Wastewater is a combination of the
liquid or waste carried waste removed
from residences, institutions and
commercial and industrial establishment,
together with such groundwater, surface
water, and storm water may be present.
Wastewater Engineering
is a branch of environmental
engineering in which the basic principle of
science and engineering are applied to
solving the issues associated with the
treatment and reuse of wastewater.
Philippines Clean Water Act of 2004
(Republic Act no. 9275) aims to protect
the countrys water bodies from pollution
from land-based sources (industries and
commercial establishments, agriculture
and community/household activities).
Biosolids primarily an organic,
semisolid wastewater product that
remains after solids
Characteristics (wastewater) general
classes of wastewater constituents such
as physical
Composition makeup of wastewater
Constituents individual components,
elements, or biological entities
Contaminants constituents added to
the water supply through use
Disinfection destruction of disease-
causingmicroorganisms
Effluent liquid discharged from a
processing step
Impurities- constituents added to the
water supply
Nonpoint sources- sources of pollution
that originate from multiple sources over a
relatively large area
Effluent Standards (DAO 35)
-Requires that in all effluents from a
certain type of industry the waste
discharge be kept below either a certain
percentage or maximum concentration of
polluting matter.
Stream Standard (DAO 34)
-Regulates any discharge into a stream to
the extent necessary to maintain the
established stream classification
Class AA- public water supply class I.
primarily for waters having watershed
Class A- public water supply class II.
Require complete treatment.
Class B- recreational water class I.
primary contact recreation
Class C- fishery water, recreational water
class II, industrial water supply class II
Class D- agriculture, industrial water
supply class II, other inland waters
Solids typically include inorganic solids,
such as silt, sand, gravel, and clay from
riverbanks, and organic matter, such as
plant fibers and microorganisms from
natural or manmade sources.
Siltation describes the suspension and
deposition of small sediment particles in
water bodies
In water treatment, the most effective
means of removing solids (except for
colloids and other dissolved solids), from
water is by filtration.
Turbidity: is used to measure the clarity
of water.
Secchi disk method involves lowering
a special black and white disk called a
Secchi disk into the water and determining
the maximum depth at which it is visible -
results are reported in meters
Chemical titration method - involves
titrating a turbidity solution into a sample
until an equilibrium point is reached. -
results are reported in
NephlometerTurbidity Units (NTU) or
Jackson Turbidity Units (JTU) -in general,
a turbidity value of > 40 NTU for at least
twenty-four hours indicates a problem.
Pure water is colorless.
True color - water whose color is partly
due to dissolved solids that remain after
removal of suspended matter. (In water
treatment, true color is the most difficult to
remove).
Apparent color - color contributed by
suspended matter
Condition refers to the age of the
wastewater, which along with odor
provides a qualitative indication of its age.
T&O can also result as a byproduct of
chlorine disinfection. Drinking water
should be free from any objectionable
taste or odor at the point of use.
Odors are generated by gases produced
by decomposition of organic matter or by
substances added to the wastewater.
Temperature increases in surface waters
is that it affects the solubility of oxygen in
water, the rate of bacterial activity, and the
rate at which gases are transferred to and
from the water.
pH is a important factor that influences the
corrosiveness of the water, chemical
dosages necessary for proper disinfection,
and the ability to detect contaminants
either an acid or a base.
pH: (neutral condition, pH=7)
(acidic condition pH<5)
(alkaline condition pH>9)
TDS constitutes a part of total solids in
water; it is the material remaining in water
after filtration. (minerals, salts, metals,
cations or anions dissolved in water).
Alkalinity: It is a measure of waters
ability to neutralize acid or really an
expression of buffering capacity.
Hardness: It is due to the presence of
multivalent metal ions that come from
minerals dissolved in water.
Carbonate hardness is equal to alkalinity
but a noncarbonated fraction may include
nitrates and chlorides.
Fluoride is seldom found in appreciable
quantities in surface waters and appears
in groundwater in only a few geographical
regions.
Metal ions are dissolved in groundwater
and surface water when the water is
exposed to rock or soil containing the
metals, usually in the form of metal salts.
