Water Supply and Environmental

Engineering Dept.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

WASTEWATER ENGINEERING-I
(WSEE-3122)
FOR WATER SUPPLY & ENV’NTAL ENG’G
STUDENTS
YEAR III, Semister II
INSTRUCTOR: Moltot G. (MSc)

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

Chapter 4
Secondary treatment of wastewater
Outline:
 Kinetics of biological treatment systems
 Bio-kinetic constants and their determination
 Batch and continuous systems
 Principles and design of; activated sludge process and
extended aeration systems
 Trickling filters, sequencing batch reactor (SBR),
membrane bioreactor UASB, waste
 stabilization ponds
3
 Constructed wet land
 Wastewater Engineering-I

 The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

∞ Micro-organisms are important in the treatment of WW.
∞ They (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and crustaceans) play an essential
role in the conversion of organic waste to more stable or less
polluting substances.
How?
► Waste from humans is a useful food substrate for the micro-
organisms.
► And they require cellular building blocks, such as (carbon) C,
(hydrogen) H, (oxygen) O, (nitrogen) N, (phosphorus) P, and
minerals for growth.
► These can be obtained through consuming organic substances
containing these elements, or from inorganic materials, such as
carbon dioxide, water, nitrate and phosphate.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I

The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

►Micro-organisms also require energy.
►They obtain this through respiration.
►In this process organic carbon is oxidized to release its energy.
►Oxygen or other hydrogen acceptors is needed for the respiration
process.
►Algae and photosynthetic bacteria utilize energy from sunlight,
while certain types of bacteria can utilize energy from chemical
reactions not involving respiration.
►These building blocks and energy are used to synthesize more cells
for growth and also for reproduction.
►Finally new cells die-off and settle down/removed by other means.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

 Three types of processes to represent the conversion of organic
wastes by micro-organisms.
1. Aerobic oxidation : utilize oxygen to oxidize organic substances to
obtain energy for maintenance, mobility and the synthesis of cellular
material.

2. anaerobic oxidation: utilize nitrates, sulphates and other hydrogen

acceptors to obtain energy for the synthesis of cellular material from
organic substances.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I

The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

 Methane (CH4) is a source of heat but, if released to the atmosphere

without being combusted, it contributes to the greenhouse gas effect.
 hydrogen sulphide (H2S) contributes to WW odour.
3. photosynthetic.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

 Microbial Growth Kinetics

o Growth of a microbial population is defined as an increase in
numbers or an increase in microbial mass.
o Growth rate is the increase in microbial cell numbers or mass per
unit time.
o Microbial populations can grow as:
1. batch cultures (closed systems) or
2. continuous cultures (open systems).

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
Cont…
 Microbial Growth Kinetics
1. Batch Cultures
 When a suitable medium is inoculated with cells, the growth of the microbial
population shows four distinct phases.
The lag phase is a period of cell
adjustment to the new environment
At lag/exponential phase the
number of cells increases exponentially
At stationary phase microorganisms
cannot grow indefinitely, mainly because of
lack of nutrients and electron acceptors,
and the production and the accumulation of
toxic metabolites.
During death phase, the death
(decay) rate of the microbial population
is higher than the growth rate. 9
Figure of Microbial growth curve
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
 Microbial Growth Kinetics
2. Continuous Culture of Microorganisms
 the exponential growth phase over a long period of time can be achieved by
growing continuously the cells in a completely mixed reactor in which a constant
volume is maintained.
 The most commonly used device is the chemostat

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

 Microbial Growth Kinetics

Physical and Chemical Factors Affecting Microbial Growth
1. Substrate Concentration

2. Temperature

3. pH

4. Oxygen Level

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
• To introduce WW contact with bacteria (cells) which feed organic
matter in WW.
• The purpose of biological treatment is BOD reduction.
Principle:
→ Simple bacteria (cells) eat the organic material.
→ Through their metabolism, the organic material is transformed into
cellular mass,
→ This cellular mass can be precipitated at the bottom of a settling tank
or retained as slime on solid surfaces or vegetation in the system.
→ Then, the WW exiting the system is much clearer than it entered.
→ Cells need oxygen to breath, so adequate supply of O2 should there
for the operation biological WWT.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I

B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
The common methods of biological wastewater treatment are:
a) Aerobic processes such as trickling filters, rotating biological
contactors, activated sludge process, oxidation ponds and lagoons,
oxidation ditches, constructed wetland
b) Anaerobic processes such as anaerobic digestion, and
c) Anoxic processes such as denitrification.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
1. TRICKLING FILTERS
 consist of tanks of coarser filtering media(see figure-next page).
I. Principles of operation
 over tanks of coarser filtering media the WW is allowed to sprinkle
or trickle down, by means of spray nozzles or rotary distributors.
 The percolating sewage is collected at the bottom of the tank
through a well designed under-drainage system.
 sufficient quantity of oxygen is supplied by providing suitable
ventilation facilities in the body of the filter
 The purification is done mainly by the aerobic bacteria, which form
a bacterial film around the particles of the filtering media.
 The effluent must be taken to the secondary sedimentation tank for
settling out the organic matter oxidized while passing down the
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filter.
 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t

Figure Photographic view of a conventional circular trickling filter with rotary

distributors 16
 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t

Figure of Typical section of a conventional circular trickling filter 17

 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
II. Sewage distributors over filters: they are two
rotary distributors and spray nozzles
Difference between the rotary distributors and that of spray nozzles
▫ With a rotary distributor, the application of sewage to the filter is
practically continuous;
▫ whereas with spray nozzles, the filter is dosed for 3 to 5 minutes, and
then rested for 5 to 10 minutes before the next application.
III. Filtering medias (stone used)
 consists of coarser materials like cubically broken stones or slag
 free from dust and small pieces.
 The size of the material used may vary between 25 to 75mm.
 should be washed before it is placed in position.
 should not be easily affected by acidic WW, and should be
sufficiently hard.
 Its resistance to freezing and thawing is another important property,
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
 The depth of the filtering media may vary between 2 to 3 meters.
 The filtering material may be placed in layers; with coarsest stone
used near the bottom, and. finer material towards the top.
under drains
 ensures satisfactory drainage
 also ensure satisfactory ventilation and aeration of the filter bed
 Vitrified clay blocks are generally used as under-drains.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Types of Trickling Filters
(1)Conventional trickling filters or standard rate or low rate
trickling filters
(2)High rate filters or High rate trickling filters

