1.

0 TITLE
Treatment of Water and Wastewater Using Membrane Process
2.0 OBJECTIVE
To treat municipal or industrial wastewater influent using membrane unit.
3.0 INTRODUCTION
Sewage is the wastewater released by residences, businesses and industries in a community. It is
99.9 percent water, with only !.!" percent of the wastewater dissol#ed and suspended solid
material. The cloudiness of sewage is caused by suspended particles.
Table $ show the discharge permits which were outlined by the %epartment of
&n#ironment Malaysia '%(&).
Table $
Parameters Units Standards
A B
$ Temperature
!
* + !.! + !.!
, p- p- ".! . 9.! /./ . 9.!
0 1(%/ at ,!
o
* mg23 + ,!.! + /!.!
*(% mg23 + /! + $!!
/ Suspended Solids mg23 + /! + $!!
" Mercury mg23 + !.!!/ + !.!/
4 *admium mg23 + !.!$ + !.!,
5 *hromium, he6a#alent mg23 + !.!/ + !.!/
9 7rsenic mg23 + !.!/ + !.$!
$! *yanide mg23 + !.!/ + !.$!
$$ 3ead mg23 + !.$! + !./!
$, *hromium, tri#alent mg23 + !.,! + $.!!
$0 *opper mg23 + !.,! + $.!!
$ Manganese mg23 + !.,! + $.!!
$/ 8ic9el mg23 + !.,! + $.!!
$" Tin mg23 + !.,! + $.!!
$4 :inc mg23 + ,.!! + ,.!!
$5 1oron mg23 + $.!! + .!!
$9 Iron mg23 + $.!! + /.!!
,! Phenol mg23 + !.!!$ + $.!!!
$
,$ *hlorine, ;ree mg23 + $.!! + ,.!!
,, Sulphide mg23 + !./! + !./!
,0 (il < =rease mg23 8ot
%etectable
$!.!
Standards 7 are an effluent that is going to be released on the upper stream of a ri#er,
which will flow to a %rin9ing Water Treatment Plant. Standard 1 howe#er is an effluent that is
going to be released on the downstream of a ri#er, which is no %rin9ing Treatment Plant
a#ailable at the downstream of the ri#er. Wastewater treatment is a multi>stage process to
reno#ate wastewater before it reenters a body of water, is applied to the land or is reused. The
goal is to reduce or remo#e organic matter, solids, nutrients, disease>causing organisms and other
pollutants from wastewater. ;igure $ shows the process flow of a typical wastewater treatment
plant.
;igure $ Typical wastewater treatment plant
Preliminar Treatment
Preliminary treatment to screen out, grind up, or separate debris is the first step in wastewater
treatment. Stic9s, rags, large food particles, sand, gra#el, toys, etc., are remo#ed at this stage to
protect the pumping and other e?uipment in the treatment plant. Treatment e?uipment such as
,
bar screens, comminutors 'a large #ersion of a garbage disposal), and grit chambers are used as
the wastewater first enters a treatment plant. The collected debris is usually disposed of in a
landfill.
Primar Treatment
Primary treatment is the second step in treatment and separates suspended solids and greases
from wastewater. Waste>water is held in a ?uiet tan9 for se#eral hours allowing the particles to
settle to the bottom and the greases to float to the top. The solids drawn off the bottom and
s9immed off the top recei#e further treatment as sludge. The clarified wastewater flows on to the
ne6t stage of wastewater treatment. *larifiers and septic tan9s are usually used to pro#ide
primary treatment.
Se"#ndar Treatment
Secondary treatment is a biological treatment process to remo#e dissol#ed organic matter from
wastewater. Sewage microorganisms are culti#ated and added to the wastewater. The
microorganisms absorb organic matter from sewage as their food supply. Three approaches are
used to accomplish secondary treatment@ fi6ed film, suspended film and lagoon systems.
$inal Treatment
;inal treatment focuses on remo#al of disease>causing organisms from wastewater. Treated
wastewater can be disinfected by adding chlorine or by using ultra#iolet light. -igh le#els of
chlorine may be harmful to a?uatic life in recei#ing streams. Treatment systems often add a
chlorine>neutraliAing chemical to the treated wastewater before stream discharge.
Ad%an"ed Treatment
7d#anced treatment such as coagulation and coagulation is necessary in some treatment systems
to remo#e nutrients from wastewater. *hemicals are added during the treatment process to help
0
settle out or strip out phosphorus or nitrogen. Some e6amples of nutrient remo#al systems
include coagulant addition for phosphorus remo#al and air stripping for ammonia remo#al.
