Water Quality, Pollution,

and Treatment Plants

Objectives
Introduce water quality standards
Introduce typical treatment processes and
design flow rates
Present examples of flow sheet diagrams

Water Usage
Domestic
Industrial
Agriculture

Fish farming
Recreational

Pollution

Physical
Radiological

Thermal
Solids

Radio-isotopes

Chemical

Hardness
Heavy metals

Biological
Pathogens

Nutrients
Pesticides
Oxygen demanding waste
Volatile organic compounds

Storm water pollution

Scale formation due to
water hardness

Red tide due to algae contamination

Water Quality
Standards

A.
Standards for
water usage

Drinking
Irrigation
Recreational
Industrial

B.
Discharge or
effluent
standard

C.
Water quality
objective limit

Stream
Sea
Harbor
Lake

Stream
Sea
Harbor
Lake

A. Drinking Water Standard

A1. US Primary Drinking Water MCL in mg/L (partial list)
Inorganic Chemicals
Arsenic

0.05

Mercury

0.002

Barium

Nickel

0.1

Cadmium

0.005

Nitrate (as N)

10

Chromium (total)

0.1

Nitrite (as N)

Copper

TT

Nitrate + nitrite

10

Fluoride

Selenium

0.05

Lead

TT

Thallium

0.002

Asbestos

7106 fiber /L
Ethylbenzene

0.7

Vinyl chloride

0.002

VOCs
Benzene

0.005

Carbon tetrachloride 0.005

Different countries may have different drinking water standards

Concentration, mg/L
Guideline
Constituent
Antimony
Arsenic
Asbestos
Barium
Beryllium
Boron
Cadmium
Chromium
Cyanide (as CN)
Fluoride
Lead
Mercury, total
Molybdenum
Nickel
Nitrate (as N)
Nitrite (as N)
Selenium
Thallium

WHOb

Canadac

0.005

0.01
0.7
0.3
0.003
0.05
0.07
1.5
0.01
0.001
0.07
0.02
11.3
0.91
0.01

0.025d

1.0

U.S. standards
MCLG
MCL
0.006
0
7 X 106e
2
0.004

0.006
0.05
X 106e
2
0.004

5d
0.005
0.05
0.02
1.5
0.01
0.001

10
0.01

0.005
0.1
0.2'
4
0
0.002
0.1
10
1
0.0
5
0.0005

0.005
0.1
0.2'
4
TTg
0.002
0.1
10
1
0.05
0.002

'See notes at beginning of Section 8.6.

'Reproduced by permission from WHO (1993), Guidelinesfor Drinking Water Quality, vol. 1- Recommendations, 2nd ed., World Health Organization, Geneva.
'MAC.
d Interim value (IMAC).
'Based on fibers >10 Am.
'Proposed.
gTreatment technology specified.

A2. Bacteriological limits for drinking water

US EPA states that bacterial quality criteria for
drinking water from public supplies require not more
than 1 total-coliform/100 ml as the arithmetic mean of all
water samples examined per month, with no more than 4
coliforms/100 ml in any sample if the number of samples
is 20/month, or no more than 4 per 100 ml in 5% of the
samples if the number of samples exceeds 20 per month.
Bouwer, Groundwater Hydrology, McGraw-Hill, 1978.

Number of samples taken for coliform testing depends on the

population served by the treatment facility

Population served
25-1000
1001-2500
2501-3300
3301-4100
4101-4900
4901-5800
5801-6700
6701-7700
7701-8500
8501-12900
12 901-17 200
17 201-21 500
21 501-25 000
25 001-33 000
33 001-41 000
41 001-50 000
50 001-59 000

Minimum no. of
routine samples
per month

Population served

Minimum no. of
routine samples
per month

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
15
20
25
30
40
50
60

59 001-70 000
70 001-83 000
83 001-96 000
96 001-130 000
130 001-220 000
220 001-320 000
320 001-450 000
450 001-600 000
600 001-780 000
780 001-970 000
970 001-1 230 000
1 230 001-1 520 000
1 520 001-1 850 000
1 850 001-2 270 000
2 270 001-3 020 000
3 020 001-3 960 000
3 960 001 or more

70
80
90
100
120
150
180
210
240
270
300
330
360
390
420
450
480

Example
Water samples from the effluent of a water treatment plant of a town
(39,000 people) were analyzed at regular intervals over a month period.
The numbers of coliform/100 ml sample were as shown below:
According to EPA
regulations, are the
number of samples
and effluent bacterial
quality acceptable?
Explain.

No. Count

No.

Count

No.

Count

No.

Count

11

21

31

12

22

32

13

23

33

14

24

34

15

25

35

16

26

36

17

27

37

18

28

38

19

29

39

10

20

30

40

Solution
The population is 39,000, so the minimum number of samples should be
40. Since we have 40 samples then the number of samples taken is OK
The arithmetic average of coliform should not be more
than 1. Since the average number of coliform is 0.95
which is less than 1 then this condition is OK

No more than 5% of the samples should have more than 4 coliform/100ml.

Since the number of samples is 40 then no more than 2 samples (5%)
should have more than 4 coliform/100ml. However, there are three
samples (sample # 14, 25, and 38) that have more than 4 coliform/100ml.
So this is a violation of the regulations.

