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PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to become familiar with the procedures of waste industrial water
treatment, to establish guidelines for the operation of a wastewater treatment system, and to
ensure that all applicable regulatory requirements are met.

SCOPE

This procedure is limited to addressing the treatment of wastewater and is not intended for use in
any other application. An evaluation of the physical and chemical properties of the waste water and
their contaminants will predict the mode of handling, treatment, and release of the waste water.
Government regulatory agencies may influence the steps taken within the treatment process due to
their established parameters of waste water discharge acceptance.

RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of the Plant Manager is to ensuring that monthly, semi-annual, or annual
reporting requirements are met as outlined in the operating permit.

It is the responsibility of the Supervisor of Treating Operations to conduct proper and adequate
training for employees assigned to the wastewater operation. The supervisor is responsible for
making frequent audits of the sampling collection methods, recording data and documentation to
ensure that all permit requirements are met.

It is the responsibility of the Wastewater Operator to conduct the following on a daily basis:

1. The wastewater operator is responsible for being thoroughly familiar with chemical mixing
requirements, and aware of the consequences for being out of compliance with the
discharge permit requirements.
2. The wastewater operator is responsible for checking and recording phenols, pH levels, and
any other relevant information.
3. The wastewater operator is responsible for obtaining and recording all data as required by
the permit or by facility procedures.

SAFETY & POTENTIAL HAZARDS

While in the proximity of the water treatment operations it is recommended that protective eyewear
and impermeable gloves be worn at all times. The wastes and the treatment chemicals inherit
potential hazards that may harm bare skin, and eyes. All personnel should wear adequate
protective apparel if a prolonged or immersed contact with these hazards is unavoidable. This
protective apparel may include a protective apron and / or suit, rubber boots, and goggles. There
may be an occasional need for respiratory protection in the event that nuisance dusts are created
that could be irritating if breathed in. A conventional dust mask should adequately protect from
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these dusts, if not a sufficient half or full face respirator with P99 filters would be the next upgrade
option.

In the event that repeated & prolonged contact with a hazard occurs, the procedures in handling
these hazards may be revised. Engineering controls could be introduced in an attempt to reduce
the amount of exposure to these hazards before upgrading the usage of personal protective
equipment.
INTRODUCTION

Waste Water Contaminants & Their Characteristics

On occasion, there is the misconception that any or all wastes sent to the water treatment facilities
can be treated without prior knowledge of the waste stream profile and that it can likely be
discharged / disposed in a manner which meets waste effluent discharge parameters set forth by
local government agencies. Water treatment operators can not accept any wastewater and
discharge without first having knowledge of the characteristic properties of their industrial
wastewater. Operators should have an understanding of waste water’s general physical and
chemical characteristics and why there are important contaminants of concern in industrial waste
water treatment. These physical and chemical characteristics will be reviewed in this procedure.
Physical properties include solids content, temperature, color, and clarity meanwhile chemical
properties encompass organic and inorganic matter that may, or may not, be dissolved in the waste
waters. Content measurements of these organic and inorganic components are indicated through
numerous means including the following analysis: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological
Oxygen Demand (BOD), Oil & Grease (O&G), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Petroleum
Hydrocarbon (TPH), Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), phenols, pH or alkalinity, and metals scan.

One of the more important physical characteristic of wastewater is its total solids content, which is
composed of floating matter, settle-able matter, colloidal matter, and matter in solution.
Analytically, the total solids content of a wastewater is defined as all the matter that remains as
residue upon evaporation. Total solids, or residue upon evaporation, can be further classified as
non-filterable (suspended) or filterable by passing a known volume of liquid through a filter. The
filterable-solids fraction consists of colloidal and dissolved solids. The dissolved solids consist of
both organic & inorganic molecules and ions that are present in true solution in water. Meanwhile,
the colloidal fraction is known for its properties as not removed easily by settling. Generally,
oxidation or coagulation, followed by sedimentation, is required to remove these colloidal particles
from suspension. Turbidity or clarity is a measure of the light-transmitting properties of water and
indicates the quality of wastewater with respect to colloidal and residual suspended matter. Other
important physical characteristics of waste water include odor, color, and even temperature.
Industrial wastewater may contain either odorous compounds or compounds that produce odor
during the process of wastewater treatment. Odors are usually caused by gases produced by the
decomposition of organic matter or odor can be a useful indicator of the presence of a contaminant.
Characteristic colors may indicate the presence of a contaminant or a chemical additive introduced
during the treatment process. The temperature of water is a very important parameter because of
its effect on chemical reactions, reaction rates, and aquatic life. It is important to note that oxygen
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is less soluble in warm water than in cold water, where as biochemical reactions increase in rate
with temperature.

