CE 351

Environmental Engineering

Unit 7-6: Solids & Residuals

Class Objectives
• Understand the sources of solids and
residuals in water and wastewater treatment
processes
• Understand the treatment methods that are
used to condition solids and residuals for
disposal and reuse
• Understand the disposal and reuse methods

2
Topics To Be Covered
• Solids & Residuals
• Solids & Residuals Treatment

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Solids & Residuals
Generation

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 What Are Solids and Residuals?
• In the process of purifying water and wastewater
solids and residuals are generated
Filter Aid
Oxidant/ Disinfectant
disinfectionCoagulant Granular
Flocculation Filtration Chlorine
Influent Sedimentation Disinfection
From To Water
Surface Distribution
water Flash
System
Screening Mix Coagulated flocculated Backwash
chemical sludge Water & Solids

Raw Primary Secondary Tertiary

Wastewater Sedimentation Biological Treatment Sedimentation Filtration

Treated
Effluent
Chlorine
Return activated sludge
Screening Disinfection
Primary Backwash
Waste activated Water & Solids
Sludge
sludge (cells) 5
Major Water Treatment Residuals
Solid/Liquid Residuals Liquid-Phase Residuals
• Alum sludges • Ion-exchange regenerant
brine
• Iron sludges
• Pregenerant from
• Polymeric sludges
activated alumina
• Softening sludges
• Reverse osmosis reject
• Spent GAC or discharges
from carbon systems Gas-Phase Residuals
• Slow sand filter cleanings • Air stripping off-gases
• Residuals from iron and
manganese removal
plants
• Spent precoat filter media
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Wastewater Solids & Residuals
• Primary Sludge
– 1% solids, 70 percent organic matter
– The sludge will become rapidly anaerobic and
highly odorous
• Secondary Treated Sludge
– Waste activated sludge is 0.5 to 2% solids
– Trickling filter solids contains 2 to 5% solids
– Filter Backwash Water (Dilute)

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Solids & Residuals
Treatment

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Basic Processes Of Solids and Residuals
Treatment
• Thickening
• Stabilization
• Conditioning
• Dewatering
• Reduction

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Solids & Residuals Treatment:

Thickening

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Solids Thickening Can Be Accomplished By
• Floatation

• Thickening

Goal is to separate as much water as possible by gravity or floatation 11

 Floatation
• Air is injected in the sludge under pressure
(275 to 550 kPA)
– At this pressure a large amount of air can be
dissolved in sludge
• The sludge flows into an open tank at
atmospheric pressure
• The air comes out of solution as small bubbles
• The bubbles attach themselves to the sludge
and float to the surface
This process can increase the solids content from 0.5-1 to 3-6%
See video links
12
Gravity Thickening
• Is a simple and inexpensive process that has
been used on primary sludges for years
• It is a sedimentation process
• The type of sludge being thickened impacts
performance of the process

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Gravity Thickening
• See Table 8-15 for design criteria
• Reported operation values

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Solids & Residuals Treatment:

Stabilization

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What is the Purpose of Solids Stabilization

• Break down the organic solids

biochemically so they are more stable
– Less odorous
– Less putrescible
– More dewaterable
• To make the sludge more dewaterable
• To reduce the mass of sludge

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There Are Two Stabilization Processes
Aerobic Digestion

http://fountainsanitation.com/Treatment/AerobicDigester.htm

Anaerobic Digestion

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Aerobic Digestion of Biological Sludges

• Is a continuation of the
activated sludge process
• The waste organic
sludges are aerated in an
open tank
• Typically followed by a
settling tank
• The effluent is sent back
to the front of the plant

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Anaerobic Digestion of Biological Sludges

• Is the decomposition of organic matter

inorganic matter (principally sulfate) in the
absence of molecular oxygen

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Anaerobic Sludge Digestion

• Involves three distinct phases

Hydrolysis Acid Formation Methane Formation

Insoluble Soluble Organic Methane

Organics Organics Acids CO2

Extracellular Acid Producers Methanogens

Enzymes

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Understanding Anaerobic Digestion
Microbiology Increases Process Knowledge
Acid Forming Bacillus

Syntrophs Convert Higher VFA to Acetate 21

Anaerobic Digestion Occurs in 3 Sequential
Steps by 3 Distinct Organism Groups
Processes
Polymers
Hydrolysis

Monomers
Fermentation

Butyrate
Propionate
Valerate

Acetate H2, CO2

Methanogenesis

CH4
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Anaerobic Digestion Occurs in 3 Sequential
Steps by 3 Distinct Organism Groups
Microbial Groups
Polymers
Hydrolysis

Monomers
Fermentation

Fermenters

Butyrate
Propionate
Valerate
Syntrophs

Acetate H2, CO2

Methanogenesis
Inhibition of one group may impact other
Methanogens CH4 pathways and the overall perfomance of the
digester.

