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    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization
    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization
    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization
    Ebook271 pages6 hours

    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization

    By Water Environment Federation

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    About this ebook

    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization addresses the "last frontier" in liquid systems treatment by documenting and examining the methods currently in use. Driven by the industry's increasing need to determine how grit can be better characterized, modeled, and reliably removed, this book is a first step toward understanding the implications of the methods selected and allowing for proper design and optimization of grit removal systems.

    The book discusses methods for:

    • characterizing grit;
    • obtaining a grit sample, including
      • cross-channel sampling and dry sieving,
      • full-depth sampling and wet sieving, and
      • primary sludge sampling;
    • analyzing a grit sample; and
    • using grit characterization data.

    The authors also identify gaps in the current knowledge and make the case for further research in critical areas.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWater Environment Federation
    Release dateAug 2, 2016
    ISBN9781572783317
    Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization

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      Guidelines for Grit Sampling and Characterization - Water Environment Federation

      approaches

      Preface

      This publication documents the processes currently used for grit sampling and characterization in the industry. This is WEF’s first effort to address the industry’s increasing need to determine how grit can be better characterized, modeled, and reliably removed to lower levels. Written for wastewater professionals familiar with basic wastewater treatment concepts, this book will help the reader understand the implications of the sampling and characterization methods chosen for each unique situation and allow for proper design and optimization of grit removal systems. It is not the purpose of this document to discuss various types of equipment used to remove grit and process grit slurry.

      This publication was produced under the direction of Kendra Sveum, P.E., Chair, and Lucas Botero, P.E., BCEE, Vice-Chair.

      Authors’ and reviewers’ efforts were supported by the following organizations:

      AECOM, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, and Cleveland, Ohio

      AWD Consult, Inc., South Portland, Maine

      Black Dog Analytical, Marseilles, Illinois

      Black & Veatch Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri

      Brown and Caldwell, Nashville, Tennessee

      Carollo Engineers, Costa Mesa, California

      CDM Smith, Boston, Massachusetts, and Denver, Colorado

      CH2M, San Francisco, California

      District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, Washington, District of Columbia

      Donohue & Associates, Inc., Chicago, Illinois

      East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, California

      Garver, Frisco, Texas

      Grit Tech, Lenexa, Kansas

      Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia Beach, Virginia

      Hazen and Sawyer, PC, New York, New York

      HDR Inc., Walnut Creek, California

      Huber Technology, Inc., Huntersville, North Carolina

      Hydro International, Hillsboro, Oregon

      Jones and Henry Engineers, Ltd., Toledo, Ohio

      Philadelphia Water, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

      SEH, St. Paul, Minnesota

      Smith & Loveless, Inc., Lenexa, Kansas

      Tetra Tech, Boucherville, Québec, Canada

      Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada

      1

      Introduction

      Joel C. Rife, P.E.; Lucas Botero, P.E., BCEE; Majdala Mansour-Geoffrion; and Kendra Sveum, P.E.

      1.0     PURPOSE

      1.1     Scope of the Document

      1.2     Grit Testing Applications

      1.3     Summary of Current Testing Methods

      1.3.1     Cross-Channel Sampling and Dry Sieving

      1.3.2     Full-Depth Sampling and Wet Sieving

      1.3.3     Primary Sludge Sampling

      1.4     Issues Associated with Lack of Performance Testing Standardization

      2.0     GRIT CHARACTERISTICS

      2.1     Fractionation of Solids in Wastewater

      2.2     Historical Definitions

      2.3     Definition for the Purpose of Sampling

      2.4     Physical Characteristics of Grit

      2.5     Influence of the Collection System on Grit Characteristics and Loading

      2.6     Influence of Geology on Grit Characteristics

      2.7     Grit Loading Patterns

      2.8     Grit Distribution Versus Flow Characteristics in Channel

      2.9     Roles of Interested Parties in Grit Characterization

      2.9.1     Role of the Service Utility

      2.9.2     Role of the Consulting Engineer

      2.9.3     Role of the Grit Characterization Testing Company

      2.9.4     Role of the Grit Removal Equipment Manufacturers

      3.0     REFERENCES

      4.0     SUGGESTED READING

      1.0     PURPOSE

      The science and art associated with the design and evaluation of grit removal systems for municipal water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) is, in many ways, the last frontier in the liquid systems treatment train. With advances in tertiary and solids treatment, an increased emphasis has been placed on removing grit. This has resulted in more systems requiring the removal of finer grit particles than have traditionally been removed by grit systems. This shift in the industry has resulted in an increased need for research to better understand how the presence and behavior of grit in wastewater can be characterized and modeled to allow for the application of better science when assessing quantities of grit in wastewater and the performance of grit removal systems. This document is the result of Water Environment Federation’s (WEF’s) initial efforts to explore this challenging field.

