ENGINEERING UTILITIES 2

ON SITE SEWAGE TREATMENT/ALTERNATIVE WASTE SYSTEMS

GROUP 6
Espinola, Christian Garcia, Jessamay
Estrada, Jessa Glipo, Joseph
Fundano, Marvie

Why is Sewage Treatment Important?

Effective sewage treatment prevents a variety of ailments that can be spread by exposure
to pathogens present in untreated sewages. Discharge of untreated sewage can contaminate
groundwaters and surface waters used for drinking, recreation, and fish and shellfish fisheries.
That may cause spread of diseases through direct contact or indirect contact.

UNIT OPERATIONS
The treatment of wastewater depends upon the impurities present. The impurities present
are Physical, Chemical, & Biological and accordingly the treatment given are physical, chemical
and biological treatments.

1. Physical Treatment
▷ In above table the Screen, Clarifiers, grit chamber are all physical treatment unit because
in all those units the removal of impurities is taking place due to physical processes like
Gravity Settling, Mechanical Straining, etc.
▷ Mechanical Straining takes place in screens and Gravity Settling takes place in clarifiers.
▷ Clarifiers are also known as sedimentation basin or Settling tanks.

SCREEN – is a unit operation that separates large floating materials in and/or on water from
entering water treatment facilities and mains.
CLARIFIERS – are settling tanks built with mechanical means for continuous removal of solid
being deposited by sedimentation.

GRIT CHAMBER – long narrow tanks that are designed to slow down the flow so that solids
such as sand, coffee grounds, & eggshells will settle out of the water.

2. Chemical Treatment
▷ Chemical treatment of waste water is normally preferred when the wastewater discharge is
very small like that produced by industries, which contain chemicals.
▷ Takes place in units which are called reactors, chemical treatment of industrial wastewater
can be achieved from one of the following methods:
▷ Chemical Coagulation, Chemical Precipitation, Oxidation & Reduction, Neutralization,
Ion Exchange.
Chemical Coagulation
-is the chemical water treatment process used to remove solids from water, by manipulating
electrostatic charges of particles suspended in water. This process introduces small, highly charge
molecules into water to destabilize the charges on particles, colloids, or oily materials in
suspension.
Chemical Precipitation
- is the change in form of materials dissolved in water into solid particles. Chemical
Precipitation is used to remove ionic constituents from water by the addition of counter-ions to
reduce the solubility.
Neutralization
- is employed to balance the excess acidity or alkalinity in water, whereas flow equalization
is a process of controlling flow velocity and flow composition. In practical sense, it is the
adjustment of pH to achieve the desired treatment objective.
Ion exchange
- is a water treatment method where one or more undesirable ionic contaminants are
removed from water by exchange with another non-objectionable, or less objectionable ionic
substance.
3. Biological Treatment
▷ Fully utilizes the micro organisms for treatment of the wastewater.
▷ Depending upon the type of microbes used, the biological treatment is classified as:
▷ Aerobic Treatment using aerobic organisms: the example of the treatment units are
activated sludge plant, trickling filter, rotating biological contactors, oxidation ponds, etc.
▷ Anaerobic Treatment: uses the aerobic microbes. The example of anaerobic treatment
units are sludge digesters.

Activated sludge
▷ Refers to a multi-chamber reactor unit that makes
use of highly concentrated microorganism to
degrade organics and remove nutrients from
wastewater to produce a high-quality effluent.
▷ To maintain aerobic conditions and to keep the
activated sludge suspended, a continuous and well
timed supply of oxygen is required.

Trickling Filter
▷ Also called trickling biofilter, biofilter, biological
filter and biological tricking filter
▷ Is a fixed bed biological reactor that operates under
(mostly) aerobic conditions.
▷ Pre-settled wastewater is continuously trickled or
sprayed over the filter. As the water migrates through
the pores of the filter, organics are aerobically
degraded by the biofilm covering the filter materials.

Rotating Biological Contractors

▷ Also called rotating biological filters, are fixed bed
reactors consisting of stacks of rotating disks mounted
on a horizontal shaft.
▷ They are partially submerged and rotated as
wastewater flows through.