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
…
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Design of Trickling Filters
involves the design of :
 the diameter of the circular filter tank and its depth and also design of
the rotary distributors and under-drainage system.
 The design of the filter size is based upon the values of the filter-
loadings adopted for the design.
 This loading on a filter can be expressed in two ways:
(i) Hydraulic-loading rate: the quantity of sewage applied per unit of
surface area of the filter per day
 For conventional filters may vary between 22 and 44 (normally 28)
million liters per hectare per day.
 For the high rate trickling filters it is about 110 to 330 (normally
220) M.L/ha/day
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
(i) organic loading rate:
 the mass of BOD per unit volume of the filtering media per day..
 about 6000 - 18000 kg of BOD5 per ha-m in high rate trickling
filters and an assumed value of organic loading (900 to 2200kg/ha-
m) for low rate trickling filters.
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑂𝐷5
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
 Knowing the volume and area of the cylindrical filter, we can easily
find out its diameter and depth.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
 the filter diameter and depth is designed for average value of
sewage flow.
 The rotary distributors, under-drainage system, and other
connected pipe lines etc. are, however, designed for peak flow
and of course checked for the average flow.
 Moreover, since the rotary distributors are available
indigenously only up to 60m in length, it is desirable to keep
the diameter of the filter tank up to a maximum of 60m.
 If the required filter diameter is more than 60m, then it is
better to use more units of lesser diameter.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Examples
a. Design suitable dimensions of circular trickling filter units for
treating 5 million liters of sewage per day. The BOD of sewage
is 150mg/l.
b. Also design suitable dimensions for its rotary distribution
system and under drainage system.
solution
a) Total BOD present in sewage to be treated per day
= 5 ∗ 106 𝑙/𝑑 ∗ 150mg/l = 750kg

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Assuming the value of organic loading as 1500kg/ha.m/day(900-2200)
total BOD
volume of filtering-media =
oranic loading
750𝑘𝑔
= = 0.5ha. m = 5000m3
𝑘𝑔
1500
ℎ𝑎. 𝑚
Assuming the effective depth of filter as 2m(1.4-2.8m)
5000m3
surface area of the filter (𝐴𝑠 ) = = 2500m2
2𝑚
• Using a circular trickling filter of diameter 40m,
• The number of units required
Total area required 2500
= =π ≈ 2 units
Area of one unit ∗ 402
4
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Check for Hydraulic loading
assume the value of hydraulic loading as, 25 million l/ha/day.
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
5000𝑚3
𝐴𝑠 = 3 4
= 2000𝑚2
25 ∗ 10 𝑚3/10 𝑚2
 The 𝐴𝑠 chosen is 2500m2, which is greater than 2000 m2, and
hence safe.
 Hence, 2 units each 40m diameter and 2m effective depth (i.e.
2.6m overall depth), can be adopted. An extra third unit as
stand-by may also be constructed.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
b) Design of Rotary Distributors
Designed for peak flow, assume peak flow as 2.25 times the average
flow.
𝑄𝑝 = 2.25 ∗ 5ML/day = 11.25ML/day = 0.13m3 /sec
 This flow is divided into two filter units; and, therefore,
𝑄𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 0.065m3 /sec
 Assuming that the velocity at peak flow is 2m/sec through the
central column of the distributor,
0.065 1
𝐷𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 = ∗ π = 0.2m
2
4
Note: check the velocity through the column at average flow, as it
should not be less than 1m/sec.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Check for velocity at average flow
• Discharge through each unit at average flow
5
= ML/day = 2.5ML/day = 0.029m3 /sec
2
0.029
Velocity at average flow = π 2 = 0.92m/sec <1m/sec,
4
∗0.2
we should reduce the adopted diameter, Let us use 0.19m diameter,
then the velocity at average flow
0.029
𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑣𝑔. = π = 1.023m/sec > 1𝑚/𝑠𝑒𝑐 ; 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒
∗ 0.192
4
0.065
Then, 𝑉𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 = π 2
= 2.29m/sec
∗0.19
4
 Hence, we may use a central column of 0.19m in diameter.
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Design of Arms
Let us use rotary reaction spray type distributor with 4 arms.
0.065 3
Then, the discharge per arm, 𝑄𝑎𝑟𝑚 = m /sec = 0.016m3 /s
4
Diameter of filter used = 40m (assumed previously).
filter diam𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 40−2
Arm length = −1= = 19m
2 2
We can use each arm of 19m length with its size reducing from
near the central column towards the end.
Let say, the first two sections, each of 6m length, and the third
section 7m length

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
40m(diam. of filter)

7m 6m 6m

Arm length

Diam.=0.19m
Plan of filter tank
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
 The flow in the arms has to be adjusted in the proportion of
the filter area covered by these lengths of arm.
 Let A1, A2, and A3 be the circular filter areas covered by each
length of arm, starting from the central column. Allowing for
0.3m diameter in center to be used for central column, etc.,
these areas would be:
A1 = π r22 − r12 = π 6.152 − 0.152 = 118.69m2
A2 = π 12.152 − 6.152 = 344.77m2
A3 = π 202 − 12.152 = 792.5m2
Total area of filter (A) = π 202 − 0.152 = 1256m2

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Proportionate areas served by each section of arm
A1 118.69
1st = = ∗ 100% = 9.45%
A 1256
A2 344.77
2nd = = ∗ 100% = 27.45%
A 1256
A3 792.5
3rd = = ∗ 100% = 63.1%
A 1256
 Full discharge through an arm, i.e., 0.016m3/sec, will flow
through the first section, and this will go on reducing through
the second and third sections.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
(i) Design of 1st section
𝑄𝑎𝑟𝑚1 = 0.016m3/s, and Assuming the velocity through the arm as 1.2 m/s
0.016
The area of arm required, 𝐴𝑎𝑟𝑚1 = = 0.0133m2
1.2
0.0133
Arm Diameter require, 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑚1 = π = 0.13m = 130mm
4
(i) Design of second section
Discharge through the 2𝑛𝑑 section
𝑄𝑎𝑟𝑚2 = 100 − 9.45 % ∗ 0.016 = 0.0145m3 /s
Q 0.0145
𝐴𝑎𝑟𝑚2 = = = 0.012m2
V 1.2
0.012
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑚2 = π = 0.124m = 124mm
4
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
(i) Design of third section
3
𝑄𝑎𝑟𝑚3 = 100 − 9.45 − 27.45 % ∗ 0.016 = 0.010m /sec
0.010
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑚3 = π = 0.103m = 103mm
1.2 ∗
4
Each arm length can thus be made of three sections, i.e. first 6m
from center to be 130mm diameter, next 6m of 124mm diameter,
and the last 7m of 103mm diameter.
EXERCISE
Redesign trickling filter with the first arm is 12m and the last arm
is 7m in length.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I

