Report II: Waste Water Treatment Design & Biosolids and Air Emission Calculations

Tanya Touch and Carlos Tanuez

10-201: Chemical Engineering, Material Balances, Design Project - Fall, 2015

Report IIA: Wastewater Treatment Design

Figure 1

Report IIB: Biosolids and Emissions Calculations

Basis: 1 day 59.1 million liters of influent
Influent: 15.6 million gallons * 3.785 liters/gallon = 59.1 million liters
Aluminum: 0.404 mg/L *59.1 L = 23.9 kg
Manganese: 0.55 mg/L * 59.1 L =32.5 kg
TDS: 923 mg/L * 59.1 L = 54,550 kg

Effluent: 59.1 million liters

Aluminum: 0.2 mg/L * 59.1 L =11.8 kg
Manganese: 0.5 mg/L * 59.1 L = 29.55 kg
TDS: 500 mg/L * 59.1 L =29,550 kg

Biosolid:
Aluminum: 23.9 kg-11.8 kg = 12.1 kg
Manganese:
TDS: 54,550 kg - 29,550 kg = 25,000 kg

Abstract:

The growing issue of having clean potable water in Escondido, CA can be

reconciled, to some extent, by recycling wastewater through wastewater treatment. The

initial influent into the water treatment plant consisted of four contaminants that are
above EPA guidelines: aluminum, manganese, total dissolved solids, and total coliform.
The initial manganese concentration was decreased through adsorption and filtration from
0.55 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L. The initial aluminum and total dissolved solids concentration was
decreased through reverse osmosis from 0.404 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L and 923 mg/L to 500
mg/L, respectively. The initial concentration of active total coliform was decreased by
UV light from 107 active bacteria per liter to 0.001 active bacteria per liter.

Keywords:

Influent, effluent, biosolids, adsorption, filtration, reverse osmosis, UV

light, water treatment

Introduction: The decreasing water supply in Escondido, CA has caused some

considerable changes to be made in response to the level 2 water shortage. A response to
a level 2 water supply shortage exists when a water supply shortage or threatened
shortage exists and a consumer demand reduction is necessary to make more efficient use
of water and appropriately respond to existing water conditions.1 In lieu of the current
increasing water shortage, it is necessary to make changes to restrict water use3 and
conserve potable water, as well as, consider other feasible options such as wastewater
reuse in accordance to EPA guidelines. According to the EPA, drinking water, including
bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some
contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water
poses a health risk. EPA sets standards for approximately 90 contaminants and indicators
in drinking water.2 With this knowledge, a basic water treatment using adsorption and
filtration, reverse osmosis, and UV lights was designed to bring the four contaminants
above these guidelines to their regulated concentrations.

Results:
Influent4

MCL5 (Target)

Manganese (mg/L)

0.55

0.5

Aluminum (mg/L)

0.404

0.05 to 0.2

Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L)

923

500

Total Coliform (active bacteria per liter)

107

0.0001

Contaminant

Table 1 Contaminants Above Regulation

Manganese was removed first through adsorption and filtration with the addition 4.67 kg
of MnO2, about 9.1% of the manganese was removed as a solid bringing the
concentration down from 0.55 mg/L to 0.05 mg/L. Aluminum and the high amount of
total dissolved solids was removed through reverse osmosis; this decreased the masses
about 51% and 47%, respectively. The active bacteria count went down dramatically
through UV light, which deactivates these bacteria rendering them harmless, from 107
active bacteria to 0.0001 active bacteria.

Analysis:

The initial wastewater influent is treated through adsorption with MnO2 as

the adsorbent, which reacts with the manganese in the wastewater: (page 529)
Eq. 1: Mn + MnO2 (S) 2MnO(S)
This process is then followed by a filtration tank that removes the solid MnO as sludge is
then dried and turned into a biosolid. The adsorption and filtration process is then
followed by reverse osmosis to remove the aluminum and total dissolved solid. The
amount of total dissolved solids, manganese, and aluminum must be fairly low before the
next process of disinfection, because these dissolved constituents impact UV
disinfection either directly via absorbance (increasing absorbance serves to attenuate UV
light to a larger degree) or via fouling of UV lamps such that a reduced intensity is
applied to the bulk liquid medium. (686)

Summary:

The wastewater treatment with adsorption and filtration, reverse osmosis,

and UV light can prove to be useful in this time of crisis of not only producing clean

potable water, but also producing a nutrient biosolid and reducing the amount of
wastewater being discharged back into the environment.

References:
Page 390 flowcharts for treatment
Page 530 Water Reuse
Page 788 Primary treatment includes

1. http://www.qcode.us/codes/huntingtonbeach/view.php?topic=municipal_code-1414_18-14_18_070
2.

"Basic Information about Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants and

Indicators." Basic Information about Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants and

Indicators. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 29 May 2015. Web. 02 Nov.
2015. <http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/index.cfm>.
3. http://www.escondido.org/water-conservation.aspx
4. "HARRF RECYCLED WATER QUALITY." HARRF RECYCLED WATER
QUALITY. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2015. <http://growescondido.org/wpcontent/uploads/mfro-facility-water-quality-data.pdf>.
5. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking Water Contaminants. N.p., 6
Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2015. <http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm>.

Appendices:

Figure 1

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