Oxidation Pond
▷ Also called as lagoons or stabilization ponds, are
large, shallow ponds designed to treat wastewater
through the interaction of sunlight, bacteria, and
algae.
Sludge Digesters (anaerobic treatment)

Unit operation in wastewater treatment

The treatment takes place in three stages:
• Preliminary Treatment - consisting of screening and grit removal
• Primary Treatment – consisting of primary sedimentation tank
• Secondary Treatment – consisting of trickling filter and secondary sedimentation
tank and disinfection unit.

Alternative on-site treatment

Alternative on-site system can provide adequate treatment where public sewer are not
available and where siting a conventional septic system would not be desirable due to inadequate
available soils, a steep slope, or other reasons. The waste water entering the wastewater unit is
called influent and wastewater coming out from the treatment is called effluent.
 ➢ Fixed-media filter systems – distribute the primary effluent over a material (or media)
that contains solid surfaces that can be populated by aerobic bacteria and other
microorganisms. Void spaces within the media allow the movement of both effluent an
atmospheric air, exposing the effluent, media surfaces, and resident microorganisms to
atmospheric oxygen. Media-filter system is essentially a watertight chamber containing a
permeable media such as san or peat that supports aerated secondary treatment.
➢ Sand-Based Treatment Systems – when using a mineral material such as sand as a filter,
the distribution of size grades is important. Using material such as ungraded sand that has
many small pores can lead to clogging, while materials with very large pores may not
render adequate treatment.
➢ Peat-Based Treatment Systems – peat system are a type of fixed-media filter and may be
constructed to operate with either once-through treatment or recirculation systems. Peat, a
partially decomposed plant materials extracted from water-saturated bogs, has been used
successfully as a septic wastewater treatment medium in both commercials & non-
commercial systems.
➢ Mound Systems – also called as wisconsin mound: requires an area of suitable soil for
construction. Soils that are unsuitable for conventional septic system – due to shallowness,
high water table, low permeability, or prior disturbance may be usable as an area for mound
construction. On sloping sites, the mound is constructed in along, narrow configuration
following the contour of the land.
➢ Wetland Systems – can be constructed inexpensively relative to other wastewater
treatment alternatives. However, the performance of wetland systems is generally less
consistent than other on-site treatment alternatives. Septic wetland systems are usually
constructed as shallow excavation or ditches that are typically 12 to 18 inches in depth and
lines to prevent leakage.
➢ Suspended-Growth System (aerobic treatment units) – create an aerobic environment
by circulating the microbes and effluent rapidly with atmospheric air (which contains O2)
within a chamber using rapidly pumping air or its mechanical agitation. Aerobic treatment
units (also called as package plants) are modular sewage treatment units that can be
purchased through and installed by a commercial contractor.

Disinfection For All Systems

➢ Chlorination – is the most time-tested and easiest to operate of the three disinfection
methods. The process is quite simple: The treated effluent is dosed with chlorine prior to
discharge. Chlorination is effective against a wide range of infectious organisms.
➢ Ozonation – like chlorination, ozonation kills pathogenic organisms by physical contact.
The process operates via injection of ozone gas into the effluent.
➢ Ultraviolet Treatment – tend to be much simpler process, technically, than either
ozonation or chlorination. UV treatment exposes the effluent to UV radiation produced by
a bulb-like device. Bulb must be replaced periodically, because of the high power
consumption. UV treatment can be expensive.
REFERENCES:
➢ Sewage Treatment
Retrieved from:
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/gauravhtandon1/sewage-treatment-59118436
➢ On-Site Sewage Treatment Alternatives
Retrieved from:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://powell735837
127.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/448407.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwimtcGngontAhUqGqYKH
RvSBVYQFjAUegQIGxAB&usg=AOvVaw1oUfhzf78U2MzN3KA5oxqS
https://sswm.info/factsheet/activated-sludge
https://sswm.info/factsheet/trickling-filter
https://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/wastewater-treatment/hardwares/semi-
centralised-wastewater-treatments/rotating-biological-contactors