A3. Secondary Standard for Drinking Water

Contaminant

Level

Effects

Al

0.05-0.2 mg/L

Water discoloration

Cl

250 mg/L

Taste, pipe corrosion

Color

15 color units

Aesthetic

Cu

1 mg/L

Taste, porcelain staining

2 mg/L

Dental fluorosis

Foaming agents

0.5 mg/L

Aesthetic

Fe

0.3 mg/L

Taste, laundry staining

pH

6.5-8.5

Corrosive

Sulfate

250 mg/L

Taste, laxative effects

B. Effluent Standards
B1. US National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES)
7 consecutive
days

30 consecutive
days

BOD

45 mg/l

30 mg/l

SS

45 mg/l

30 mg/l

Oil and grease

20 mg/l

10 mg/l

pH: 6-9
BOD and SS removal > 85%

B2. Discharge standard of wastewater into Jebel Ali Harbor

Parameter

Unit

Maximum limit

Total Suspended solids

mg/l

50

6-9

oC

< 35

BOD

mg/l

50

Dissolved Oxygen

mg/l

>3

Nitrate

mg/l

40

Arsenic

mg/l

0.05

Cadmium

mg/l

0.05

Copper

mg/l

0.5

Lead

mg/l

0.1

Mercury

mg/l

0.001

Oil & Grease

mg/l

10

Phenols

mg/l

0.1

Total Organic Carbon

mg/l

75

Cells/100ml

1000

pH
Temperature

Total Coliform

C. Water Quality Objective Limits

Jebel Ali Harbor water quality objective limits
Indicator

Standard (mg/l or as noted)

Lead

0.05

Oil and grease

Aluminum

0.2

Arsenic

0.01

Cadmium

0.003

Dissolved oxygen

Not less than 5 mg/l or 90% saturation

Mercury

0.001

BOD5

10

Nitrate-N

0.5

Aromatic hydrocarbons

0.001

pH

1 pH unit from background level or 6.5-8.5

Suspended solids

10 (mean), 25 (maximum)

Temperature

2 oC from background level

Total dissolved solids

2% from background level

Typical Treatment of Contaminants

Parameter/Problem

Treatment Process

Large debris (particles)

Screens (Physical)

Settlable solids

Grit chamber (Physical)

Suspended solids

Coagulation (Chemical)/flocculation
(Physical)/Sedimentation (Physical)
Filtration (Physical)

BOD

Biological reactors (Biological)

Heavy metals

Depending on the metal: Sorption (Chemical),

ion exchange (Chemical), or precipitation
(Chemical)

Trace organic
contaminants

Activated carbon (Chemical) or air stripping

(Chemical) if chemicals are volatile in nature

Microorganisms

Disinfection (mainly Chemical)

Water Treatment Plant (WTP)

A WTP consists of processes to remove contaminants present in the water
such that produced water is suitable for drinking.
The design of a WTP depends on (1) the quality of raw water, (2) the quality
of produced water and the (3) capacity of the plant.
The capacity of the plant depends on the design period (15-25 yrs), the
population served, and the per capita water consumption.
A flow sheet for the plant shows the sequence of the processes used:

Raw water

Produced water

influent

Effluent

WTP

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

A WWTP consists of processes to remove contaminants present in the
wastewater such that produced water is suitable for discharge or reuse.
The design of a WWTP depends on (1) the characteristics of wastewater, (2)
the desired characteristics of treated wastewater and the (3) capacity of the
plant.
The capacity of the plant depends on the design period (15-25 yrs), the
population served, and the per capita wastewater generation.
A flow sheet for the plant shows the sequence of the processes used:

Wastewater

Treated
wastewater or

Or influent

WWTP

Effluent

Flow Rates: Water Treatment Plants

Design flow rate =per capita water consumption*population at the end
of design period.

Note that the per capita water consumption increases about 10% of the
percentage increase in population.
Example
A small town with a population of 100,000 and a per capita water
consumption of 500 L/d. A water treatment plant is to be built to serve this
town for the coming 10 yrs. Estimate the design flow rate assuming the
population after 10 yrs is 150,000.

Solution
The percent increase in population = (150000-100000)/100000= 50%
Per capita consumption at the end of design
period=500(100%+50%*10%)=525 L/d
Design flow rate = 150,000 * 525 L/d= 78750 m3/d

Flow Rates: Wastewater Treatment Plants

Minimum flow rate:
Important for design of pipes and channels that carry wastewater with
suspended solids. Minimum velocity to keep organic solids in suspension is 0.3
m/s and to keep silt and sand in suspension is about 0.6 m/s.

Maximum flow rate:

This is the peak hourly flow. Such flow is used to determine the hydraulic
capacity of the treatment plant and collection system.

Design flow rate:

Average daily flow at the end of the design period. Usually the average daily
flow is taken as the average over a continuous of 12 months period.
This design flow rate is used to determine organic loading and for sizing all
treatment units.

Flow Sheet Diagram

River Water Treatment Plant
Coagulant

Chlorine
solution

Raw
water

Effluent
Bar
Screen

Traveling Mixing
Screen

Aeration

Flocculation

Settling

Filtration

Carbon bed
Brine

Add Mg
+
Add F

Filter

Bottle water Plant

Ground
Water

Reverses Osmosis
Filters

G.L

W.T
Well

Filter
Ozonation

Bottled
Water

Example Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant

Influent

Equalization Tank

Aeration Tank

Settling Chlorination
Tank
Effluent

Air
Return sludge

Dispersed plug-flow activated sludge plant for an industrial wastewater

Removal Efficiency
Q,
Co

Treatment
Unit

Q,
C

Q= flow rate
Co = influent concentration
C = effluent concentration

Removal efficiency = (Co-C)*100/Co

For example if Co is 100 mg/l and C is 10 mg/l then the
removal efficiency of the treatment unit is 90%.