WASTE

WATER
TREATMENT

WASTE WATER
TREATMENT
Water treatment is the
process of removing
undesirable chemicals,
materials, and biological
contaminants from
contaminated water.

WASTE WATER
Wastewater is any water
that has been adversely
affected in quality by
anthropogenic (human)
influence.

DOMESTIC WASTE WATER

Comprises mixture of liquid

and solid materials

discharged by domestic
residences, commercial
properties, industry, and/or
agriculture
Can encompass a wide
range of potential
contaminants and

MUNICIPAL WASTE
WATER
Municipal wastewater is mainly comprised
of water (99.9%) together with relatively
small concentrations of suspended and
dissolved organic and inorganic solids.
Among the organic substances present in
sewage are carbohydrates, lignin, fats, soaps,
synthetic detergents, proteins and their
decomposition products, as well as various
natural and synthetic organic chemicals from
the process industries

NEED FOR WW
TREATMENT
1. Domestic waste water has harmful microorganisms

like Ecoli, hence the need to reduce BOD, COD

2. Industrial effluents have different constituents
including Suspended solids, inorganic chemical like
nitrogen,
3. Other industrial wastes have high temperatures
hence need to reduce the temperature lest it kills
aquatic animals when disposed
4. PH levels in some industrial effluents needs to be
reduced

METHODS
Purification methods used include:
Physical processes such as filtration and

sedimentation,
Biological processes such as slow sand
filters or activated sludge,
Chemical processes such as
flocculation, ozonisation and chlorination
Electromagnetic radiation such as
ultraviolet light.

CONVECTIONAL
METHODS

Preliminary treatment removes materials that can be easily

collected from the raw waste water before they damage or clog
the pumps and skimmers of primary treatment clarifiers (trash,
tree limbs, leaves, cans, plastic packets etc.).
The solids are collected and later disposed in a landfill or

incinerated.
Bar screens or mesh screens of varying sizes may be used to
optimize solids removal.

May also include a sand or grit channel or chamber where the

velocity of the incoming wastewater is adjusted to allow the

settlement of sand, grit, stones, and broken glass.

These particles are removed because they may damage pumps and

other equipment.

In some larger plants, fat and grease is removed by passing the

sewage through a small tank where skimmers collect the fat

floating on the surface.

Sewage treatment generally involves three

stages, called primary, secondary and
tertiary treatment. A pre-treatment stage is
normally necessary

Primary Treatment
Primary settling tanks are

usually equipped with

mechanically driven scrapers:
Continually drive the collected

sludge towards a hopper in

the base of the tank where it
is pumped to sludge
treatment facilities.

A typical sedimentation tank

may remove from 60 to 65

percent of suspended solids,
and from 30 to 35 percent of
biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) from the sewage.
BOD is a measure of the

amount of dissolved oxygen

consumed by biological
processes breaking down
organic matter (usually in five
days, BOD5).

Chemical Oxygen Demand

(COD) is also a measure of
organic pollution

It is measured by chemically
oxidising all the organic
fraction using a chemical
oxidant
It is therefore higher than
BOD5

Secondary treatment
Secondary treatment removes dissolved and suspended

biological matter.
Designed to substantially degrade the biological content of the
sewage which are derived from human waste, food waste,
soaps and detergent.
Performed by indigenous, water-borne micro-organisms (bacteria,
protozoa and fungi) in a managed habitat.
The micro-organisms consume biodegradable soluble organic
contaminants (e.g. sugars, fats, organic short-chain carbon
molecules, etc.)
Also bind much of the less soluble fractions into flocs.
Secondary treatment systems can either be aerobic or anaerobic

Aerobic systems include activated sludge plants, trickling filters,

oxidation ditches

Normally used for low strength (BOD) domestic and industrial

wastewaters

Anaerobic systems are usually used for higher BOD loadings

and for sludge stabilization

Aerobic secondary treatment systems are classified as fixed-film or
suspended-growth system

Activated sludge systems

Activated sludge

process is a common
example of suspendedgrowth system
The process involves air or
oxygen being introduced
into a mixture of primary
treated or screened
wastewater combined with
organisms to develop a
biological floc which
reduces the organic
content of the sewage.
Once the wastewater has

received sufficient
treatment, excess mixed
liquor is discharged into
settling tanks
the treated supernatant is
run off to undergo further

Activated sludge systems

Part of the settled

material, the sludge, is

returned to the head of
the aeration system to
re-seed the new
wastewater entering
the tank.
The settled material,
the sludge is
removed from the
treatment process
Treated by digestion,

usually under anaerobic

conditions prior to
disposal.