C#a&'lati#n
*olloidal species encountered in raw water and wastewater include clay, silica, iron and other
hea#y metals, color and organic solids such as the debris of dead organisms. *olloids may also
be produced in precipitation processes such as lime softening. (il in wastewater is fre?uently
colloidal. 7mong the wide #ariety of colloidal materials in water, there is a broad distribution of
particle siAes. *olloids always re?uire coagulation to achie#e an effecti#e siAe and settling rate@
but e#en larger particles, which are not truly colloidal and would settle if gi#en enough time@
may re?uire coagulation to form larger, faster settling floc. When insufficient settling time is
a#ailable in a treatment plant to remo#e suspended solids, coagulation and flocculation may
cause them to grow in siAe and settle rapidly enough to o#ercome the physical limitation of the
plant design.
$l#""'lati#n
The floc formed by the agglomeration of se#eral colloids may not be large enough to settle or
dewater at the desired rate. 7 flocculant gather together floc particles in a net., bridging from one
surface to another and binding the indi#idual particles into large agglomerates. 7lum, iron salts
and high molecular weight polymers are common flocculants. ;locculation is promoted by slow
mi6ing, which brings the flocs gently together@ too high of mi6ing #elocity could tears them
apart, and they seldom re>form to their optimum siAe and strength. ;locculation not only
increases the siAe of floc particles, but it also affects the physical nature of the floc. Sludge and
slurries, when flocculated, dewater at faster rates on sand beds and in mechanical dewatering
e?uipment because of the less gelatinous structure of the floc.
Sl'd&e

Sludge is generated through the sewage treatment process. Primary sludge, material that settles
out during primary treatment, often ha#e a strong odor and re?uire treatment prior to disposal.
Secondary sludge are the e6tra microorganisms from the biological treatment processes. The
goals of sludge treatment are to stabiliAe the sludge and reduce odors, remo#e some of the water
and reduce #olume, decompose some of the organic matter and reduce #olume, 9ill disease
causing organisms and disinfect the sludge.
Untreated sludge are about 94 percent water. Settling the sludge and decanting off the
separated li?uid remo#es some of the water and reduces the sludge #olume. Settling can result in
sludge with about 9" to 9, percent water. More water can be remo#ed from sludge by using sand
drying beds, #acuum filters, filter presses, and centrifuges resulting in sludge with between 5! to
/! percent water. This dried sludge is called a sludge ca9e. 7erobic and anaerobic digestions are
used to decompose organic matter to reduce #olume. %igestion also stabiliAes the sludge to
reduce odors. *austic chemicals can be added to sludge or it may be heat treated to 9ill disease>
causing organisms. ;ollowing treatment, li?uid and ca9e sludge are usually spread on fields,
returning organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Wastewater treatment processes re?uire careful management to ensure the protection of
the water body that recei#es the discharge. Trained and certified treatment plant operatorBs
measure and monitor the incoming sewage, the treatment process and the final effluent.
(.0 )ATERIALS * )ET+ODOLO,-
;CCS7Ds wastewater treatment pilot plant, ,/! 3iter of wastewater, caustic soda 'sodium
hydro6ide), li?uid alum 'aluminum sulphate), urea filter aid 'diammonium phophate), seed
bacteria 'bio powder 10/!) < li?uid polymer.
$. 1efore starting the e6periment, please ma9e sure the followingE
i. 1ul9y bo6 tan9 is filled with raw water samples at least half of the tan9. This has to
be done manually.
ii. 7#ailability of power supply to panel. Please on power supply to the plant located at
the bac9 of the plant.
iii. Switch on the computer.
/
i#. 7#ailability of compressed air < chilled water. Please open main #al#es for both
water < compressed air.
,. To fill wastewater to the 7naerobic Tan9, open #al#es F$, F, < F0 and close #al#es F <
F/. Start the portable transfer pump, P$ to fill the tan9 with ,/! 3 of wastewater. Stop the
transfer pump. p-, temperature, turbidity and dissol#ed o6ygen measurement is logged to a
P*.
0. (pen #al#es F", F4, F0, < F05 and close #al#es F/, F5 < F09. Start the 7naerobic
transfer pump, P,7. The wastewater will flow through a filter press. ;ilter press pressure is set
at ,!! psi. The filtrate water will flows into the filtrate tan9 and pumped into the aerobic tan9
by a filtrate submersible pump, P,* which is controlled by a le#el sensor.