The general category of organics in
natural waters includes organic matter
whose origins could be from both natural
sources and from human activites.
Biodegradable (breakdown) material
consists of organics that can be utilized
for nutrients (food) by naturally occurring
microorganisms within a reasonable
length of time. (alcohols, acids, starches,
fats, proteins, esters, and aldehydes result
from domestic or industrial wastewater
discharges)
Nonbiodegradeable organics are
resistant to biological degradation.
Nutrients (biostimulents) are essential
building blocks for healthy aquatic
communities, but excess nutrients
(especially nitrogen and phosphorous
compounds) overstimulate the growth of
aquatic weeds and algae.
Organic Substance:
 Proteins are nitrogenous organic
substances of high molecular weight
found in the animal kingdom and to a
lesser extent in the plant kingdom.
Carbohydrates, which are widely
distributed in nature and found in
wastewater, are organic substances that
include starch, cellulose, sugars, and
wood fibers; they contain carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen. Detergents
(surfactants) are large organic
molecules that are slightly soluble in
water and cause foaming in wastewater
Inorganic load in water is the result of
discharges of treated and untreated
wastewater, various geologic formations,
and inorganic substances left in the water
after evaporation.
Inorganic constituents include pH,
chlorides, alkalinity, nitrogen, phosphorus,
sulfur, toxic, inorganic compounds, and
heavy metals.
The most important unit processes in the
overall wastewater treatment process is
disinfection. pH has an effect on
disinfection.
Urban runoff is a major source of lead
and zinc in many water bodies.
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful to
human health; there is no safe level for
lead exposure. It is estimated that up to
20% of the total lead exposure in children
can be attributed to a waterborne route
Bacteria are present in air, water, earth,
rotting vegetation, and the intestines of
animals.
Viruses: Smallest biological structures
known, so they can only be seen with the
aid of an electron microscope
Most protozoa are harmless; only a few
cause illness in humansEntamoeba
histolytica (amebiasis) being an exception.
Water pollution occurs when a body of
water is adversely affected due to the
addition of large amounts of materials to
the water.
Point sources of pollution occur when
harmful substances are emitted directly
into a body of water from a pipeline or
sewer.
Nonpoint source delivers pollutants
indirectly by passing through the
continents
Municipal water pollution: - consists of
waste water from homes and commercial
establishments
Agricultural water pollution:
- includes commercial livestock and
poultry farming
"Industrial wastewater" means process
and non-process wastewater from
manufacturing, commercial, mining, and
silvicultural facilities or activities, including
the runoff and leachate from areas that
receive pollutants
Potable water is water fit for human
consumption and domestic use, which is
sanitary and normally free of minerals,
organic substances, and toxic agents
Water treatment It is defined as any unit
process that changes or alters the
chemical, physical, or bacteriological
quality of water with the purpose of
making it safe for human consumption or
appealing to the consumer.
Water pretreament (preliminary
treatment) is any physical, chemical or
mechanical process used before main
water treatment processes.
Pretreatment refers to any process that
conditions the water prior to its entering
the main treatment facility.
The purpose of preliminary treatment
processes is to remove any materials
which will interfere with further treatment.
Pretreatment may include screening,
presedimentation, chemical addition, flow
measurement, and aeration.
Aeration: It is commonly used to treat
water that contains trapped gas
(Hydrogen sulfide) that can impart an
unpleasant taste and odor to the water.
Screening: It is the first major step in
water pretreatment process. Process
whereby relatively large and suspended
debris is removed from the water before it
enters the plant
Prechlorination is often used as an
oxidant to help with the removal of iron
and manganese. However concern on the
formation of total trihalomethanes (THM)
from reaction between chlorine and
natural occurring compound are being
monitored.
A water solution is a homogeneous liquid
made of the solvent (the substance that
dissolves another substance) and the
solute (the substance that dissolves in
the solvent).
Chemical Feeders: It is a mechanical
device for measuring a quantity of
chemical and applying it to water at a
preset rate.
Solution Feeders - apply chemicals in
solutions or suspensions also known as
liquid feeders.
