SANITARYENGINEERINGREVISIONQUESTIONS&ANSWERS

ByAlbertKenyaniInima

16April2015

QUESTIONONE[24marks]

a. Afactoryispoweredusingadieselpowergenerator.Thegeneratorisplacedat
thebottomofacornerofaroommeasuring12m[long],6m[wide]and5m
[high].Thenoiseabsorptioncoefficientsfortheroomare0.9fortheceiling,0.2
forthefloorand0.5forthewalls.Thenoiseabsorptionofthedoorandwindow
isnegligible.TheNoisePowerLevel[SWL]ofthegeneratoris100decibels
[Ascale].

Listofformulae:

2
L
=L
+10log(Q/(4r
)+4/R
)
p
w
c

R
=S
/(1
)
c
T
m

(i)ExplainthemeaningofthenoisedirectivityfactorQ[2marks]

====Modelanswer===

Q=Areaofasphere/ActualAreaofNoiseRadiation

(ii)WhatisthevalueoftheQfactorforthegenerator,assumingitcanberegardedto

beapointnoisesource[2marks]

====Modelanswer====

Q=8becausetheareaofnoiseradiationis1/8ofasphereattheroomcorner.

(iii)CalculatethetotalroomsurfaceareaS
[1mark]
T

====Modelanswer====

Calculationoftotalsurfacearea,
S
:
T

=6x12[floor]+6x12[ceiling]+2x[5x12+6x5][walls]
=72[floor]+72[ceiling]+180[walls]
2
=324m

(iv)Calculatetheaverageroomnoiseabsorptioncoefficient

[4marks].
m

====Modelanswer====

S
x=72x0.2+72x0.9+180X0.5
T
324x=14.4+64.8+90
=169.2/324=0.52

v)CalculatetheroomconstantR
[4marks]
c

====Modelanswer====

R
=S

/(1
)
c
T
m
m

=[324x0.52]/[10.52]

2
=351Sabines[m
]

(Vi)Calculatethenoiselevelexperiencedatthefloorofthefarcorner[oppositecorner]
fromthegenerator[4marks]

=
==Modelanswer===

2
2
Distancetofarcorner=r=SQRT[6
+12
]
=SQRT[180]
=13.4m
2
L
=L
+10log(Q/(4r
)+4/R
)
p
w
c

2
L
=100+10log(8/(4X13.4
)+4/351)
p
2
=100+10log(8/(4X13.4
)+4/351)
=100+10log{0.00354+0.01140}
=1001.83
=98.17dB

b.Twopowergeneratormachineshaveanoisepowerrating[SWL]of90dB(A)and
100dB(A).Whatwouldbethetotalnoiselevelifbothmachinesareplaced
sidebyside?[3marks]

12
2
Notethethresholdnoisepowerlevelis1.0x10
W/M
andSWL=10log[W/W
]
0

=
==Modelanswer===

SWL=10log[W/W
]
0

SWL/10
W=W
10

SWL1/10
SWL2/10
Totalpower=W1+W2=W
10
+W
10

0
0

12
9
10
=10
[10
+10
]
=0.011Watts

Convertbacktodecibels,

12
SWL
=10log[0.011/10
]
T
=100.4dB

c.Thenoisepressurelevelexperienced20mawayfromafactoryalarmsirenis90
dBA.Calculatethenoisepressurelevelexperienced50mawayfromthesireninthe
samedirection.

Youmayusethefollowingformulaesheet:

L
=L
10logA
P
W

Areaofsphere=
4r

Q=Areaofsphere/Actualareaofnoisepropagation[A]

[4marks]

===Modelanswer==
Actualareaofnoisepropagation=halfasphere=A=

2r

L
=L
10logA
P
W

L
=L
10log
2r

P
W
2

2
90=L
10log[2(20)
]Eqn1
W

2
L
=L
10log[2(50)
]Eqn2
P
W

Eqn1Eqn2,


90
L
=10log[2(50)
]10log[2(20)
]
P
2

2
=10log(2.5)

=7.9dB
L
=82.1dB
P

QUESTIONTWO[23marks]

a. Alaboratorytesthasestablishedthatawastewatersamplehasthefollowing
parameters:

TotalDissolvedSolids[TDS]=100mg/l
TotalVolatileSolids[TVS]=170mg/l
TotalSolids[TS]=350mg/l
VolatileSuspendedSolids[VSS]=120mg/l
Calculatethefollowingparameters:

TotalFixedSolids[TFS]
TotalSuspendedSolids[TSS]
FixedSuspendedSolids[FSS]
VolatileDissolvedSolids[VDS]
FixedDissolvedSolids[FDS]

