UNESCOIHEINSTITUTEFORWATEREDUCATION

UWSSEMod.5CONVENTIONALWASTEWATERTREATMENT

ASSIGNMENT'BIOLOGICALNUTRIENTREMOVALACTIVATEDSLUDGEPLANT'
PROCESSDESIGN

DEADLINE:MONDAYMARCH3th,2014;8.30hrs

MARKWEIGHT:20%(oftotalmodule'smark)

IMPORTANTNOTES:
(1) Use the provided information to design a biological nutrient removal activated
sludgesystem(forcarbon,nitrogenandphosphorusremoval)whichmustcomplywithCOD,
TNandTPeffluentconcentrationslesserthan50,10and2mg/L,respectively.
(2) When carrying out the design, the calculations must be in sufficiently detail to
supportyouranswers.
(3)Ifnecessary,maketherequiredassumptionstosupportthedesignoftheplantand
indicatethesourceandrationalebehindtheassumptionwhereapplicable.

PART1.WASTEWATERCHARACTERIZATION(5%).
The municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) will be designed based on the flow weighted
averageconcentrationsmeasuredintheRAW(nonsettled)wastewater(WW)streamwhosemeasured
parameters are displayed on Table 1. For this purpose, a 10L composite sample was collected in the
wastewaterflowtobetreated(whichcorrespondstothewastewaterINFLUENTtobe).

Inparallel,laboratorybatchtestsfororganicmatter(asCOD),nitrogen(N)andphosphorusremoval(P)
were performed to determine the treatability of the wastewater stream and therefore estimate the
expected EFFLUENT characteristics if ideal treatment conditions were applied in a nutrient removal
activatedsludgesystem.

TheresultsoftheparametersmeasuredintheRAWwastewaterinfluentandaftertheexecutionofthe
laboratorybatchtestsaresummarizedinTable1.

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Table 1. Concentrations of the parameters determined in the raw wastewater stream and after the
executionofthelabtreatabilitytests.
Wastewater
Sample
Raw(nonfiltered)
wastewaterINFLUENT
Filtered(0.45m)
wastewaterINFLUENT
Nonfiltered
wastewaterEFFLUENT
Filtered(0.45m)
wastewaterEFFLUENT

Parameter
NH4N* TotalP
[mg/L]
[mg/L]

PO43N
[mg/L]

TSS
[mg/L]

ISS
[mg/L]

7.5

225

56

39

6.6

6.3

0.27

0.10

0.27

n.d.

0.10

n.d.

COD
[mg/L]

VFA
[mg/L]

TKN
[mg/L]

475

55

254

124

48

43

43

n.d.

:Notmeasured;n.d.:Notdetected;*.Comprisesbothfreeandsalineammonia(NH4N).

BasedonthepreviousinformationandassuminganunbiodegradableCODfraction(fsup)of0.08,fCVof
1.48gCOD/gVSS,fNof0.10gTKN/gVSSandfP0.03gP/gVSS,determine:

Q1.1)InfluentCODfractionation(biodegradableandunbiodegradablesolubleandparticulatefractions,
includingthefermentableandvolatilefattyacidsfractions,SFandSVFA).
Q1.2)InfluentNfractionation(freeandsalineammonia(NH4N),andbiodegradableand
unbiodegradablesolubleandparticulatefractions).
Q1.3)InfluentPfractionation(orthophosphate(PO43P),andbiodegradableandunbiodegradable
solubleandparticulatefractions).
Q1.4)Theinfluentfluxes(inkg/dunits)oftotalCOD,biodegradableCOD,unbiodegradableparticulate
CODandinorganicsuspendedsolids(ISS).

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PART2.ORGANICMATTERREMOVAL(5%)
Theactivatedsludgebiologicalnutrientremovalsystemistobedesignedtotreatthewastewaterwhose
characteristicswerecomputedinPART1.
Acceptingthefollowingdesignrequirementsandconditions:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.