Dry Feeders - apply chemicals in granular
or powdered forms
Iron causes reddish water;
Manganese causes brown or black
water
Precipitation (or pH adjustment) of iron
and manganese through addition of lime
or other chemicals this process requires
pH of the water to be in the range of 10 to
11.
Oxidation - through the use of air,
chlorine, or potassium permanganate to
oxidize compounds forming precipitates
Ion Exchange used to soften waters
and remove soluble iron and manganese
Sequestering also called stabilization, it
binds with other ions in soluble form.
Aeration the air oxidizes the iron and
manganese that is then removed by use
of a filter.
Potassium Permanganate
Oxidationand Manganese Greensand
the process of adsorbing soluble iron and
manganese uses up the greensand by
converting the manganese dioxide coating
to manganic oxide, which does not have
the adsorption property.
Hardness is caused by the presence of
certain positively charged metallic ions in
solution in water like calcium, magnesium,
strontium, iron, and barium.
Ion-exchange - most frequently used
process for softening water.
Cation exchange water containing
hardness-causing cations (Ca++, Mg++,
Fe+3) passed through a bed of cation
exchange resin.
screening - to remove rocks, sticks,
leaves, etc.
presedimentation - to remove sand, grit,
and gravel
aeration - to remove carbon dioxide and
hydrogen sulfide; to oxidize iron and
manganese
monitoring - to measure flow, pH,
turbidity, total alkalinity, temperature, and
coliform bacteria
Coagulation is the process of adding
chemicals to raw water that cause an
almost instantaneous reduction of the
forces that tend to keep particles
separated.
The coagulation process is also known as
rapid mixing or flash mixing. Purpose of
flash mixing is to provide uniform,
instantaneous dispersion of the coagulant
chemical throughout the influent raw water
to condition it for subsequent removal of
particles.
Rapid mix is achieved by introducing the
chemicals at a point of maximum
agitation, such as at a static mixer.
Jar tests (widely used for many years by
the water treatment industry) simulate
fullscale coagulation and flocculation
processes to determine optimum chemical
dosages
Flocculation is the agglomeration of
small particles and colloids to form larger
particles (flocs) that can be settled or
filtered.
During sedimentation, suspended material
begins to settle out of the water because
of gravity.
Water filtration is a physical process of
separating suspended and colloidal
particles from water by passing water
through a granular media/material.
Slow-sand filters. For slow-sand
filtration, water is passed through beds of
fine sand at light loading rates averaging
0.05 gpm/ ft 4 1 0 l/f 2
Rapid-sand (high-rate) filters. Filtration
beds of sand or sand and anthracite coal,
usually supported on beds of gravel, are
loaded at rates of 2 to 10 gpm/ft2gp .
Pressure filter System. They may be
placed directly in the pipeline from the well
or pump with little head loss. Most
pressure filters operate at a rate of about
3 gal/min/ft2.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) filters. DE
filters can either be in pressure or
vacuum-vessels. The filter media is
diatomaceous earth, the skeletal remains
of small singlecell organisms in sea water
called diatoms.
Direct Filtration. refers to a treatment
scheme that omits the flocculation and
sedimentation steps prior to filtration. It
must be used only where the water flow
rate and raw water quality are fairly
consistent and where the incoming
turbidity is low.
Alternate Filters. These systems are
normally installed in a series of three or
four filters. Each filter contains a media
that is successively smaller than the
previous filter. The media sizes typically
range from 50 to 5 or less.
Disinfection is used by destroying
organisms that might be dangerous; they
do not attempt to sterilize water.
Methods of Disinfection:
1. Heat Possibly the first method of
disinfection. It is accomplished by boiling
water for 5 to 10 minutes. This is good
only for household quantities of water
when bacteriological quality is
questionable.
2. UV light While a practical method of
treating large quantities, adsorption of UV
light is very rapid, so the use of this
method is limited to nonturbid waters
close to the light source.
3. Metal ions This includes silver,
copper, mercury.
4. pH adjustment The adjustment is a
pH under 3.0 or over 11.0.
5. Oxidizing agents This includes
bromine, ozone, potassium
permanganate, and chlorine.