B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Design of Orifices
Each arm section will be provided with different no. of orifices,
depending upon the Q to be passed through each section.
Total discharge through each arm = 0.016m3/sec.
𝑄𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 = Cd ∗ A ∗ 2gh
Assuming that 10mm diameter orifices are provided with coefficient
of discharge (Cd) being 0.65, with an assumed water head (h),
causing flow, as 1.5m,
π
𝑄𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 = 0.65 ∗ ∗ (0.01)2 ∗ 2 ∗ 9.81 ∗ 1.5
4
= 2.768 ∗ 10−4 m3 /s
Total discharge through each arm 0.016
𝑁𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 = =
Discharge through each orifice 2.768 ∗ 10−4
≈ 58
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Number of orifices through the first section
9.45
= ∗ 58 ≈ 5
100
Number of orifices through the second section
27.45
= ∗ 58 ≈ 16
100
Number of orifices through the third section
63.1
= ∗ 58 ≈ 37
100
Spacing of orifices can be
6
• In the first section, 5 number in 6m length, i.e. = 1.2m
5
6
• In the second section, 16 numbers in 6m length, i.e. = 0.375m
16
7
• In the third section, 37 numbers in 7m length, i.e. = 0.189m 36
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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Design of Under-drainage System
𝑄𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 = 0.065𝑚3 /𝑠
 Let us design the under-drainage system with a central rectangular
channel, fed by radial laterals discharging into the channel.
 Assume velocity through effluent channel as 1m/s (min. V = 0.9m/s).
Discharge 0.065
𝐴𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 = = = 0.065m2
velocity l
Assume 0.225m width,
0.065
𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 = = 0.288m ≈ 0.3m
0.225

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
Calculate the slope of the bed of the channel S, is given by:
1
Q = ∗ A ∗ R2/3 ∗ S1/2
n
Where, n = Manning's Coefficient = 0.018 (assumed)
A = 0.225m ∗ 0.3m = 0.0675m2
A 0.0675
R= = = 0.082
P (0.225 + 0.3 + 0.3)
1
0.065 = ∗ 0.0675 ∗ (0.082)2/3 ∗ S1/2
0.018
1/2
0.065
S =
0.706
1
S=
117.9

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
2. ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS
 provides an excellent method of treating sewage.
 BOD removal is up to 80 - 95%, and bacteria removal is up to 90 -
95%.
Principle of operation:
 The WW effluent from primary sedimentation tank mixed with 20 to
30% of volume of activated sludge (from ASP unit).
 This activate sludge contains a large concentration of highly active aerobic
microorganisms.
 the sewage are intimately mixed together with a large quantity of air
for about 4 to 8 hours.
 the moving organisms will oxidize the organic matter and the
suspended and colloidal matter tends to coagulate and form a
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precipitate which settles down readily in the secondary settling tank.
 Wastewater Engineering-I
B i o l o g i c a l Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t
The settled sludge (containing microorganisms) called activated
sludge is then recycled to the head of the aeration tank to be mixed
again with the sewage being treated.

The mixture of WW and activated sludge is called mixed liquor.

The biological mass (biomass) in the mixed liquor is called the
mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) or mixed liquor volatile
suspended solids (MLVSS).
The MLSS consists mostly of microorganisms, non-biodegradable
suspended organic matter, and other inert suspended matter.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Units of an Activated Sludge Plant
1. Aeration Tanks 2. secondary clarifier

Figure of a conventional AS plant giving high degree of treatment

41
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
1. Aeration tanks
Is tank in which mixed liquor get mixed with air.
are normally rectangular tanks 3 to 4.5m deep and about 4 to 6m
wide.
The length may range between 20 to 200m and the detention
period between 4 to 8 hours for municipal sewages.
Air is continuously introduced into these tanks using one of the
following method:
I. Air diffusion: compressed air under a pressure of 35-70kN/m2 is
introduced into the aeration chamber by diffuser.
II. Mechanical aeration: atmospheric air is brought in contact with
the sewage in this method.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
2. Secondary Sedimentation Tank
From the aeration tank, the WW flows to the final sedimentation
tank.
The detention period for such a sedimentation tank may be kept
between 1.5-2 hours, as the same is usually found to give optimum
results.
The length to depth ratio may be kept at about 7 for rectangular
ones.
The depth may be kept in the range of 3.5 to 4.5m.

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Design considerations in an activated sludge plant
1. Aeration Tank Loadings 2. Sludge Volume Index (SVI)
1. Aeration Tank Loadings
The important terms which define the loading rates of an activated
sludge plant, include:
i. Aeration Period (i.e. Hydraulic Retention Time - HRT)
ii. BOD loading per unit volume of aeration tank (i.e. volumetric
loading)
iii. Food to Micro-organism Ratio (F/M Ratio)
iv. Sludge age

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 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

i. The Aeration Period or HRT

For continuous flow aeration tank,
Volume of the tank 𝑉(𝑚3 )
Detention period (t)= =
Rate of sewage flow in the tank 𝑄(𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟)
ii. Volumetric BOD Loading
Mass of BOD5 applied per day to the aeration tank through influent sewage in gm
=
Volume of the aeration tank in m3
Q ∗ Yo (gm)
=
V (m3 )
Where, Q = Sewage flow into the aeration tank in m3
Yo= BOD5 in mg/l (or gm/m3 ) of the influent sewage
V = Aeration tank volume in m3

45
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

(iii) Food (F) to Micro-organisms (M) Ratio

The BOD load applied to the system in kg or gm is represented as
food (F), and the total microbial suspended solid in the mixed liquor of
the aeration tank is represented by M.
Daily BOD5 load applied to the aerator system in gm
F/M ratio =
Total microbial mass in the system in gm
Daily BOD load applied to the aerator system
F = Q*𝐵𝑂𝐷5 gm/day
F = Q*𝑌𝑜 gm/day ……………..(4.1)

46
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

Figure of Flow chart of conventional activated sludge plant 47

 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

The total microbial mass in the aeration system (M): Mixed Liquor
Suspended Solids (MLSS) times the volume of the aeration tank (V).
M = MLSS ∗ V
= Xt ∗ V … … … … … … … .(4.2)
Where, Xt is MLSS in mg/l
Dividing (4.1) by (4.2), we get
F F Q Yo
ratio = = ∗
M M V Xt

48
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

iv. Sludge Age

average time for which particles of suspended solids remain under
aeration.
Mass of suspended solids (MLSS) in the system (M)
Sludge age (c) =
Mass of solids leaving the system per day
Mass of solids in the reactor (M) = V ∗ (MLSS)
= V ∗ Xt
𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲 is equal to Mass of
solids removed with the wasted sludge per day plus Mass of
solids removed with the effluent per day
Mass of solids removed with the wasted sludge per day
= Q w ∗ XR … … …4.3
Mass of solids removed with the effluent per day
= Q − Q w ∗ X E ……….4.4
49
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Therefore, Total solid removed from the system per day is the
summation equation 4.3 and 4.4.
= Qw ∗ XR + Q − Qw ∗ XE
Thus:
V ∗ Xt
Sludge age = θc =
Qw ∗ XR + Q − Qw ∗ XE
When the value of XE (suspended solids concentration in the effluent
of activated sludge plant) is very small, then the term ( Q − Q w ∗ XE
in the above equation can be ignored, leading to:
V ∗ Xt
θc =
Qw ∗ XR

50
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

another rational loading parameter is the specific substrate

utilization rate (q) per day, and is defined as:
Yo − YE
q=Q∗
V ∗ Xt
 Under steady state operation, the mass of wasted activated sludge
is further given by:
Q w ∗ XR = y ∗ Q Yo − YE − K e ∗ Xt ∗ V … . . 4.5
Where, y = maximum yield coefficient
microbial mass synthesized
=
mass of substrate utilized