ZeroeffluentbiodegradableCODconcentration.
Asewagetemperatureof14oC.
Anaverageinfluentflowrateof15ML/day.
TSSreactorconcentrationof4.5kgTSS/m3.
MaximumeffluentCODconcentrationof50mg/L.
MaximumeffluentTNconcentrationof10mg/L.
MaximumeffluentTPconcentrationof2mg/L.
Effluenttotalsuspendedsolids(TSS)concentrationof5mgTSS/L.
Asafetyfactorfornitrification(Sf)of1.25.
K2,20of0.101mgNO3N/mgOHO.VSS.d
Asludgerecycleratio(srecycle)of0.75Qi.
Absenceofoxygenandnitrateintheinfluentflowrateandsludgerecyclerates.
1mg/Lofoxygenpresentintheinternalrecirculationflows.
1mg/Lofnitratepresentintheinternalrecirculationflows.
Assumeananaerobicmassfractionswith3compartmentsnosmallerthan10%but
nothigherthan15%withregardtothetotalreactorvolume.

Determine:
Q2.1) An adequate SRT that will allow and favor the biological removal of organic matter (as COD),
nitrogenandphosphorus.
Q2.2)DesignaPhoredox(A.K.A.A2Osystem)forthebiologicalremovaloforganicmatter,nitrogenand
phosphorus.
Q2.3)Calculatethetotalmassofvolatilesuspendedsolidsexpectedtoaccumulateinthereactor(MXV)
in kg VSS, by computing the different volatile suspended solids masses (MXBH, MXE, MXI) taking into
account the different biomass populations present in the system (e.g. OHO, PAO, and nitrifying
organisms).
Q2.4) Calculate the mass of inorganic suspended solids (MXIO) expected in the reactor, in kg ISS,
consideringtheinfluentCODcharacteristicsandtheISScontent(fiOHO)accumulatedintheOHOandPAO
biomasses(e.g.MXOHO,MXPAO).
Q2.5)Calculatethereactorvolumetakingintoaccountthegiventotalsuspendedsolidsconcentration
(Xt)atwhichtheplantwilloperate.
Q2.6)Calculatetheoxygendemandfororganicmatterremoval(FOc).MustthePAObiomass
concentrationbeknowntodeterminetheoxygenrequirements?
Q2.7)WhatistheeffluentCODconcentrationofthesystem?

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Q2.8)Whatarethenitrogenrequirementsforbiomassgrowth(Ns)ofthesystem?MustthePAO
biomassconcentrationbeknowntodeterminethenitrogenrequirements?

PART3.BIOLOGICALNITROGENREMOVAL(5%)

Q3.1)Whichisthenitrificationcapacity(Nc)ofthesystem?
Q3.2)Whatistheexpectedoxygendemandfornitrification(FOn)?
Q3.3)Whichwillbethedenitrificationpotential(DP1)ofthesystem?
Q8.4)Whatisasuitable'arecycle'ratiotooptimizethedenitrificationinthesystem?
Q8.4)Whatwillbetheoxygenrecoveredbydenitrification?
Q8.5)Whataretheexpectedammonia(Nae),nitrate(Nne)andtotalnitrogenconcentrations(Nte)
concentrationsintheeffluentoftheplant?
Q8.5)Whatisthetotalnitrogen(TN)concentrationexpectedintheeffluentoftheplant?

PART4.ENHANCEDBIOLOGICALPHOSPHORUSREMOVAL(5%)

Q8.4)Whatarethephosphorusrequirementsforbiomassgrowth(Ps)ofthesystem?
Q8.4)WhatisthetotalphosphorusremovalbyPAO(PAO)?
Q9.4)Basedonthetotalphosphorusremovalofthesystem(e.g.bybiomasssynthesisandPAO)theP
fractionation,whatwillbetheexpectedtotaleffluentphosphorusconcentration?

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