Primary disinfection is achieved as part
of the treatment process, and
Secondary disinfection is done to
ensure that the distribution system is
protected against microbial contamination
or regrowth.
Chlorination is most commonly provided
by gaseous chlorine, sodium hypochlorite
or calcium hypochlorite. Chlorine is
effective against almost all microbial
pathogens and is appropriate as both the
primary and secondary disinfectant.
Chlorine Dosage amount of chlorine
added to the water System
Chlorine Demand amount of chlorine
used by iron, manganese, turbidity, algae,
and microorganisms in the water
Chlorine Residual amount of chlorine
that remains after demand is satisfied.
Chlorine Contact Time is one of the
key items in predicting the effectiveness of
chlorine n microorganisms
Screening Removes large debris (leaves,
sticks, fish) that can foul or damage
plant equipment
Chemical Pretreatment Condition the
water for removal of algae and other
aquatic
nuisances
Presedimentation Removes gravel,
sand, silt and other gritty materials
Microstraining Remove algae, aquatic
plants, and small debris
Chemical feed and rapid mix Adds
chemicals (e.g. coagulants, pH, adjusters)
to water
Coagulation/flocculation Converts
nonsettleable or settable paricles
Sedimentation Removes settleable
particles
Softening Removes hardness-causing
chemicals from water
Filtration Removes particles of solid
mattter which can include biological
contaminant and turbidity
Disinfection Kills desease-causing
organisms
Absorption using granular activated
Removes random and many organic
chemicals such as pesticides, solvents,
and trihalomethanes
Aeration Removes voaltile organic
compunds (VOCs), random, H2S, and
other dissolved gases; oxidizes iron and
manganese
Corrosion Control Prevents scaling and
corrosion
Reverse osmosis electrodialysis
, Removes nearly all inorganic
contaminants
Ion exchange Removes some inorganic
contaminants including hardnesscausing
chemicals
Activated alumina Removes some
inorganic contamination
Oxidation filtration Removes some
inorganic contaminants (iron, manganese,
radium)
Wastewater is any water that has been
adversely affected in quality by
anthropogenic influence.
Preliminary treatment Removes
materials that could damage plant
equipment or would occupy treatment
capacity without being treated.
Primary treatment Removes settleable
and floatable solids (may not be present in
all treatment plants)
Secondary treatment Removes BOD
and dissolved and colloidal suspended
organic matter by biological action.
Organics are converted to stable solids,
carbon dioxide and more organisms.
Advanced waste treatment Uses
physical, chemical, and biological
processes to remove additional BOD,
solids and nutrients (not present in all
treatment plants).
DisinfectionRemoves microorganisms
to eliminate or reduce the possibility of
disease when the flow is discharged.
Sludge treatment Stabilizes the solids
removed from wastewater during
treatment, inactivates pathogenic
organisms, and reduces the volume of the
sludge by removing water.
Human and animal wastes Contains
the solid and liquid discharges of humans
and animals and is considered by many to
be the most dangerous from a human
health viewpoint.
Major sources of wastewater
Household wastes Consists of wastes,
other than human and animal wastes,
discharged from the home. (ex. paper,
household cleaners, detergents, trash,
garbage, and other substances the
homeowner discharges into the sewer
system.)
Industrial wastes Includes industry
specific materials that can be discharged
from industrial processes into the
collection system.
Storm water runoff Many collection
systems are designed to carry both the
wastes of the community and storm water
runoff.
Groundwater infiltration Groundwater
will enter older improperly sealed
collection systems through cracks or
unsealed pipe joints.
Classification of Wastewater
Domestic (sewage) wastewater
Contains mainly human and animal
wastes, household wastes, small amounts
of groundwater infiltration and small
amounts of industrial wastes.
Sanitary wastewater Consists of
domestic wastes and significant amounts
of industrial wastes.
Industrial wastewater Consists of
industrial wastes only. Often the industry
will determine that it is safer and more
economical to treat its waste independent
of domestic waste.
Combined wastewater Consists of a
combination of sanitary wastewater and
storm water runoff. All the wastewater and
storm water of the community is
transported through one system to the
treatment plant.
