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Treatment Selection
Wastewater treatment comprises primary, secondary and tertiary treatments The selection of appropriate treatment processes is dependent upon the nature and strength of pollutants, quantity of flow, and discharge licence conditions
Primary Treatment
Usually the first stage of wastewater treatment comprises largely physical processes. A well-designed primary treatment should remove about 40 - 75% of TSS and about 25 - 40% BOD5 A possible pre-treatment is the injection of air, O2, H2O2 and pre-chlorination if the influent is 'stale Processes include screening, grit removal and primary settling
Screens
The removal of large objects that may damage pumps or block channels
Fixed or mechanical Velocity in channels about 0.3 - 0.4 m/s Design for PWWF All screenings to be removed/buried Location of strong odour from decomposition
Comminutors
These are mechanical cutting screens that reduce the size of large objects Shredded matter are returned to the flow stream A by-pass may be included
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Comminutor
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Grit Chambers
Purpose is to remove inorganic grit/sand 0.2 - 1 mm size through differential settling Aim is to prevent damage to pumps, blockage of channels and cementing of sludge in settling tanks Two types of grit chambers, namely constantly velocity and aerated/spiral flow tanks
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Ideal parabolic shape or approximation Width:depth ratio 1:1 Length 18 x max. depth
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Primary Sedimentation
Solids separation by gravity
Aim is to remove gross suspended solids (organic matter) Largely class II settling of flocculent matter and natural coalescence or flocculation occurs Surface skimmers remove floating matter (scum, grease etc) The settled solids are pumped to an anaerobic digestion tank. The effluent (settled sewage) from primary treatment flows to the next stage ie. secondary treatment
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Rectangular horizontal-flow
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Radial-horizontal flow
Uses radial scrapers to remove sludge
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Secondary Treatment
Removal of dissolved solids through microbial action
Objective is to remove the remaining suspended solids and also dissolved solids The process is mainly biological using microorganisms to convert the dissolved solids to biomass Two distinct systems are available i.e. fixed film (trickling filter) and suspended growth (activated sludge) The biomass is removed as sludge in final sedimentation tanks (clarifiers)
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Fixed-Film Systems
Land treatment, trickling and rotating biological filters are predominantly aerobic biological processes Land treatment ie. broadcasting of sewage, is one of the earliest forms of wastewater treatment
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Trickling Filter
Comprising an inert structure for growth of biofilm containing microorganisms (attached growth)
Microorganisms in biofilm interact with wastewater and metabolise the organic matter (BOD) into CO2 and H2O
Natural sloughing of the biofilm when it reaches a thickness that cannot be sustained Filter medium voids (40 60%) promote air circulation and aerobic condition
Solids in the effluent are separated in the secondary settling (humus) tank
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Interaction of biofilm
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Trickling Filter
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Surface aerators
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Final clarifier
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15 mg/L
High Minimal High Limited Rapid recovery None Yes Yes
< 10 mg/L
Moderate High Low More Very slow Often Minimal None
Noise
Hydraulic washout Plugging Drying of media
Minimal
No Yes Yes
Moderate
Yes No No
Output of sludge
moderate
High
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Wastewater Disinfection
Some microorganisms (105 107/100 mL) are still present in treated wastewater after secondary treatment Disinfection is required to reduce pathogenic microorganisms Chlorine is still the cost-effective disinfection, but requires minimum contact time and has adverse effects Other environmental friendly methods include UVL, ozone disinfection, membrane microfiltration and constructed wetlands
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Sludge Digestion
Sludge from primary and secondary settling tanks (including waste activated sludge) must be treated in digesters Sludge is thickened before passing to sludge digesters Sludge may be treated anaerobically or aerobically Anaerobic sludge digestion involves 2 sequential stages ie. acid formation and methane formation Digested sludge is dewatered before disposal
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Tertiary Treatment
Tertiary maturation ponds an aerobic polishing process with detention time and further reduction in BOD and TSS (NFR) Nutrient removal comprising nitrification and denitrification and phosphorus removal Microfiltration and reverse osmosis
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Nano-membrane filtration
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Nutrient Removal
The major components of nutrients in wastewater are nitrates and phosphates. They contribute to the eutrophication of receiving water Total nitrogen may be about 35 mg/L and total phosphorus 8 mg/L after secondary treatment Raw sewage composition of C:TN:TP 100:25:6 Normal plant growth only need C:TN:TP of 100:15:1
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Nitrogen Removal
Involves two stages of microbial action under different conditions
Ammonia is first oxidised to nitrites and nitrates through a process of nitrification by microorganisms Nitrification uses aerobic autotrophic microorganisms Dinitrification uses facultative heterotrophic microorganisms under anoxic condition where nitrates are converted to nitrogen gas
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Phosphorus Removal
Process may be through chemical precipitation or by preferred microbial action
Use of coagulants e.g. lime, aluminium sulfate, ferric chlorine will precipitate phosphorus Process is expensive and results in quantities of difficult sludge Preferred process is through microbial action with uptake of phosphorus by a select group of microorganisms
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End of Module 18
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