51
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

Ke= Endogenous respiration rate constant (per day)

 The values of y and Ke are found to be constant for municipal
waste waters, their typical values being:
y = 1.0 with respect to TSS (i.e. MLSS)
= 0.6 with respect to VSS (i.e. MLVSS)
Ke = 0.06 (per day)
From equations (4.5), dividing all terms forXt ∗ V we can also work
out as:
1
= = yq − K e
θc
52
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
2. Sludge Volume Index (SVI)
o is used to indicate the physical state of the sludge produced in a
biological aeration system.
o It represents the degree of concentration of the sludge in the
system,
o Done in lab.
Vo ml/l Vo
SVI = = ml/mg
Xo mg/l Xo
Where, Vo:settled sludge volumein ml in liter of mixed liquor.
Xo:concentration of settled suspended solids in a liter of
mixed liquor inmg.
o The usual adopted range of SVI is between 50 - 150 ml/gm and
such a value indicates good settling sludge.
53
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Sludge Recycle and Rate of Return Sludge
QR
• The relationship b/n sludge recirculation ratio with Xt (MLSS in
Q
tank) and XR (MLSS in returned or wasted sludge) is given as:
QR Xt
= , Where, QR = Sludge recirculation rate in m3/d
Q XR −Xt
Xt= MLSS in the aeration tank in mg/l
XR = MLSS in the returned or wasted sludge in mg/l
The settleability of sludge is determined by sludge volume index
(SVI), which is determined in the laboratory.
• If it is assumed that the sedimentation of suspended solids in the
laboratory is similar to that in the sedimentation tank, then:
106
XR =
SVI
54
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

where, SVI value in mg/l

Then,
QR Xt
= 6
Q 10
− Xt
SVI
The return sludge has always to be pumped and the pump capacity
should be designed for a minimum return sludge ratio of 0.50 to
0.75 for large plants and 1.0 to 1.5 for smaller plants irrespective of
the theoretical requirement.

55
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Size and Volume of the Aeration Tank
 Using equation (a)
V ∗ Xt
θc = ……………𝑎
Qw ∗ XR
Using equation (b)
Q w ∗ XR = y ∗ Q Yo − YE − K e ∗ Xt ∗ V … … … b
 Using combination of Equations (a) and (b:
y ∗ Q(Yo − YE )θc
V ∗ Xt =
1 + K e θc
Alternatively, the tank volume can be determined for an assumed
value of F/M ratio and tank MLSS (Xt).
F Q Yo
= ∗
M V Xt
56
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…

Oxygen Requirement of the Aeration Tanks

 The total oxygen requirement may be computed by using the
equation
Q Yo − YE
O2 = − 1.42Qw ∗ XR gm/day
f
Where,
BOD5 5 day BOD
f = = ≅ 0.68
BODu Ultimate BOD
1.42 = oxygen demand of biomass in gm/gm
 The above formula represents the oxygen demand for
carbonaceous BOD removal and does not account for
nitrification.
57
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Table 4-4 Characteristics and design parameters of different activated sludge systems
Air
kg O2 requiremen
Volumetric 𝑄𝑅
MLSS BOD reqd. per t
Process Flow MLVSS F Loading SRT 𝑄
mg/l HRT hrs removal kg in m3
type regime MLSS M kg BOD5 (days) c Return
(Xt) percent BOD5 per kg of
per m3 Sludge ratio
removed BOD5
removed
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)
Convention Plug 1500 to 3000 0.8 0.4 to 0.3 4 to 6 0.3 to 0.7 5 to8 0.25 to 0.5 85 to 0.8 to 1.0 40 to 100
al 92

Taperd Plug 1500 to 3000 0.8 0.4 to 0.3 4 to 6 0.3 to 0.8 5 to 8 0.25 to 0.5 85 to 0.7 to 1.0 50 to 75
aeration 92
Step Plug 2000 to 3000 0.8 0.4 to 0.3 3 to 6 0.7 to 1.0 5 to 8 0.25 to 0.75 85 to 0.7 to 1.0 50 to 75+
aeration 92
Contact Plug 1000 to 3000* 0.8 0.5 to 0.3 0.5 to 1.5* 1.0 to 1.2 5 to 8 0.25 to 1.0 85 to 0.7 to 1.0 50 to 75
stabilizatio 3000 to 6000** 3 to 6** 92
n
Complete Complete 3000 to 4000 0.8 0.5 to 0.3 4 to 5 0.8 to 2.0 5 to 8 0.25 to 0.8 85 to 0.8 to 1.0 50 to 75
mix mix 92
Modified Plug 300 to 800 0.8 3.0 to 1.5 1.5 to 3 1.2 to 2.4 0.2 to 0.5 0.05 to 0.15 60 to 0.4 to 0.6 25 to 50
aeration 75
Extended Complete 3000 to 5000 0.5 to 0.18 to 12 to 24 0.2 to 0.4 10 to 25 0.5 to 1.0 95 to 1.0 to 1.2 58
100 to 135
aeration mix 0.6 0.1 98
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
Example
1. Design a conventional activated sludge plant to treat domestic
sewage with diffused air aeration system, given the following
data:
Population = 35000
Average sewage flow = 180 l/c/d
BOD of sewage = 220mg/l
BOD removed in primary treatment = 30%
Overall BOD reduction desired = 85%
Solution:
Requirements: dimension of aeration tank, dimension of secondary
clarifier,
Daily sewage flow
= Q = 180 ∗ 35000 l/day = 6300m3 /day
59
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont…
BOD of sewage coming to aeration
= Yo = 70% ∗ 220mg/l = 154mg/l
BOD removed in activated plant
= 0.85 ∗ 154 = 130.9mg/l
130.9
Check for Efficiency in Activated plant = = 0.85 =85%
154
From Table 4 4, for efficiency of 85 - 92%, we use F/M ratio as 0.4 to
0.3 and MLSS between 1500 and 3000.
So let us adopt F/M = 0.30, and MLSS (Xt) as = 3000 mg/l
F Q∗Yo
Using = , calculate the volume of aeration tank.
M V∗Xt

60
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

6300𝑚3 /𝑑 ∗ 154mg/l
0.30 =
V ∗ 3000mg/l
V = volume of aeration tank
6300 ∗ 154
= = 1078m3
3000 ∗ 0.30
Check for Aeration period or HRT (t)
V 1078𝑚3
Using, t = = ∗ 24 h/d
Q 6300𝑚3 /𝑑
= 4.11 h within the limits of 4 to 6 h … … ok

61
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Check for sludge age(c)

From equation
y ∗ Q(Yo − YE )θc
V ∗ Xt =
1 + K e θc
Where, V = 1078m3
Xt = 3000mg/l
y = yield coefficient = 1.0 with respect to MLSS
Q = 6300m3/d
Ke = Endogenous respiration constant = 0.06/day
Yo = BOD of influent in aeration tank = 154mg/l
YE = BOD of effluent = (154-130.9)mg/l = 23.1mg/l
Substituting the values, we get
62
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

