PHYSICAL

CHARACTERISTICS OF
WASTEWATER
Wastewater: is simply that part of the water
supply to the community or to the industry which
has been used for different purposes and has
been mixed with solids either suspended or
dissolved.
Wastewater is 99.9% water and 0.1% solids. The
main task in treating the wastewater is simply to
remove most or all of this 0.1% of solids.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES & THEIR
SOURCES

Characteristic: Sources:

Color Domestic & industrial

wastes, natural decay of
organic materials

Odor Decomposing wastewater,

industrial wastes

Solids Domestic water supply,

domestic & industrial wastes,
soil erosion, inflow infiltration

Temperature Domestic & industrial wastes

 UNITS COMMONLY USED TO EXPRESS ANALYTICAL RESULT

Basis Application Unit

Physical analysis:
Density Kg/
Percent by volume %(by vol)
Percent by volume %(by vol)
Percent by mass %(by m)

Percent
Volumebyratio
mass %(by
mL/Lm)
Mass per unit volume
Volume ratio mL/L
Mg/L
Mass per unit volume  

Mg/L

g/

Mass ratio ppm

Mass ratio ppm
•   Solids are classified into three main types:

Total solids (ts): all the matter that remains as residue

upon evaporation at 103 to 105.

 Settleable solids: settleable solids are those solids

that will settle to the bottom of a cone-shaped container
( called an imhoff cone) in a 60mins period. Expressed
as ml/L, which is an approximate measure of the
quantity of the sludge that can be removed by primary
sedimentation.

 Suspended (nonfilterable) solids (ss) and

dissolved filterable solids (fs).
 The most important physical characteristic of
wastewater is its total solids content, which composed of
the following;

Floating matter
Settleable matter
Colloidal matter
Matter in solution
IMHOFF CONE
ODOR IS PRODUCED BY GAS PRODUCTION DUE TO THE
DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATTER OR BY SUBSTANCES
ADDED TO THE WASTEWATER.

EFFECTS OF ODORS:
 ODORS AT LOW CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN TERMS IS
RELATED PRIMARILY TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS THEY
PRODUCE RATHER THAN THE HARM THEY DO TO THE BODY.

 OFFENSIVE ODORS CAN CAUSE POOR APPETITE FOR FOOD,

LOWERED WATER CONSUMPTION, IMPAIRED RESPIRATION,
NAUSEA, VOMITING, & MENTAL PERTURBATION.

DETECTION OF ODORS: ODOR IS MEASURED BY SPECIAL

INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS THE PORTABLE H2S METER WHICH IS
USED FOR MEASURING THE CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN
SULFIDE.
PORTABLE H2S METER
•    THE THRESHOLD ODOR OF A WASTEWATER
SAMPLE IS DETERMINED BY DILUTING THE SAMPLE
WITH ODOR-FREE WATER. THE “THRESHOLD ODOR
NUMBER” (TON) CORRESPONDS TO THE GREATEST
DILUTION OF THE SAMPLE WHICH AN ODOR IS JUST
PERCEPTIBLE. RECOMMENDED SAMPLE SIZE IS
200ML AND THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF THE TON IS;

TON
WHERE:
A=ML OF SAMPLE
B=ML OF ODOR-FREE WATER

 THE ODOR EMANATING FROM THE LIQUID SAMPLE IS BEING

DETERMINED WITH HUMAN SUBJECT.
 ODOROUS COMPOUNDS
ASSOCIATED WITH
UNTREATED
Compound
WASTEWATER
Chemical formula Odor quality

Amines CH3NH2, (CH3) 3H Fishy

Ammonia NH3 Ammoniacal

Diamines NH2(CH2)4NH2, Rotten eggs

(CH2)5NH2H25

Organic sulfides Rotten cabbage

Skatole Fecal matter
•Density:
 

Is defined as its mass per unit volume expressed as slug/ (kg/).