      A critical step in assessing the performance of any process is to standardize methods used to measure the constituent that the process is intended to remove. Although several grit sampling and characterization methods are currently being used throughout the industry, these methods use significantly different procedures.

      The purpose of this publication is to review currently used grit sampling and characterization methods. The information provided can be used by utility owners, consulting engineers, and grit equipment manufacturers to understand the implications of the sampling and characterization methods chosen for each unique situation to allow for proper design and optimization of grit removal systems.

      This publication is not intended to address various types of equipment used to remove grit and process the grit slurry, evaluate the performance that should be achieved by that equipment, or discuss the costs associated with treatment. There are numerous other references for this information including Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WEF et al., 2010). It is believed that as a greater understanding of grit characteristics and behavior is achieved, the design of the grit removal systems will also evolve.

      1.1     Scope of the Document

      This publication consists of the following four chapters:

      Chapter 1, Introduction, which reviews the characteristics of grit

      Chapter 2, Sampling Practices, which describes the various methods for obtaining a grit sample;

      Chapter 3, Characterization Practices, which covers the various methods for analyzing and characterizing grit samples; and

      Chapter 4, Gaps in Knowledge and General Recommendations, which focuses on how grit characterization data can be used and identifies further research needs.

      1.2     Grit Testing Applications

      Grit removal consists of the following three fundamental processes:

      Removal of grit from the liquid stream;

      Washing and dewatering of the grit slurry after it is conveyed from the liquid stream grit removal process, frequently called grit classification; and

      Removal and washing/dewatering of grit from primary sludge, typically when upstream grit removal process is not provided.

      To allow for proper design and performance assessment of these processes, sampling must be performed to quantify the amount of grit in the liquid or solids stream before and after treatment of these processes. This sampling can be performed at the following locations in the treatment process:

      Raw wastewater influent to the facility headworks,

      Screened influent to the liquid stream grit removal process,

      Effluent from the liquid stream grit removal process,

      Influent to the grit dewatering/washing process,

      Overflow from the grit dewatering/washing process,

      Sampling of the washed/dewatered grit, and

      Sampling of the primary sludge.

      It is the lack of standardization of the methods used to perform the sampling and quantification of grit from the aforementioned liquid and solids streams that is the primary driver for developing this publication.

      1.3     Summary of Current Testing Methods

      There are currently three commonly used methods for grit testing. Two methods, cross-channel sampling and full-depth sampling, are performed on the liquid stream and the third, primary sludge sampling, is performed on the solids stream. The following subsections contain brief summaries of the most commonly used sampling methods. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss these methods in much greater detail, including variations on these methods as well as other less commonly used methods.

      1.3.1     Cross-Channel Sampling and Dry Sieving

      Cross-channel sampling was the first method developed for testing grit in the liquid stream. Sampling is performed along the full width of the liquid stream channel with either one or multiple tapered inlet sampling probes (see Figure 1.1). Typically, the majority of the sampling is performed at the bottom of the channel, based on the theory that most of the grit travels along the bottom of the channel. Depending on channel conditions, additional samples are taken at higher depths (see Figure 1.2). The grit is pumped from the channel at a flowrate to create a velocity through the sample lines that matches the velocity in the channel. All sampled grit slurry flow is pumped into settling basins (grit settlers) equipped with overflows that return the flow to the channels (see Figure 1.3). Grit settlers are typically sized to capture minimum specified grit particle removal (typically 14.6 m/h [6 gpm/sq ft] overflow rate).

      FIGURE 1.1 Cross-channel sampler (image courtesy of Grit Tech).

      Sampling is performed for a sufficient period of time to capture a sample that contains at least 500 g of dried grit. At the end of the sampling, the basin is decanted down to the grit blanket and the remainder is poured through a 3-mm sieve and washed with clean water to remove organics. The remaining grit is then dried at 550 °C and a sieve analysis is performed using 100- to 300-μm sieves.

      FIGURE 1.2 Cross-channel sampling locations (image courtesy of Grit Tech).

      FIGURE 1.3 Typical cross-channel sampling setup (image courtesy of Grit Tech).

      The volume of water pumped to the settler is recorded and results are reported as total grit collected divided by the volume of water pumped. Because this method tends to sample from the portion of the flow containing the highest percentage of grit, it is not possible to extrapolate the grit concentration in the sampled flow to the full facility flow and the test is more to determine relative quantities of grit upstream and downstream of the grit chamber. The inability of this test method to quantify actual grit loadings is, therefore, a disadvantage of this test

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