1 ∗ 6300𝑚 3 /𝑑 154 − 23.1 𝑚𝑔Τ𝑙 ∗ θ

c
1078𝑚3 ∗ 3000mg/l =
1 + 0.06/𝑑𝑎𝑦 ∗ θc
θc = 5.13𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 … … . .ok! as it lies between 5 and 8 days
Check for volumetric loading
Q∗Yo
Volumetric loading (VL)= gm of BOD/m3 of tank volume
V

6300𝑚3 /𝑑 ∗ 154 𝑚𝑔Τ𝑙 3

= = 900 mg/𝑙 = 0.9 kg/m
1078𝑚3
(not within the permissible range of 0.3 - 0.7kg/m3)
So increase the volume of aeration tank!!!(F/M =
0.35;Xt=2000mg/l):V=1386m3,HRT=5.28hr,VL=0.7Kg/m3, θc =5days
63
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
(i) Check for Return sludge ratio (for SVI ranging between 50 - -
150ml/gm
Let us take 100ml/gm.
Using equation
QR Xt
= 106 , Xt is MLSS
Q −Xt
SVI
Where, SVI = 100ml/gm
Xt = 3000mg/l
QR 3000
= 106 = 0.43 =43%
Q −3000
100
(i.e. within the prescribed range of 25 to 50%) …ok!

64
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Tank Dimensions
Adopt aeration tank of depth (D) 3m(3-4.5m) and width (B) 4.0m.(4-
6m) The total length of the aeration channel required
Total volume required 1078𝑚3
= = = 90m
B∗D 4.0m ∗ 3m
 Provide a continuous channel, with 3 aeration chambers, each of
30m length.
 Total width of the unit, including 2 baffles each of 0.25m
thickness = 3 * 4.0m + 2 * 0.25 = 12.5m.
 Total depth provided including free-board of 0.5m will be 3 + 0.5
= 3.5m.
Overall dimensions of the Aeration tank will be 30m * 12.5m * 3.5m.
65
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Rate of Air Supply Required
Assuming the air requirement of the aeration tank to be 100m3 of
air per kg of BOD removed,
Air required i.e. blower capacity

130.9mg/l ∗ 6300𝑚 3 /𝑑
= 100m3/𝐾𝑔 ∗ = 53m3 /min
1000𝑚𝑔/𝑘𝑔

66
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Design of Secondary sedimentation Tank

Adopting a surface loading rate of 20m3/day/m2 at average flow of
6300m3/day,
(i) Surface area required
6300𝑚3 /𝑑 2
= = 315m
20𝑚3 / 𝑑Τ𝑚2
Adopting a solids loading of 125kg/day/m2 for MLSS of 3000mg/l
(3kg/m3), (100-150)
(i) the surface area required
6300𝑚3 /𝑑 ∗ 3kg/𝑚3 2
= = 151.2m
125kg/day/m2
The higher surface area of 315m2 is adopted.
Adopting a circular tank,
67
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

315 ∗ 4
diameter of tank = = 20m
π
Weir loading for a circular weir placed along the periphery of the
tank having length 20πm will be:
6300 3
= m /day/m = 100.3 < 150; ok!
20π
Note: lf weir loading exceeds the permissible value; we may provide
a trough instead of a single weir at the periphery.
Hence, provide 20 m diameter secondary settling tank.

68
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Design of Sludge Drying Beds
In order to design sludge drying beds, the quantity of excess wasted sludge will be
calculated by using the equation below:
V ∗ Xt
θc =
Qw ∗ XR
1078𝑚3 ∗ 3kg/m3
5.13 d =
Qw ∗ XR
1078𝑚3 ∗ 3kg/m3
Qw ∗ XR = = 630kg/d
5.13d
If density of sludge is known, it is possible to calculate the required volume of
sludge. For e.g. 10 kg/m3 SS concentrating in secondary sludge, sludge volume
630kg/d 3 /d
= = 63m
10kg/m3
Note: This secondary sludge volume of 63m3/d shall be taken to sludge drying
beds, along with the primary sludge. 69
 Wastewater Engineering-I

3. Waste Stabilization Pond

 Is large shallow basins enclosed by earthen embankments in which
wastewater is biologically treated by natural processes involving
pond algae and bacteria.
Types of Pond
• Anaerobic Ponds
• Facultative and
• Maturation/aerobic pond
 WSP comprise a single series of these anaerobic, facultative and
maturation ponds or several of such series in parallel.
 A long hydraulic retention time is necessary because of the slow
rate at which the organic waste is oxidized.
 Typical hydraulic retention times range from 10 -100 days
depending on the temperature of a particular region. 70
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Figure of Waste Stabilization Pond 71

 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

I. Anaerobic Ponds
• Anaerobic ponds are unmixed basins designed to enhance the
settling and biodegradation of particulate organic solids by
anaerobic digestion.
• Pond depth is usually between 3 to 5 meters and
• HRT for municipal sewage is b/n 1 - 3 days and for industrial WW
may increase to 20 days.
• In cold climates, anaerobic ponds mainly act as settling ponds,
whereas higher sewage temperatures enhance the anaerobic
degradation process.
• At higher temperatures BOD is therefore more effectively
removed.
• Typical TSS removal percentages range between 50 and 70%.
• BOD removal rate is increase with temperature and range b/n 30
and 75%. 72
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Treatment Mechanisms
 BOD removal is the combined effect of sedimentation and
biological degradation.
 Biological degradation is due to the anaerobic degradation of
complex organic material.
 Anaerobic ponds require some preliminary treatment of municipal
WW.
• Usually coarse screening and grit chamber is applied

73
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

II. Facultative Ponds

 Are the second treatment step in a pond system.
 In facultative ponds the anaerobic pond effluent is further treated,
aimed at further BOD, nutrient and pathogen removal.
 Facultative ponds are usually 1.5 - 2.5m deep.
 The HRT of this pond is varies b/n 5 and 30 days.

74
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Processes In facultative ponds

 The top layer of facultative ponds is aerobic due to oxygen
production by algae and the bottom layer is anaerobic due to the
absence of algae activity.
 The three main mechanisms for BOD removal are aerobic digestion,
sedimentation and anaerobic digestion.
 Sedimentation results only in temporary storage of BOD in the
sludge layer.
 This BOD (in sludge) is removed while the pond is de-sludged.
 Part of the sludge BOD is however anaerobically transformed into
methane gas.