It is important because of the potential for the formation of density

currents in sedimentation tanks & in other treatment units. Also it doesn't
contain significant amounts of industrial waste which is essentially the same
as that of water at alike temperature & it’s totally dependent on temperature
which will vary with the concentration of total solids in the wastewater.
Color:
Historically, the term “condition” was used along with composition
and concentration to describe wastewater. Condition refers to the age of
the wastewater, which is determined qualitatively by its color & odor.

Fresh waste water light brownish grey.

With time dark grey
More time black (septic).

Some times pink due to algae or due to industrial colors.

LIGHT BROWNISH GREY (2 TO 6
HOURS OLD)
GREY (OLDER THAN 6 HOURS)
BLACK(SEPTIC)
•Temperature
  of wastewater is commonly higher than that of water
supply. Depending on the geographic location the mean annual temperature
varies in the range of 10 to 21 with an average of 16.

Importance of temperature:
 Affects chemical reactions during the wastewater treatment process
 Affects aquatic life (fish, etc.)
 Oxygen solubility is less in worm water than cold water.
 Optimum temperature for bacterial activity is in the range of 25°c to 35.
 Aerobic digestion and nitrification stop when the temperature rises to 50.
When the temperature drops to about 15°c, methane producing bacteria
become in active.
 Nitrifying bacteria stop activity at about 5°c.
Turbidity:
It’s a measure of the light-transmitting properties of
water.

 Depends up on the strength of wastewater. The

stronger or more concentrated the waste, the higher
is the turbidity.

 Indicate the quality of waste discharges & natural

waters with respect to colloidal and residual
suspended matter.

 The difference b/w the minimum & maximum value

was more than the double.
 CONCLUSIONS
 In plumbing work, some significant aspect on physical characteristics
like the temperature and type of solids are important consideration.

 The importance of odors at low concentrations in human terms is

related to the psychological stress they produce rather than to harm
they do to the body against the offensive odors that caused poor
appetite, lowered water consumption, impaired respiration, nausea,
vomiting, and mental perturbation

 Solids are divided into several different fractions & their concentrations
provide useful information for characterization of the wastewater &
control of treatment processes.

 The color of the wastewater changes sequentially from gray to dark

gray & ultimately to black.
Density of wastewater is the temperature dependent & will

vary with the concentration of the solids in the wastewater.

Temperature affects both the biological activities in the

wastewater & the amount of gases dissolved unto it.

The measurement of turbidity is based on the comparison

of the intensity of light scattered by a sample as compared

to the light scattered by a reference suspension under the

same conditions.
 REFERENCES
METCALF & EDDY 3RD EDITION.
WASTEWATER ENGINEERING (TREATMENT,
DISPOSAL, REUSE). MCGRAW-HILL
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS. CIVIL
ENGINEERING SERIES.

UNIT-1.-ITRODUCTION-TO-WASTEWATER-
TREATMENT

HTTPS://WWW.DLSWEB.RMIT.EDU.AU >
UNITS
EFFECTS OF ODOR IN THE
COMMUNITY
ODORS CAN COME FROM MANY SOURCES:

• Animals: confined animal feeding operations (cafos)

• Human activities: compost, sewage, garbage, fires,

household cleaning agents
• Industry: oil refineries, landfills, paper mills, wastewater
treatment plants
• Nature: moist soil, gardens, fires

• Vehicles: diesel exhaust
 WHAT SYMPTOMS CAN I EXPECT?
• HEADACHES

• NASAL CONGESTION

• EYE, NOSE, AND THROAT IRRITATION

• HOARSENESS, SORE THROAT

• COUGH

• CHEST TIGHTNESS

• SHORTNESS OF BREATH

• WHEEZING

• HEART PALPITATIONS

• NAUSEA

• DROWSINESS

• MENTAL DEPRESSION
 WHAT CAN MY COMMUNITY DO ABOUT
ODOR?

• You can keep personal odor diaries to track the odors in the
community.
• You can organize to assess the effect environmental odors have
on your community.
• You can appeal to local government for policy changes.

• You can appeal to industry to make operational changes to

reduce odors.