Chemical characteristics of matter can firstly be described as either: organic, or inorganic. The
most important distinction is that Organic compounds are carbon based and normally combined
with hydrogen and oxygen meanwhile, inorganic compounds are not carbon based. In some cases
organic compounds have within their chain nitrogen or other important elements such as sulfur,
phosphorous, and iron. A similar terminology used when dealing with organic compounds is the
phrase “hydrocarbons”. Hydrocarbons are often referred to as consisting of a "skeleton" composed
entirely of carbon and hydrogen and can have attached distinctive functional groups. These
carbons based molecular structures range from simple to extremely complex and may have natural
or synthetic origins. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) is the amount of carbon bound in an organic
compound and is often used as a non-specific indicator of water quality. Hydrocarbons can include
Aromatic hydrocarbons which consist of fused carbon rings which have an inherent stability due to
strong bond strengths in this cyclic structure. Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are multiple cyclic
hydrocarbon rings fused together which natural crude oils, coal and tar contain significant amounts.
A waste water analysis of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) and / or PAH can be utilized to
discover a contaminant source or origin through identification of hydrocarbon fractions or individual
hydrocarbon compounds. TPH is a term used to denote a large family of several hundred chemical
compounds that originally come from crude oil, or in other words of petroleum origins. Petroleum
hydrocarbons and PAHs are known to be one of the most widespread organic pollutants therefore
TPH and / or PAH analysis is an important effluent discharge compliance parameter used by
government agencies. As part of the aromatic hydrocarbon family there are compounds consisting
of a hydroxyl group, a group consisting of hydrogen and oxygen that are known as phenols or
phenolics. There are several different groups of phenolic compounds that can be found in industrial
waste waters. Besides the compound called phenol, the following substituted groups are of main
concern: alkyl, chloro, hydroxyl, and nitro phenols. It is known that creosote wood preservatives
contains phenol and cresols, meanwhile pentachlorophenol wood preservative is a chloro-phenolic
compound. An analysis for total phenols is an excellent quantitative indication of either one or both
of the two compound’s presence in waste waters. Many waste water discharge permits include
parameters on acceptable levels of phenols.

Many of these organic compounds have complicated industrial wastewater treatments because a
majority of them either cannot, or very slowly naturally decompose. Fats, oil and grease are among
these organic hydrocarbon compounds that do not easily decompose. These compounds are known
to be lipophilic meaning they mix more easily with oil than water, therefore fats and oils for the
most part floats on water. Although a portion is carried onto settling solids, and coat surfaces
causing maintenance problems, these compounds will eventually dissolve into water mostly as
emulsified oil. A smaller fraction of these hydrocarbons will dissolve directly into water which is of
much concern. If oil and grease is not removed before discharge of the wastewater, it can interfere
with the biological life in the surface waters with floating matter and films. The Oil and Grease (O &
G) analysis is a very important quantitative test used for the crude determination of the
hydrocarbon content of industrial waste waters. O&G tests may include free oil and emulsified
measurements.
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The organic contents of waste water can be indicated by analysis of Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
which will include any water soluble and insoluble organic compounds. The impacts of these
organic compounds upon biological receptors are sometimes examined under two broad means of
measurement: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The
widely used parameter of organic pollution applied to wastewater is the 5-day BOD (BOD5).
Biochemical oxygen demand or BOD is a chemical procedure for determining the uptake rate of
dissolved oxygen by the biological organisms in a body of water. It is not a precise quantitative test,
although it is widely used as an indication of the quality of water and can be used as a gauge of the
effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) test is
commonly used to indirectly measure the amount of organic compounds in water. This test
indicates the mass of oxygen consumed per liter of solution to degrade nearly all organic
compounds. Indication through the use of a strong oxidizing agent under acidic conditions will
degrade all organics to carbon dioxide and ammonia. The COD of wastewater is, in general, higher
than BOD5 because more compounds can be chemically oxidized than can be biologically oxidized.

Acidity or alkalinity is easiest described through measurement of pH. The pH of waste water simply
measures the hydrogen ion activity or concentration in solution. Through the use of a co-logarithm
formula the pH values range from 0 through to 14 with a solution pH of 7 being neutral. This
concentration range suitable for the existence of most biological life is narrow and critical therefore
making this an important water quality parameter.

Fundamentals of Industrial Waste Water Treatment

Normal water treatment procedures at wood preserving plants involve some, or if not all, the
following processing steps: phase separation, pH adjustment, oxidation, coagulation & flocculation,
sedimentation or settling, filtration, and adsorption. The involvement and the sequence of these
steps will vary at each plant’s water treatment. There are exceptions to these steps at plants with a
biological treatment or an immobilized cell bioreactor (ICB).