75
Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

76
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

III. Maturation Ponds

Maturation ponds are shallow ponds (1 - 1.5m deep).
An active algal biomass is maintained throughout the entire depth of
the system
so that during daytime large amounts of oxygen are produced.
BOD removal is much slower than in facultative ponds, since the
most easily degradable substances consumed already.
The major application for maturation ponds is to polish or upgrade
facultative pond effluents and achieve substantial microbial
reductions to allow safe use of the effluents in agriculture or
aquaculture

77
Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

78
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

 Removal of Pathogenic Microorganisms in maturation pond

• Pathogen removal occurs in anaerobic, facultative and maturation
ponds, but only maturation ponds are designed on the basis of
required removal rates for pathogens.
• Four groups of pathogenic micro-organism can be distinguished in
WW: bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminthes.
• Both helminth eggs and protozoan cysts are removed by
sedimentation.
• Removal bacteria (fecal coliform) and virus is due to a combination
of several processes:
 Adsorption to particles and subsequent sedimentation
 Grazing by other micro-organisms (protozoa)
 Natural decay 79
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

80
Figure of Typical scheme of a waste stabilization system
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Physical Design of WSP
i. Pond Location: Ponds should be located at least 200m downwind
from the community they serve and away from any Likely area of
future expansion.
ii. Preliminary Treatment: adequate screening and grit removal
facilities must be installed.
iii. Pond Geometry: pond geometry includes not only the shape of the
pond but also the relative positions of its inlet and outlet.
iv. Pond Configurations: Configurations can includes either series or
parallel operations
 the advantages of series operation is improved treatment because of reduced
short circuiting and
 the advantages of parallel configuration is that the loading can be distributed
more uniformly over a large area
81
 combinations of parallel & series operation can be accomplished
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Process Design of WSP
i. Effluent Quality Requirements
• The general WHO guideline standards for the discharge of treated
wastewaters into inland surface waters :

82
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

ii. Design Parameters

 The four most important parameters for WSP design are
temperature, net evaporation, flow and BOD.
 Faecal coliform and helminth egg numbers are also important if
the final effluent is to be used in agriculture or aquaculture.
 The usual design temperature is the mean air temperature in the
coolest month (or quarter).
 Net evaporation has to be taken into account in the design of
facultative and maturation ponds, but in anaerobic scum……
 The mean daily flow must be estimated since the size of the ponds,
and hence their cost, is directly proportional to the flow.
83
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

• The BOD may be measured using 24-hour flow-weighted

composite samples.
• If WW does not yet exist, it should be estimated from the following
equation:
𝐵 (𝑔Τ𝑑)
𝐵𝑂𝐷 𝑔Τ𝑙 =
𝑄 (𝑙Τ𝑑)
Where
B = BOD contribution, g/c/d
Q = wastewater flow, l/c/d
• Values of B vary between 30 and 70g/c/d, with affluent
communities producing more BOD than poor communities.
A suitable design value for Ethiopia is 45g/c/d
(source: AA Water and Sewerage Authority report 2003) 84
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

• Faecal coliform Nos. are important if the pond effluent is to be

used for unrestricted crop irrigation or for fishpond fertilization.
▫ The usual range is 107- 108 faecal coliforms per 100 ml, and a suitable
design value is 5*107 per 100 ml.
• Helminth egg numbers are also important when pond effluents are
used for restricted crop irrigation (irrigation of all crops except
salads and vegetables eaten uncooked) or fishpond fertilization.
▫ The usual range is 100 - 1000 eggs per liter.

85
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Design of Anaerobic Ponds

Designed without risk of odour & nuisance on the basis of volumetric
BOD loading (v, g/m3/d), which is given by:
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐵𝑂𝐷 𝑦𝑜 𝑄
v = = … … … … … … … … … 4.8
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑉
Where 𝑦𝑜 = influent BOD, mg/l
Q = flow, m3/d
V = anaerobic pond volume, m3
 Once a value of v has been selected, the anaerobic pond volume
is then calculated from above equation.
 The mean hydraulic retention time in the pond (, d) is determined
𝑉
from: 𝜃 =
𝑄
86
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
Table of Volumetric loading (g/m3/d) Vs temperature
Temperature (0C) Volumetric loading BOD removal (%)
(g/m3d)
< 10 100 40
10 - 20 20T - 100 2T + 20
20 - 25 10T + 100 2T + 20
> 25 350 70
Source: Mara and Pearson, 1986 and Mara et al., 1997

• Retention times in anaerobic ponds < 1 day should not be

used.
• If the value of 𝜃 < 1 day, a value of 1 day should be used and
the corresponding value of V recalculated.
87
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Design Facultative Ponds

designed on the basis of surface BOD loading(λS, kg/ha/d), which is
given by:
𝑦𝑜 𝑄
λS = … … … 4.9
𝐴𝑠
Where As = facultative pond surface area, m2
o Different investigators relate the permissible design valueof 𝜆𝑆to
d/t parameters:
o Arceivala et al., 1970 relates to latitude (L):
λS = 375−6.25L
o McGarry and Pescod (1970), relates to temperature (T):
λS = 60(1.099)𝑇
o Mara (1987):more appropriate global design equation, to temp.
λS = 350(1.107 − 0.002𝑇)25−𝑇 88
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…
• Once a suitable value of λS has been selected, the pond area is
calculated from equation (4.9 ) and its retention time (θ𝑠 ,d) from:
𝐴𝑠 𝐷
θ𝑓 =
𝑄𝑚
• Where: D = pond depth, m, Qm = mean flow, m3/day
• The mean flow is the mean of the influent and effluent flows (Qi
and Qe), theQe is less b/e, net evaporation and seepage.
𝐴𝑠 𝐷
θ𝑓 =
1
𝑄 + 𝑄𝑒
2 𝑖
 A minimum value of θ𝑠 of 5days should be adopted for
temperatures below 20𝑜 C, and 4days for temperatures above 20°C.
89
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

Design of Maturation Ponds

• Designed for Faecal Coliform, Helminth Egg, and Nutrient Removal
Faecal Coliform Removal: using method of Marais (1974)
• This assumes that faecal coliform removal can be modeled by first
order kinetics in a completely mixed reactor.
• The resulting equation for a single pond is thus:
𝑁𝑒 = 𝑁𝑖 (1 + 𝐾𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇)
Where Ne = number of FC per 100 ml of effluent
Ni = number of FC per 100 ml of influent
𝐾𝑇 = first order rate constant for FC removal, per day
HRT = retention time, d
90
 Wastewater Engineering-I
cont.…

• For a series of anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds,

𝑁𝑖
𝑁𝑒 =
1 + 𝐾𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑐 ∗ 1 + 𝐾𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 ∗ (1 + 𝐾𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑐 )𝑛
Where:
Ne = number of feacal coliform per 100 ml effluent
𝑁𝑖 = number of feacal coliform per 100 ml influent
𝐾𝑇 = first order temperature dependent rate (day-1)
n = No. of maturation ponds (each pond the same HRT)
• A series of n maturation ponds should have total HRT of 5 days.
• The value of 𝐾𝑇 is highly temperature dependent. (Arthur, 1983)
Found that:
𝐾𝑇 = 2.6(1.19)𝑇−20

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Helminth Egg Removal:

• Analysis of egg removal data from ponds has yielded the following
relationship which is equally valid for anaerobic, facultative and
maturation ponds:
𝑅 = 100 1 − 0.14exp(−0.38𝜃)
Where R = percentage egg removal
θ = retention time, d