. (pen #al#es F5, F9, F0", < F09 and close #al#es F/, F4 < F05. ;ilter press pressure is set
at ,!! psi. Start the 7erobic transfer pump, P,1, for the wastewater flows through a second
filter press. The filtrate water will flows into the filtrate tan9 and then pumped into Tan9 7 by
a filtrate submersible pump, P,* which is controlled by a le#el sensor.
". (pen #al#es F$$ < F$0 and close #al#e F/. If Membrane ;iltration 'M;) is chose as a
filtration method, open #al#es F$, F$", F$5 < F! and close #al#es F/, F$/ < F$. If Ultra
;iltration 'U;) is choose as a filtration method, open #al#es F$/, F$4, F$9 < F! and close
#al#es F/, F$ < F$. Start M;2U; feed pump, P0. Pressure will be maintained at / bar. The
pump will stop automatically when the water le#el in Tan9 7 is low, which is detected by a le#el
sensor or the pressure is too high which is detected by a pressure gauge. Permeate will flows into
Tan9 1 but reGects will go bac9 into Tan9 7.
4. (pen #al#es F,!, F,$ < F,, and close #al#e F/. If 8ano ;iltration '8;) is choose as a
filtration method, open #al#es F,0, F,/, F,4, F,9 < F, and close #al#es F/, F, < F0. If
He#erse (smosis 'H() is choose as a filtration method, open #al#es F,, F,", F,5, F,9 < F,
and close #al#e F/, F,0 < F0. Start the 8;2H( feed pump, P. *hec9 the pressure. Pressure
should be maintained at $! 1ar. Pressure can be regulated using the pressure regulator 'F,).
"
The pump will stop automatically when the water le#el in Tan9 7 is low, which will be detected
by a le#el sensor or the pressure is too high, which will be detected by a pressure gauge.
Permeate from 8;2H( will flow through a heat e6changer before flowing into Tan9 * and
reGects will flow bac9 into the Tan9 1.
5. (pen #al#es F0! < F0$ and close #al#e F/. Turn #al#e F0, to IfilterJ position. Start carbon
filter transfer pump, P/. The transfer pump will stop automatically when the water le#el in
Tan9 * is low, which is detected by a le#el sensor. The wastewater will flows through a
*arbon filter to remo#e any *(% and will be collected at Tan9 % as treated water.
+#'se.ee/in& a0ter E1/eriment
$. Hinse all system with Tap Water. Use hose to fill in tan9s and rinse the system
thoroughly.
,. ;or M;2U; < 8;2H( Membranes, use al9aline solution such as caustic soda to rinse the
membrane system for at least / minutes. Then, rinse bac9 the membrane system with tap
water.
0. ;or tan9s that attached with on>line analyAers, fill tan9s with tap water until it immerse
the analyAerBs probe.
. (ff main power supply located at the bac9 of the pilot plant and also main #al#e for
compressed air.
2.0 RESULTS * DISCUSSIONS
Parameter Falue
4
7nalyAe the treated wastewater for 1(%, *(% and other parameters that were outlined by the
%(&. %ownload data that was analyAed from the P*. Kou discussion may include the following
?uestionsE
$. What is the purpose of ;ilter Press in the Membrane Treatment UnitL
Filter presses separate the solids from the liquids. A filter press is a liquid-solid separation
device used to reduce the volume and weight of a slurry waste or process stream by separating
liquid filtrate and solid filter cake. This process is often referred to as dewatering.
,. Why is the pressure for M;2U; < 8;2H( Membrane ;iltration are maintained at / bar <
$! 1ar respecti#elyL
pressure needed to push water through the membrane, even as the membrane rejects the
passage of salt through it.
0. What is the purpose of -eat &6changer in the Membrane Treatment UnitL
. Why *arbon ;ilter is used at the end of the process in the Membrane Treatment UnitL
to capture those chemicals not removed by the R membrane
/. Why le#el sensors are used on the systemL
Level sensors detect the level of substances that flow, including liquids, slurries,
granular materials, and powders. Water treatment applications place high demands on
pressure and level measuring instruments.
". *ompare and e6plain your results from the different type of membrane with &M7
Standard.
3.0 RE$ERENCES
&d. %a#id, -. ;. 3in < 1ela =. 3ipta9 I&n#ironmental &ngineering -andboo9J, $999.
;ran9 8. Cemmer IThe 8alco Water -andboo9J, ,
nd
&dition, $955.
3aws of Malaysia I&n#ironmental Muality 7ct < HegulationJ, M%* Publication, ,!!0.
5