Storm water system (no sanitary water
runoff including and grit.
Wastewater collection systems collect
and convey wastewater to the treatment
plant.
Gravity collection system, the collection
lines are sloped to permit the flow to move
through the system with as little pumping
as possible.
Force main collection system,
wastewater is collected to central points
and pumped under pressure to the
treatment plant. The system is normally
used for conveying wastewater long
distances.
Vacuum collection system, wastewaters
are collected to central points and then
drawn toward the treatment plant under
vacuum.
Pumping stations provide the motive
force (energy) to keep the wastewater
moving at the desired velocity.
The wet welldry well pumping station
consists of two separate spaces or
sections separated by a common wall.
Wet Well Pumping Stations
This type consists of a single
compartment that collects the wastewater
flow.
The pneumatic pumping station
consists of a wet well and a control
system that controls the inlet and outlet
value operations and provides pressurized
air to force or push the wastewater
through the system.
Sewer is an artificial conduit, usually
underground, for carrying off waste water
and refuse, as in a town or city.
Curb inlet has a vertical opening to
catch gutter flow. Although the gutter may
be depressed slightly in front of inlet, this
type of inlet offers no obstruction to traffic.
Gutter inlet is an opening covered by a
grate through which the drainage falls.
The disadvantage is that debris collecting
on the grate may result in plugging of the
gutter inlet.
Combination is composed of curb and
gutter openings
Manholes are placed at curb inlets,
intersection of sewer lines and regular
intervals to facilitate inspection and
cleaning.
Backwater gates are also used on
combined sewer outfalls and effluent lines
from treatment plants where needed.
Rational method is used to calculate the
quantity of runoff for sizing of sewers
Sanitary sewers transport domestic and
industrial wastewater by gravity flow to
treatment facilities.
Lateral sewer collects discharges from
house and carries them to another branch
sewer lines.
Branch or sub-main lines receive waters
from laterals and convey it to large mains.
Main sewer, also called a trunk or outfall
sewer, carries the discharge from large
areas to the treatment plant.
A force main is a sewer through which
wastewater is pumped under pressure
rather than by gravity flow.
a siphon is a depressed sewer that drops
below the hydraulic gradient to avoid
obstruction such as a stream, railway cut
or depressed highway
3 types of Manholes:
1. Typical Sewer Manhole
2. Drop Manhole Structure when it is
necessary to lower the elevation of a
sewer more than 24 in. It protect the man
entering the structure and to eliminate the
nuisance created by solids splashed into
the walls.
3. Vortex Manholes reduces the
velocity during the drop and reduce
corrosion and odor generation.
Detention time (DT) or hydraulic
detention time (HDT) refers to the
average length of time (theoretical time) a
drop of water, wastewater, or suspended
particles remains in a tank or channel.
Detention time is used in conjunction with
various treatment processes, including
sedimentation and coagulation and
flocculation.
The initial stage in the wastewater
treatment process (following collection
and influent pumping) is preliminary
treatment.
This Processes include wastewater
collections such as:
1. influent pumping,
2. screening,
3. shredding,
4. grit removal,
5. flow measurement,
6. preaeration,
7. chemical addition,
8. flow equalization
The purpose of screening is to remove
large solids, such as rags, cans, rocks,
branches, leaves, roots, etc., from the flow
before the flow moves on to downstream
processes.
Shredding can be used to reduce solids
to a size that can enter the plant without
causing mechanical problems or clogging.
comminutor is the most common
shredding device used in wastewater
treatment. In this device all the
wastewater flow passes through the
grinder assembly.
barminutor uses a bar screen to collect
solids that are shredded and passed
through the bar screen for removal at a
later process.
Grit removal is to remove the heavy
inorganic solids that could cause
excessive mechanical wear.
Gravity and velocity controlled grit
removal is normally accomplished in a
channel or tank where the speed or the
velocity of the wastewater is controlled to
about 1 ft/s (ideal), so that grit will settle
while organic matter remains suspended.
Aerated grit removal systems use
aeration to keep the lighter organic solids
in suspension while allowing the heavier
grit articles to settle out.