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Table of Design values of helminth egg removal (R %) for hydraulic
retention times (θ)
θ R θ R θ R θ R
1.0 74.67 3.2 90.68 6.0 97.06. 12 99.61
1.2 76.95 3.4 91.45 6.5 97.57 13 99.70
1.4 79.01 3.6 92.16 7.0 97.99 14 99.77
1.6 80.87 3.8 92.80 7.5 98.32 15 99.82
1.8 82.55 4.0 93.38 8.0 98.60 16 99.86
2.0 84.08 4.2 93.66 8.5 98.82 17 99.88
2.2 85.46 4.4 93.40 9.0 99.01 18 99.90
2.4 87.72 4.6 94.85 9.5 99.16 19 99.92
2.6 87.85 4.8 95.25 10 99.29 20 99.93
2.8 88.89 5.0 95.62 10.5 99.39
3.0 89.82 5.5 96.42 11 99.38
Source: Ayres et al.(1992) 93
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Nutrient Removal: Panoand Middlebrooks’s (1982) equations
Their equation for temperatures below 20𝑜 𝐶 is:
Ci
Ce =
{1 + [(A/Q)(0.0038 + 0.000134T)exp ((1.041 + 0.044T)(pH − 6.6))]}
And for temperatures above 20𝑜 𝐶:
Ci
Ce =
𝐴
1 + 5.035 ∗ 10 − 3 ∗ exp(1.54 ∗ 𝑝𝐻 − 6.6 )
𝑄
Where:
Ce = ammonical nitrogen concentration in pond effluent (mg N/l)
Ci = ammonical nitrogen concentration in pond influent (mg N/l)
A = pond surface area (m2)
Q = wastewater flow rate (m3/day)
T = temperature (°C)
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Hydraulic Balance
• To maintain the liquid level in the ponds, the inflow must be at
least greater than net evaporation and seepage at all times.
Q i ≥ 0.001A ∗ e + s
Where, Qi = inflow to first pond, m3/d
A = total area of pond series, m2
e = net evaporation (i.e. evaporation less rainfall), mm/d
s = seepage, mm/d

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Example
Using the following data design WSP
• Town of 20,000 population
• Consumption of drinking water of 150l/c/day and wastage of 85%
• No significant infiltration into sewer system
• Average BOD production of 45g BOD/c/day
• Measured influent concentration of 4*108 FC/100ml
• Clay bottom (hydraulic conductivity 10-7m/s)
• Climate of the area (Latitude = ± 16°S)

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Requirements
 Sludge remove in anaerobic ponds only once every two years
 Design each pond with a freeboard of 0.5m
 The treated effluent must have a BOD concentration below 20mg/l and
should be reusable for agricultural purposes (use standards according to
WHO)
Task:
 Design a conventional WSP system (anaerobic + facultative + maturation).
 Provide for each pond the dimensions (L, W and D), the volume, surface
area and the residence time.
 Calculate Cin and Cout from each pond. 97
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Solution:
 Influent flow Q:
Q = 20,000 ∗ 0.15m3 /day ∗ 0.85 = 2550m3 /day
 Influent BOD concentration Ci:
45 ∗ 103 mg BOD/c/day
Ci = = 353mg BOD/L
150L/c/day ∗ 0.85
 Influent BOD-load Li:
Li = 0.045kgBOD/capita. day ∗ 20,000 = 900kgBOD/day
 Clay bottom with low hydraulic conductivity
 Limited infiltration (10-7m/s = 0.36mm/h = 8.64mm/day)
 No lining is necessary
 Precipitation and evapo(transpiration) will influence the system
but since no detailed data are available this aspect will not be
considered. 98
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Anaerobic pond
Calculations done at 27°c (coldest temperature) = worst case
scenario
• Volumetric loading rate at 27°c = 0.35kg BOD /m3/day…from Table
of Volumetric loading (g/m3/d) Vs temperature
900kg BOD/day 3
Vwastewater = = 2571m
0.35kg BOD/m3 . day
From WHO (1997): sludge generation rate=40 liter sludge/capita/year
de-sludging period as 2years (given)
Vsludge = 0.04m3 sludge/capita/year ∗ 20,000 ∗ 2years
= 1600m3
Total volume= 2571 + 1600 = 4171m3

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Resulting hydraulic residence time (HRT):

𝑉 2571m3
𝜃= = 3
= 1.01day (after two years sludge accumulation)
𝑄 2550m /day
4171m3
= 3
= 1.64 day (no sludge present in the pond)
2550m /day
Resulting mid-depth surface area 𝐴𝑠 for standard pond depth of 4m:
4171
𝐴𝑠 = = 1043m2
4
Assume Pond shape: normally square (equal length and width)
Slope: usually 33% for stability reasons (0.33m vertical rise per 1m of
horizontal progress)
 Side of square = area = 32m
 Side of square at the water surface
= side at half depth + 2 ∗ 0.5 ∗ depth ∗ inverse slope 100
2
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▫ Side of square including 0.5m freeboard

= 44 + 2 ∗ 0.5 ∗ 3 = 47m → area = 2209m2
Expected BOD removed: 70%
• Effluent BOD concentration:
Ce = 353 − 0.7 ∗ 353 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔mg BOD/l
• Effluent load:
Le = 0.106 kg BOD/m3 ∗ 2550m3 /day = 𝟐𝟕𝟎kg BOD/day
0.5m

1
4m

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Facultative pond
Calculations done at 27°c (coldest temperature) = worst case scenario
Design: based on surface loading rate s (BOD/ha/day)
Use Arthur (1983) formula: s = 20 ∗ T − 60
= 20 ∗ 27 − 60 = 480kg BOD/ha/day ~ 500kg/ha/d
270kg BOD/day
𝑚𝑖𝑑_𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝐴𝑠 = = 0.54ha = 5400m2
500kg BOD/ha/day
Resulting volume if standard pond depth of 1.8m
𝑉 = 𝐴 ∗ 𝐷 = 5400 ∗ 1.8 = 9720𝑚3
V 9720
HRT = = = 3.8 days
Q 2550 102
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Usually rectangular pond with L:W ratio 2:1, slope 33% is adopted.
5400m2 = L ∗ W = 2 ∗ W ∗ W = 2W 2
W = 52m and L = 104m at half depth
W = 57.5m and L = 109.5m (at water surface)
W = 60.5m and L = 112.5m (including free board)
Expected BOD removal: 80%
Effluent BOD concentration: 106 – (0.8*106) = 21.2mg/ BOD/l
Effluent load: 0.0212kg BOD/m3 * 2550 m3/day = 54.1kg BOD/day

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Maturation pond:
Calculations done at 27°c (coldest temperature) = worst case scenario
𝑁𝑖
𝑁𝑒 =
1 + 𝑘 𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑐 ∗ 1 + 𝑘 𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 ∗ (1 + 𝑘 𝑇 ∗ 𝐻𝑅𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛,𝑛 )𝑛
Where:
Ne = 1000 FC/100ml (required by WHO for agricultural reuse)
Ni = 4*108 FC/100ml (given concentration)
k T = k 20°c ∗ θ(T−20) = 2.6 ∗ (1.19)27−20 = 8.8 day −1 (Arthur,
1983)
 HRT anaerobic = 1.01 day (worse case, if full of sludge)
 HRT facultative = 3.8 days
Calculate Ne for different numbers of maturation ponds in series and
check whether or not Ne is below the standard.
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n HRT per pond Ne (Arthur) HRT per pond Ne (WHO)