Oil and grease are present in those waste waters at plants that use oil based wood preservatives.
Industrial waste water treatment technologies can deal with the presence of oil and grease
however, only in small quantities. Free oil will interfere with the overall water treatment
performance and eliminates oil accumulation in unwanted areas It is imperative that the oil phase,
which is usually floating atop of the water, be separated and removed before any further processes
are conducted. The removal of oil and grease from water can be accomplished by use of several
well-known and accepted techniques. Gravity separation is the most common mechanism used to
inhibit the further flow of free oil meanwhile allows the flow onwards of the more dense water. Most
oil separation technologies firstly work on the principles of separating phase densities and of course
the fact that oil & water usually don’t mix. Gravity separators cannot remove soluble impurities or
break emulsions. More advanced technologies can amplify the principles of separating by phase
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densities such as Diffused Air Floatation (DAF) and can more easily handle emulsions. Coalescence
materials in a gravity separator exercise what’s known as Stoke’s law in having ultra fine particles
of oil cling or adhere to this coalescence material and further promoting the formation of a free oil
globules. These oil globules then of course come to the surface due its phase density.

The measurement of pH indicates the amount of acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Control of the pH
of the treated water is of foremost importance; pH is always included in the discharge control
parameters specified under all provincial, state, or municipal effluent limitations. The pH may be
adjusted to enhance the performance of chemical additives during the water treatment processes
or to promote effluent clarity and fallout of solids or precipitates. The pH may change or be
adjusted several times during water treatment processing before its final discharge or release.

Oxidation is applied at many water treatment facilities however may not be necessary based on the
amount of water soluble impurities present. Oxidation is known as both a chemical & biological
process in our water treatment. Oxidation utilizes ozone, hydrogen peroxide or other metal
peroxides to form hydroxyl radicals, which are aggressive oxidants that break down contaminants
into innocuous byproducts. In the event that the short lived hydroxyl radicals are ineffective due to
incorrect pH, little presence of catalysts such as iron, or an overall lack of immediate contact with
contaminants, oxygen then will form and released into the water. Dissolved oxygen will enhance
aerobic microbial activity and stabilize any biodegradable organic materials. Some strains of
bacteria are known to be able to destroy small quantities of oily contaminants and can utilize this
dissolved oxygen.

Coagulation is a water treatment method treatment for fine particle or colloid contaminants. This
entails the adding either aluminum or iron reagents to the water resulting in the formation of a
rough aggregate of fine colloidal particles sticking together. The application of coagulants works on
the principle of charged colloids being attracted and binding to the oppositely charged coagulant.
The resulting formation of the aggregates then can then be easily removed through settling and
filtering. An essential part of any chemical precipitation system is the adding of flocculants.
Flocculants are water soluble polymers that promote the adsorption of macromolecules on the
surface of solids. Adding small amounts of charge polymer chains either form a bridge between the
particulate solids (making them bigger) or on the particulate solids. In most cases flocculants are
used in combination with mineral coagulants such as aluminum sulfate. The effectiveness of
coagulation and flocculation processes are hinged on several variables: the degree of dispersion
and size of the particles, the surface properties of the particles including their electrical charge, the
optimum quantities of coagulants and flocculants required, and the intensity and duration of mixing
of waste water with the reagents.

Sedimentation is often used as a primary stage in water treatment, reducing the content of
suspended solids as well as the pollutant embedded in the suspended solids. Sedimentation or
settling simply involves the removal of contaminant particles that are heavier than water by
gravitational means. The primary purpose of this process is to produce a clarified effluent by
producing sludge with a solid concentration that can be easily filtered, handled and treated.
Coagulation and flocculation will enhance the degree of this settling therefore an adequate settling
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device of horizontal, vertical, or radial construction must be selected to capture settled product.
These settling devices are sometimes referred to as clarifiers.

Filtration is the process of removing suspended solids from water by passing the water through a
permeable fabric or porous bed of materials. Filtration is usually used to purify the fluid rather than
capture the solids as a valuable material. Therefore they find most of their uses in liquid effluent
treatment or a secondary stage in water treatment particulate removal. Sand bed filters are an
example of a granular loose media depth filter that works by providing fine particulate solids an
opportunity to be captured on the surface of a sand grain. As fluid flows through the porous sand
along a meandering route, the particulates come close to sand grains and can be captured by one
of four mechanisms.

Adsorption is a process in which contaminant molecules leave solution and are held on a solid
surface by chemical or physical bonding. Physical adsorption, otherwise known as physiorption, is
the process that occurs most frequently in the removal of wastewater pollutants, especially
dissolved organic matter. Adsorption binds material by physical forces called Van der Waals or
London Dispersion forces. At present activated carbon is the most promising agent for efficient
treatment of wastewater by adsorption. Carbon has an extremely high degree of micro porosity
therefore leading to a tremendously large contact area.

METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this guideline is to aid in the understanding of wastewater treatment and to
establish treatment procedures. The comprehension of the principles of waste water treatment will
aid the reader’s application of treatment procedures. As mentioned in the introduction there are
water treatment processes that involve some, or if not all, the following process steps: phase
separation, pH adjustment, oxidation, coagulation & flocculation, sedimentation or settling,
filtration, and adsorption. Some of these processes are recurring and may not follow the sequence
as listed.

The waste water introduced to the water treatment system usually comes from two generational
sources: 1) yard run off or storm water, and 2) process water. The extent of contamination is
greater with the process water because of its direct contact with the wood preservatives during the
preserving processes. Process water is usually a smaller volume versus yard water. Yard water is
usually that collected from the rain runoff of a yard plant yard containing the treated wood. Having
the majority of the contamination coming from the wood preservatives used at the plant it is
expected that waste water would contain one or more of the following contaminants:
pentachorophenol, copper naphthenate, creosote, CCA, ACQ, DOT, and pole oil. Other contaminants
that are not of wood preservative origin are natural wood sugars & resins extracted during
treatment, and suspended solids mostly consisting of wood and ground sediment. Unexpected
contaminants may originate from accidents spills that most likely would be a petroleum product.
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The prediction of steps necessary of treating a waste water stream are mostly hinged on the plant’s
history, physical observations, and water analysis. History entails the near past and present use of
potential contaminants, its characteristic impact as a waste water contaminant, and lastly special
attention to the contaminant’s generational sources (mostly from wood preserving). Physical
observations are obtained from that information collected from the physical senses. Physical
observation will entail taking a representative sample of a turbid or stirred mixture of waste water
into a transparent (glass or clear plastic) jar. Observation will include the following: 1) color &
clarity of the solution, 2) odor of the solution, 3) evidence of a skim or sheen of oil, and 4) the
amount and extent of settling of suspended solids. Chemical analysis is slightly more complicated
involving onsite “quick testing” kits and randomly sending samples offsite for extensive chemical
analysis. These observations of the waste water indicated through physical observation, and or
chemical analysis will predict the sequence of steps of treatment.

It is imperative that a chemical analysis is performed on your waste waters and it cannot be
overstressed the fact that physical properties can not identify contaminants that are not
distinctively visible or odorous. Even if distinctive properties are exhibited you will encounter
minuscule quantities or concentrations of contaminants beyond the range of the human sensory
threshold. Chemical, not physical, analysis is known for its outmost accuracy and entrusted by the
government authorities as verification of water quality.

As mentioned in the Fundamentals of Industrial Waste Water Treatment section; oil / water or to be
more accurate, oil from water separation is paramount. If oil is present and is not removed this will
lead to a failing sequence of inefficient treatment steps thereafter. The more quickly oil is removed
from water the less chance of aqueous (water) soluble hydrocarbon fractions reaching their
saturation, For example naphthalene constitutes creosote at concentration between 3 to 18% and
has an aqueous solubility of 31 mg / liter, and phenol only constitutes 0.2 to 2% of creosote yet has
an aqueous solubility of 93000 mg or 9.3 g / liters. Other contaminants such as pentachlorophenol
its solubility in water is also pH dependent and varies between 10 mg/L at pH 6 to 20 mg/L at pH 8.

Particulate matter separation is important not only

Sampling

1. The facility is issued an operating permit by the local POTW or equivalent utility. The permit
states the sampling requirements, parameters and frequency. The Supervisor-Treating
Operations is responsible for training employees to ensure that all requirements are known
and complied with at all times. Included in the training is the importance of conformance,
significant environmental impacts, roles in achieving conformance with procedures and
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requirements of the environmental management system, and the potential consequences of

departure from specified procedures.
2. Weekly samples are obtained by the facility and given to an approved lab for testing by
means of a chain of custody form. The results of the samples is reported in writing by the
lab and retained in the office files for reference and reporting purposes.
3. The permit requires semi-annual or annual compliance sampling. The Supervisor-Treating
Operations is responsible for obtaining the required samples and sending them to an
approved lab as previously described. The results of the sampling are reported to the local
POTW.

Noncompliances

1. All wastewater permit exceedences are reported. The Supervisor-Treating Operations is

responsible for checking sampling results with the parameters of the permit. Any
exceedences are immediately reported to the Plant Manager and are documented on a
Serious Incident Report form. It is the responsibility of the Plant Manager to report permit
exceedences immediately to he POTW by telephone and followed up in writing, if required.
2. Permit noncompliances are to be documented and tracked by means of an Incident Report.