[5marks]

===MODELANSWER===

DissolvedSolids

SuspendedSolids

TotalSolids

VolatileSolids

VDS=50mg/l

VSS=120mg/l

TVS=170mg/l

FixedSolids

FDS=50mg/l

FSS=130mg/l

TFS=180mg/l

TotalSolids

TDS=100mg/l

TSS=250mg/l

TS=350mg/l


b)Compareandcontrastslowsandfilters[SSF]withrapidsandfilters[RSF][6marks]

===MODELANSWER[7marksfor4points]====

Parameter

SSF

RSF

Spacerequirements

Occupieslargearea

Occupieslittlespace

Effectiveparticlesize

0.20.3mm

0.40.7mm

Requiredpretreatment

Plainsedimentationtank

Chemicalcoagulationand
flocculation

Filtrationrate

Slow

Morethan100fasterthan
RSF

Maintenance

Scrapoffcakelayers

Backwashing

Headlossbefore
maintenance

HalfofRSF

High

Removalofturbidity

Good

Good

Removalofpathogens

Good[Upto98%]

Excellent[Upto99.99%]

Operation

Doesnotrequireskilled
labour

Requiresskilledlabour

Initialcosts

High

Low

Runningcosts

Low

High

c)Describethepurposeofeachofthefollowingwatertreatmentunitoperations:

Prechlorination
Rechlorination
Postchlorination

[6marks]

==Modelanswer===

Prechlorinationistheadditionofchlorinetorawwater
Thepurposeofprechlorinationis:
Disinfectionagainstmicrobesthatcancausediseasetothoseworkingatthe
watertreatmentplant
Preventionofalgalbloomwithinthewatertreatmentplant
Odourcontrol
Helpsindecolourizationofrawwater
Postchlorinationistheadditionofchlorinetowaterthathasalreadyundergonethe
primaryunitoperationsofsoftening,coagulation,flocculation,sedimentationand
filtration.

Themainpurposeofpostchlorinationis:

Todisinfectthewaterfromdiseasecausingmicrobes[pathogens]
Tocreatearesidualeffectsothatthisdisinfectionprocesswillcontinueto
occurinthechlorinatedfor2448hours.
Rechlorinationistheposttreatmentadditionofchlorinetowater.Themainpurposeof
rechlorinationis:
Todisinfectthewaterthathasoveragedinthewaterdistributionnetwork[eg
stagnatedwaterindeadendnetworks]
Toboostthechlorinationresidualeffect
Tooffersomedisinfectiontothewateragainstpointofusepollution

d)ExplainusingasketchdiagramthephenomenoncalledBreakpointChlorination[6
marks]

====MODELANSWER===

Explanation[4marks]

Addingsufficientfreeavailablechlorinetocompletelyoxidizeallorganicmatterandammonia
[nitrogencompoundsinrawwater].Allchlorineaddedafterthatpointisfreeavailable

chlorine.Breakpointchlorinationistheminimumchlorinationconcentrationthatwillcause
lastingresidualeffectinthetreatedwater.

Diagram[3marks]

QUESTIONTHREE[23marks]

UsingasketchdiagramoftheNgethuWaterTreatmentplantanswerthefollowingquestions[
5marks]:

a. Whatisthepurposeofthewatersofteningunitoperation?[3marks]
b. Whatisthepurposeofthecoagulationflocculationunitoperation?[3marks]
c. Whatisthepurposeofthesedimentationunitoperation?[3marks]
d. Whatisthepurposeofthefiltrationunitoperation?[3marks]
e. Whatisthepurposeofdisinfectionunitoperation?[3marks]
f. Whatisthepurposeofwaterneutralization[pHcorrection]unitoperation?[3marks]

===Modelanswer===

[5marks]

a. Purposeofsofteningduringwatertreatment[3marks]

Thepurposeofwatersofteningistoremovecompoundsofcalciumandmagnesium
fromwater[egsulphates,bicarbonatesandchlorides]

Thesecompoundspreventtheactionofsoap[lathering]andalsoprecipitateinwater
pipesleadingtopipeclogging

b.
Purposeofcoagulationduringwatertreatment[1.5marks]

Coagulationmainlytargetsorganicandsoilparticleslessthan0.002mmdiameter
whichremaininsolutionduetosurfacenegativecharge
Thepurposeofcoagulationistointroduceparticleswithstrongpositivesurfacecharge
toneutralizethenegativeparticlessoastomakethemcoalesce
Purposeofflocculationduringwatertreatment[1.5marks]