1 5 26,102 FC/100ml 5 422,483 FC/100ml
2 2.5 2,220 FC/100ml 3 63,921 FC/100ml
3 1.67 304 FC/100ml 3 6,030 FC/100ml

Retain Arthur solution, select three ponds, each with a HRT of 1.67 days.
4∗108 FC/100ml
𝑁𝑒 =
1 + 8.8𝑑 −1 ∗ 1.01𝑑 ∗ 1 + 8.8𝑑 −1 ∗ 3.8𝑑 ∗ (1 + 8.8𝑑 −1 ∗ 1.67𝑑)3
310𝐹𝐶
= … 𝑎𝑙𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 304 … … 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒‼
100𝑚𝑙
Volume per pond:
V = 1.67 days ∗ 2550m3 /day = 4258m3
Take standard depth of 1.5m
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Mid depth area
V 4258
A= = = 2839m2
D 1.5
Normally L:W = 2:1
W = 38m and L = 76m (at half depth)
W = 42.5m and L = 80.5m (at water surface)
W = 45.5m and L = 83.5m (including free board)

Figure of Sectional view of maturation pond 106

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cont.…
Constructed Wetlands
• A designed, manmade complex of saturated substrate, emergent
and submerged vegetation, animal life, and water that simulate
wetlands for human uses and benefits.
• CW’s are practical alternatives to conventional treatment of
domestic sewage, industrial and agricultural wastes, storm water
runoff, and acid mining drainage.
• The pollutants removed by CW’s include organic materials,
suspended solids, nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals and other
toxic or hazardous pollutants.

107
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Compartments in wetlands
• Sediment / gravel bed Emergent plants

• Root zone / pore water Slotted pipe for

wastewater

• Litter / detritus distribution

• Water
• Air
• Plants Effluent outlet

• Roots Slope 1%
Soil, sand
Watertight membrane
Rhizome network or gravel

• Bacteria growing in biofilms

Treatment is the result of complex interactions between all these
compartments
108
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Types of Constructed Wetlands

• Free Water Surface (FWS) and Subsurface Flow (SSF) systems.
FWS
• consist of basins or channels, with some sort of subsurface barrier
to prevent seepage, soil or another suitable medium, to support
the emergent vegetation, and water at a relatively shallow depth.
• The shallow water depth, low flow velocity, and presence of the
plant stalks and litter regulate water flow and, especially in long,
narrow channels minimize short circuiting.
• In FWS systems, the flow of water is above the ground, and plants
are rooted in the sediment layer at the base of water column.

109
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Figure of Emergent vegetation in FWS Constructed Wetlands 110

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cont.…
SSF
• These systems are essentially
horizontal trickling filters when
they use rock media.
• They have the added
component of emergent plants
with extensive root systems
within the media.
• In SSF systems, water flows
though a porous media such as
gravels or aggregates, in which
the plants are rooted.
• There are 2 types of SSF
systems: horizontal SSF (HSSF) Figure of Emergent macrophyte treatment
and vertical SSF (VSSF). system with horizontal SSF
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Site Selection for CW
• Topography:
▫ Because grading and excavating represent a major cost factor,
topography is an important consideration to select an appropriate site.
• Soil Permeability for Free Water Surface Systems
▫ In selecting a site for FWS wetland the underlying soil permeability
must be considered.
▫ The most desirable soil permeability is 10-6 to 10-7 m/s.
▫ Sandy clays and silty clay loams can be suitable when compacted.
▫ Sandy soils are too permeable to support wetland vegetation.
▫ Highly permeable soils needs to be lined (with clay or artificial liners).
• Hydrological Factors
112
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 Hydrological Factors such as, precipitation, infiltration,

evapotranspiration (ET), hydraulic loading rate, and water depth can all
affect the removal of pollutants:
 by altering the detention time,
 by either concentrating or diluting the wastewater.
▫ For a CW, the water balance can be expressed as follows:
dV
Q i − Q o + P − ET = [ ]
dt
Where,
Qi - influent wastewater flow, Qo- effluent wastewater flow,
P - precipitation, volume/time ET - evapotranspiration, volume/time
V - volume of water, and t – time
 Ground-water inflow and infiltration are excluded from the above
equation because of the impermeable barrier.
 if the system operates at a relatively constant water depth (dV/dt = 0),
the effluent flow rate can be estimated using the above equation.
113
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Vegetation
 The major benefit of plants is the transferring of oxygen to the root
zone.
 The stalks, roots, and rhizomes penetrate the soil or support
medium, and transport oxygen deeper than it would naturally
travel by diffusion alone.
 The emergent plants most frequently found in WW wetlands
include cattails, reeds, rushes, bulrushes and sedges.

114
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spikerush (Eleocharis
bulrushes (Scirpus spp.),
spp.),

Cattail 115
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Te r t i a r y Tr e a t m e n t P r o c e s s e s
• Is a final treatment stage.
• The purpose of tertiary treatment is to raise the effluent quality
before it is discharged to the receiving environment (sea, river,
lake, ground, etc.).
• More than one tertiary treatment process may be used at any
treatment plant.
• It is also called effluent polishing.

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Filtration
• Sand filtration removes much of the residual suspended matter.
• Filtration over activated carbon, also called carbon adsorption, removes
residual toxins
Lagooning
• provides settlement and further biological improvement through storage
in large man-made ponds or lagoons.
• These lagoons are highly aerobic
Nitrogen removal
oxidation
Ammonia nitrate (nitrification),
reduction
Nitrate nitrogen gas (de-nitrification)
Then, N2 gas is released to the atmosphere and thus removed from the
water.
• Sand filters, lagooning and reed beds can all be used to reduce nitrogen,
117
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Phosphorus removal
• Phosphorus can be removed biologically
• Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical
precipitation, usually with salts of iron (e.g. ferric chloride),
aluminum (e.g. alum), or lime.
• This may lead to excessive sludge production as hydroxides
precipitates and the added chemicals can be expensive.
Disinfection
• Is a process of killing/deactivating the microorganisms in water.
• Common methods of disinfection include ozone, chlorine,
ultraviolet light, or sodium hypochlorite.
• Chlorination remains the most common form of WW disinfection
due to its low cost and long-term history of effectiveness.
118
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Odour Control
• Odours emitted by sewage treatment are typically an indication of
an anaerobic or "septic" condition.
• odours is treated with carbon reactors, a contact media with bio-
slimes, small doses of chlorine, or circulating fluids to biologically
capture and metabolize the obnoxious gases.
• Other methods of odour control exist, including addition of iron
salts, hydrogen peroxide, calcium nitrate, etc. to manage hydrogen
sulfide levels.

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Safe water!

120