Trickling Filters
Trickling Filters is a common

fixed-film system.
The settled sewage liquor is
spread onto the surface of a bed
made up of rocks, gravel, coke,
limestone chips or specially
fabricated plastic media.
Such media must have large

surface areas to support the

biofilms that form.

The liquor is distributed through

perforated spray arms.

The distributed liquor trickles

through the bed and is collected

in drains at the base.

Biological films of bacteria,

protozoa and fungi form on the

medias surfaces and
breakdown organic content.

Waste stabilization ponds

Often referred to as

oxidation ponds or lagoons,

are holding earthen manmade basins where
decomposition of organic
matter takes place
naturally.
Maybe single or several

series of anaerobic,
facultative or maturation
ponds.

Usually a consecutive

series of anaerobic,
facultative and aerobic
ponds

Primary treatment takes

place in the anaerobic

ponds (2-5 m deep), which
is mainly designed for
removing suspended solids,
and some of the soluble
element of organic matter
(BOD).

 In the facultative pond (secondary

stage; 1-2 m) most of the

remaining BOD is removed through
the coordinated activity of algae
and heterotrophic bacteria.
In the oxidation (maturation) ponds
(1-1.5 m) pathogens are removed
through action of algae and
sunlight
Polishing ponds may include fish to
eat algae and hence improve water
clarity before discharge

Stabilization ponds are particularly

well suited for tropical and

subtropical countries because the
intensity of the sunlight and
temperature are key factors for
the efficiency of the removal
processes.
Main treatment method of

municipal effluents in Kenya

Recommended by the WHO for the

treatment of wastewater for reuse

in agriculture and aquaculture,
especially because of its
effectiveness in removing
nematodes (worms) and helminth
eggs.

Tertiary treatment
Treatment levels beyond secondary are called

advanced or tertiary treatment.

The purpose of tertiary treatment is to provide
a final treatment stage to raise the effluent
quality before it is discharged to the receiving
environment (sea, river, lake, ground, etc.).
Tertiary treatment technologies can be
extensions of conventional secondary
biological treatment to further stabilize oxygendemanding substances in the wastewater, or to
remove nitrogen and phosphorus.
Tertiary treatment may also involve physicalchemical separation techniques such as carbon
adsorption,
flocculation/precipitation, membranes for
advanced filtration, ion exchange, dechlorination and reverse osmosis.

Filtration
Sand filtration removes much of the residual suspended matter.
Filtration over activated carbon, also called carbon adsorption,
removes residual toxins
Odour Control
The substances responsible for the diffusion of odors into the
atmosphere in the vicinity of treatment plants are generally
gaseous inorganic products (ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) or
highly volatile organic compounds.
Methods of odour control include Bio Filters, where naturally
occurring micro organisms carryout oxidation, chemical oxidation
using e.g. ozone, chlorine and H2O2
Disinfection
The purpose of disinfection in the treatment of waste water is to
substantially reduce the number of microorganisms in the water to
be discharged back into the environment.
Common methods of disinfection include ozone, chlorine,
ultraviolet light, or sodium hypochlorite.

Nutrient removal
Wastewater may contain high levels of
nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus)
Excessive release to the environment can lead

to eutrophication, which can in turn encourage

the overgrowth of weeds, algae, and
cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).

Different treatment processes are required to

remove nitrogen and phosphorus

Nitrogen
Removal effected through the biological oxidation of
nitrogen from ammonia to nitrate (nitrification), followed by
denitrification, the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen gas is released to the atmosphere and thus removed

from the water.

Denitrification requires anoxic conditions to encourage the

appropriate biological communities to form.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus can be removed biologically in a process called
enhanced biological phosphorus removal.

Specific bacteria, called polyphosphate accumulating organisms

(PAOs), are selectively enriched and accumulate large

quantities of phosphorus within their cells (up to 20 percent of
their mass).

Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical

precipitation, usually with salts of iron (e.g. ferric chloride),

aluminum (e.g. alum), or lime.

WW TREATMENT FOR SMALL URBAN

AREA
1. FILTER BEDS
Gray water can be channeled to filter beds
Grass land
Flower gardens

2. Settling Tank/Outfall Systems

Advantages:
Low capital cost
Lower operator cert. requirements
Periodic sludge removal and handling

Disadvantages:
Primary treatment only
Suitable only for small communities
Requires sludge pumping equipment
Requires long outfall construction

SEPTIC TANKS
Divided into
chambers
One for gray
water
Other for
toilet water
Periodic
sludge
removal

Reuse of grey water

Bath water for toilet flashing
Washing water for lawns, carwash