Thepurposeofflocculationistocontinuetheworkbeganbycoagulationofcoalescing
smallparticlesintobiggerparticlessoastoremovewaterturbidityandcolour.
Flocculationcreatesfavourableconditionsforsmallparticlestocoalesceintobigger

particles,calledflocs.
c.Purposeofsedimentationduringwatertreatment[3marks]

Thepurposeofsedimentationistocreatethesettlementoflargeflocs[macroflocs]
bygravityontothebottomofthetankwheretheyformsludgethatiscontinuously
removedanddisposed.
d.Purposeoffiltrationduringwatertreatment[3marks]

Thepurposeoffiltrationistomechanicallyandbiologicallyremovemicroflocsthatdo
notsettleinthesedimentationtank.Biochemicalreactionsinthefiltermediaalsohelp
removesomemicrobes.

e.Purposeofdisinfectionduringwatertreatment[3marks]

Thepurposeofdisinfectionistokilloffdiseasecausingmicrobesthatmaystillbe
presentinthewater.
f.ThepurposeofpHCorrectioninwatertreatment[3marks]

ThepurposeofpHcorrectionistoensurethewatertransportedtowaterdistribution
networksisnotcorrosivetothepipes.

pHmustalsobestrictlycontrolledinordertopreventtheproductionofDisinfectionBy
Products[DPBs],somewhichcancausecancer.DBPsformationincreasesaspHis
lowered,andespeciallyataroundpH=3
.

QUESTIONFOUR[23marks]

a)UsingagraphicalsketchdifferentiatebetweenthetermsBOD(remaining)andBOD
exerted(consumed)[3marks]

==Modelanswer====

b)Usingasketchdiagram,brieflygivetheexplanationsforthefollowingphenomenaas
observedduringtheoxygensagcurve:

Increasingoxygendeficitphase
Thecriticalpointphase
Thestreamrecoveryphase
[6marks]

===Modelanswer====

InitiallytheoxygendeficitincreasesbecausetheoxygendemandbyBODconsuming
microbesexceedsthenaturalstreamaerationability,givinganetnegativeoxygen
concentrationchangeinthestreamwater.
Atthecriticalpointthestreamnaturalaerationabilitybecomesequaltotherateof
oxygendemandbymicrobesconsumingBOD.Thenetoxygenconcentrationinthe
streambecomeszero.TheDOconcentrationinthestreamislowestduringthisphase
Afterthecriticalpoint,theoxygenconcentrationofthestreamwatercontinually
increasestowardssaturationbecausetherateofoxygenremovalbymicrobes
becomeslessthantherateofoxygenadditionbynaturalstreamaerationprocess.

c)TheBOD(remaining)at3dayswasfoundtobe350mg/l.TheBOD(remaining)at5days
wasfoundtobe100mg/l.Calculatethefollowingparameters:

UBOD
BODdecayconstant
BOD(remaining)at8days.
BOD(consumedat8days)
[8marks]

===Modelanswer==


Kt
BOD
=UBODe

3K
350=UBODe
....Equation1
5K
100=UBODe.....Equation2

Eqn1dividedbyEqn2,

2K
3.5=e

Ln3.5=2K=
1.25

k=0.625

UsingEqn1,

3K
350=UBODe
....Equation1
[3xo.625]
1.875
350=UBODe
=UBODe

=UBOD/6.5
UBOD=350x6.5=2282mg/l
Thefirstorderkineticsmodel,

0.625t
BOD
=2282e

t=8
0.625x8
BOD
=2282e
=15.4mg/l
8

BOD
[Consumed]=UBODBOD
[Remaining]=228215.4=2266.6
8
8
mg/l

d)TheGaussianPlumeModel[givenbelow]iswidelyusedtoestimateairpollutiondueto
industrialfluegasemissions:

Windpowerlaw,

Explainhowyouwouldobtainthefollowingparameters:

Thestandarddeviationparameters
Thewindspeed
Effectivestackheight
Groundlevelpollutantgasconcentrations

[6marks]
==Modelanswer===

(i)Standarddeviationparametersareobtainedfromlocallydevelopedgraphs[orequations]
forvariousatmosphericstabilityclassesandvariousgases,eg

(ii)Windspeediscalculatedfromwindpowerlaw,

(iii)TheeffectiveheightcanbefoundusingPlumeriseformulaegBriggssorHollands,

[iv)Groundlevelcenterlinepollutantgasconcentrationsoccurwhen,

Z=0
Y=0

Substitutingthisintheformulaweobtain,