Cyclone degritter grit removal: It uses a
rapid spinning motion (centrifugal force) to
separate the heavy inorganic solids or grit
from the light organic solids.
The purpose of flow equalization
(whether by surge, diurnal, or complete
methods) is to reduce or remove the wide
swings in flow rates normally associated
with wastewater treatment plant loading
Equalized flows allow the plant to perform
at optimum levels by providing stable
hydraulic and organic loading
Rectangular Clarifier: Wastewater flows
from one end to the other, and the settled
sludge is moved to a hopper at the one
end, either by flights set on parallel chains
or by a single bottom scraper set on a
traveling bridge.
Circular Tanks: the wastewater usually
enters at the middle and flows outward.
Settled sludge is pushed to a hopper in
the middle of the tank bottom, and a
surface skimmer removes floating
material.
Septic tanks are prefabricated tanks that
serve as a combined settling and
skimming tank and as an unheated
unmixed anaerobic digester.
Two-story or Imhoff tank is similar to a
septic tank in the removal of settleable
solids and the anaerobic digestion of
solids.
plain settling tank or clarifier optimizes
the settling process.
Sludge is removed from the tank for
processing in other downstream treatment
units.
The main purpose of secondary treatment
(sometimes referred to as biological
treatment) is to provide BOD removal
beyond what is achievable by primary
treatment.
Secondary treatment refers to those
treatment processes that use biological
processes to convert dissolved,
suspended, and colloidal organic wastes
to more stable solids that can either be
removed by settling or discharged to the
environment without causing harm.
Fixed film systems - are processes that
use a biological growth (biomass or slime)
that is attached to some form of media.
Suspended growth systems - processes
that use a biological growth that is mixed
with the wastewater.
Ponds can be used as the sole type of
treatment or they can be used in
conjunction with other forms of
wastewater treatment.
Raw Sewage Stabilization Ponds: The
process occurring in the pond involves
bacterial decomposing the organics in the
wastewater (aerobically and
anaerobically) and algae using the
products of the bacterial action to produce
oxygen (photosynthesis).
Oxidation Ponds: It is normally designed
using the same criteria as the stabilization
pond, receives flows that have passed
through a stabilization pond or primary
settling tank.
Polishing Ponds: It uses the same
equipment as a stabilization pond,
receives flow from an oxidation pond or
from other secondary treatment systems.
Anaerobic Ponds: Are normally used to
treat high strength industrial wastes.
No oxygen is present in the pond and all
biological activity is anaerobic
decomposition.
Facultative Ponds: Is the most common
type pond (based on processes
occurring). Oxygen is present in the upper
portions of the pond and aerobic
processes are occurring. No oxygen is
present in the lower levels of the pond
where anoxic and anaerobic processes
are occurring.
Aerated Ponds: In the aerated pond,
oxygen is provided through the use of
mechanical or diffused air systems. When
aeration is used, the depth of the pond
and the acceptable loading levels may
increase. Mechanical or diffused aeration
is often used to supplement natural
oxygen production or to replace it.
Trickling filters are widely used for the
treatment of domestic and industrial
wastes. The process is a fixed film
biological treatment method designed to
remove BOD and suspended solids.
Recirculation is used to reduce organic
loading, improve sloughing, reduce odors,
and reduce or eliminate filter fly or
ponding problems.
Filter Classifications:
1. Standard rate filter has a hydraulic
loading of 25 to 90 gal/d/ft3 and a
seasonal sloughing frequency. It does not
employ recirculation and typically has a
8085% BOD removal rate and 80 to 85%
TSS removal rate.
2. High rate filter has a hydraulic
loading of 230 to 900 gal/d/ft3 and a
continuous sloughing frequency. It always
employs recirculation and typically has a
65 to 80% BOD removal rate and 65 to
80% TSS removal rate.
3. Roughing filter - has a hydraulic
loading of >900 gal/d/ft3 and a continuous
sloughing frequency. It does not normally
include recirculation and typically has a 40
to 65% BOD removal rate and 40 to 65%
TSS removal rate.
Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC)
The RBC is a fixed film biological
treatment device; the basic biological
process is similar to that occurring in the
trickling filter.