mixing

This method is where coagulant chemicals, specifically alum, are added and then rapidly mixed
for them to be evenly distributed to the wastewater. Optimum coagulation occurs when negatively
charged forms of alum predominate, which occurs when the pH is between 6 and 8. The influent pH is
7.2 making alum the most suitable coagulant for the process. A six bladed Rushton turbine impeller is
preferred because it is most effective in providing higher shear and turbulence levels with lower
pumping. It is also less susceptible to erosion.

Coagulation

In this stage, electrical charges of fine particles are neutralized by the coagulant chemical which
allows these particles to come together and form large flocs. Similar with the rapid mixing process, a six
bladed Rushton impeller is also used.

Flocculation

This process brings the fine particles formed by coagulation into contact with each other. The
mixing basin is divided into three compartments with decreasing speeds to allow the formation of large
flocs without being broken apart by the mixing blades.

Sedimentation with oil skimming

The flocs formed during the flocculation process will be allowed to settle out of the suspension
under the effect of gravity in this process. The settled out particles become sediments also known as
sludge. The sludge are removed by draining the tanks. There are two sedimentation tanks arranged in
parallel so that the stoppage of one will not cause the interruption of the whole treatment process. A
floating drum oil skimmer is installed to remove the oil and grease accumulated at the surface of the
water. The skimmer is incorporated in the sedimentation tanks in order to reduce treatments costs and
save space in the plant.

Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) Filtration

The purpose of this process is to remove organic chemicals from water. It protects succeeding
treatment units against possible damage from fouling and oxidation. It is a preferred technique because
it is multifunctional and adds nothing detrimental to the treated water. If the efficiency of the filter is
depleted, backwashing with water and air is done. The designed EBCT is utilized to maximize the contact
between the particles and the filtering medium.

Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration unit is employed for the removal of bacteria and other microorganisms as well as
organic materials that imparts color, taste, and odors that may react with disinfectants in the next
process.