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The microbial groups have very different requirements
for optimum activity

Growth Kinetics
Polymers

Monomers

Fermenters Fast

Butyrate
Propionate
Valerate
Syntrophs Very Slow

Acetate H2, CO2

Slow
Methanogens CH4
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The microbial groups have very different requirements
for optimum activity

Growth Kinetics
Polymers pH Range

Monomers

Fermenters Fast
4-7
Butyrate
Propionate
Valerate
Syntrophs Very Slow
6-7
Acetate H2, CO2
Slow
Methanogens CH4 6–7
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The microbial groups have very different requirements
for optimum activity

Polymers Inhibition

Monomers

Fermenters

Butyrate
Propionate
Valerate
High H2 levels
Syntrophs High Mixing
Energy
Acetate H2, CO2
Low pH
High
Methanogens CH4 NH3
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Factors Affecting Anaerobic Digestion

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Environmental Factors Affecting Digestion

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Two-Stage High Rate Anaerobic Digester
System

Primary
Digester Secondary
• Sludge is heated Digester
• Contents thoroughly mixed • Solids/Liquid Separation
• Sludge feeding and withdrawal • Residual gas extraction
are continuous 29
Anaerobic Digester Designs

Classic vs. Cone Bottom vs. Egg-Shaped

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Anaerobic Digester Cover
Designs

Fixed vs. Floating

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Biosolids & Residuals Treatment:

Conditioning

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What is the Purpose of Sludge Conditioning

• Treat the sludge with chemicals or heat so

that the water can be easily treated
– Chemical treatments include the addition of
coagulants
• Ferric chloride, lime, or organic polymers
– Heat Treatment includes heating the
sludge to high temperatures and pressures
• 175 to 230 oC
• 1,000 to 2,000 kPa

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Biosolids & Residuals Treatment:

Dewatering

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What is the Purpose of Sludge Dewatering

• Separate the water by subjecting the

sludge to vacuum pressure or drying
– Sludge Drying Beds
– Continuous Belt Filter Presses
– Centrifuge

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What is the a Sludge Drying Bed?
• A bed in which the power of the sun is
used to dry the sludge

http://bbarwa.org/drying-bed/

http://fountainsanitation.com/Treatment/AerobicDigester.htm

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Sludge Drying Bed Steps
1. Pump 0.2 to 0.3 stabilized liquid sludge
onto the drying bed surface
2. Add chemical conditioners continuously
3. When the bed is filled to the desired level
allow the sludge to dry to the desired final
concentration (this can vary from 18 to
60%). Drying times can take from 10 to 15
days under good conditions
4. Remove the dewatered sludge either
mechanically or manually
5. Repeat the cycle
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Belt Filter Press
• Can be used to dewater sludges to a final
solids concentration of 5 to 19%

Watch videos 38
Belt Filter Press

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Belt Filter Press

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Centrifuge
• Uses centrifugal force to speed up the
separation of sludge particles from a unit

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Biosolids & Residuals Treatment:

Reduction

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What is Sludge Reduction

• It is the conversion of solids to a stable

form by wet oxidation or incineration (both
chemical oxidation processes)
• Incineration
– Completely evaporates the moisture in the
sludge
– Combusts the organic solids to a sterile
ash
• To minimize the amount of fuel used the
sludge must be dewatered as completely
as possible before incineration
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Biosolids & Residuals Treatment:

Disposal & Reuse

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Sludge Disposal Techniques Include

• Landfilling
• Dedicated land disposal
• Utilization
• Land application of biosolids

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Sludge Disposal Regulations

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Sludge Disposal Regulations

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In Class Examples

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 Sludge Generation Example
• Using the following primary settling-tank data
determine the daily sludge production
Operating Data:
Flow = 0.150 m3/s
Influent SS = 280 mg/L or 280 g/m3
Removal Efficiency= 59%
Sludge concentration (Ps) = 5%
Volatile solids (Mv)= 60%
Specific gravity of volatile solids (Sv)= 0.990
Fixed solids (Mf)= 40%
Specific gravity of fixed solids (Sf) = 2.65

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 Sludge Generation Example
• Step 1 is to calculate Ss (specific gravity of
solids)
• Do it without calculating Ms, Mf, and Mv
Ms= Mf+ Mv
Ms= 0.40 + 0.6 =1.00
Mv = 60%
Use Equation 8-55 Sv = 0.990
Mf = 40%
Sf = 2.65

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 Sludge Generation Example
• Step 2 is to calculate the specific gravity of the
sludge is calculated with equation 8-60 P = 5%1.32
s

.
. . .

The mass of the sludge is estimated from the incoming suspended

solids concentration and removal efficiency of the primary tank
Primary clarifier Removal Efficiency= 59%
Ms= 0.59 x 280 g/m3 x 0.15 m3/s x 86,400 s/d x10-3 kg/g
Ms= 2.14 x 10-3 kg/d
The sludge volume is then calculated with Eq 8-61
2.14 x kg/d

Note-95% of the sludge is water 51

Sludge Treatment:
Thickening

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Dissolved Air Floatation
Floatation Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0neTyDvk-ek

This process can increase the solids content from 0.5-1 to 3-6%

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Belt Filter Press

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Belt Filter Press

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Belt Filter Press

https://video.byui.edu/media/Belt+Filter+Press+Shelly+Idaho/0_tpjyixgj
https://video.byui.edu/media/Belt+Filter+Press+Cake/0_vlfuay8z

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Centrifuge
• Can be used to dewater digested sludges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao_62cLsVBs

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 Sludge Thickener Example
• 100 m3/d of mixed sludge at 4% solids is to be
thickened to 8% solids. What is the
approximate volume of sludge after thickening?
Solution:
A 4% sludge contains 4% by mass of solids and 96% by mass of water

The sludge volume is then calculated with Eq 8-61

⁄ .
.

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