Preliminary Treatment /Primary Settlement Design:

Abbreviations:
ADWF is the average dry weather flow in sewers.
PWWF is the peak wet weather flow in sewers.
PDWF Is the peak dry weather flow ensures.

Task 1
A bar screen is to be designed for the inlet works of a sewage treatment plant which
serves a population of 20,000. Per capita average dry weather flow to the plant is
250 L/d. Peak dry weather flow, Qd, is twice ADWF and peak wet weather flow
(PWWF), Qw, is 4 times Qd. Pier spacing between bars is to be 25mm and the bars
are each 10mm wide, normal to the direction of flow. Calculate the dimensions of the
approach channel cross section and the control flume if required.

Solution:
Average flow to the plant, Qa = 20,000 x 250 L/d
= 5 ML/d = 58 L/s = 0.058 m3/s
Peak dry weather flow, Qd = 2Qa = 0.116 m3/s
Peak wet weather flow, Qw = 4Qd = 0.464 m3/s

The minimum approached velocity to be achieved at least once per day (at Qd) =
0.45 m/s, and maximum velocity through the bars at peak wet weather flow is 1 m/s.
Therefore, the maximum approach velocity, Va,max, is calculated as follows:
𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑉𝑎,𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑉𝑏,𝑚𝑎𝑥 ×
𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 + 𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ

25
= 1.0 × 25+10 = 0.71 𝑚/𝑠

If the depth of flow in the approach channel is the same for all flow rates, the
maximum range of flows which may be handled = Va,max/Va,min = 0.71/0.45 = 1.6.
However, the range of flows to be served is Qw/Qd = 4. Therefore, some form of
control is required to increase the depth as the flow increases. This may be achieved
by using a critical depth flume, with the discharge equation approximately given as
𝑄 = 1.7𝑏ℎ 3/2
Then, for a trial throat width of b = 0.2 m and Q = Qd, the flow depth, hd is given by

𝑄𝑑 2/3 0.116 2/3

ℎ𝑑 = ( ) =( ) = 0.488𝑚
1.7𝑏 1.7 × 0.2
Area of Approach Channel = Qd/Va,min and, since A = Whd, the width (W) of the
channel is:

𝑄 0.116
𝑊= = = 0.528𝑚
𝑉𝑎,𝑚𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑑 0.45 × 0.488

At maximum flow, Qw

0.464 2/3
ℎ𝑤 = ( ) = 1.23𝑚
1.7 × 0.2
Checking the maximum approach velocity gives

𝑄𝑤 0.464
𝑉𝑎,𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = = 0.71 𝑚/𝑠
𝑊ℎ𝑤 0.528 × 1.23
This is equal to the maximum permissible value calculated above, and is acceptable.
Overall channel depth = 1.23 + 0.30 (freeboard) = 1.53m.
Allow for construction depth of 1.55m.

In practice, the range of depths corresponding to the range of flows from ADWF to
PDWF may be considered too great. It may be preferable to provide two screens, the
2nd to accept sewage when the flow is more than some pre-determined value, such
as 2PDWF.

Task 2
From the previous example calculate the main dimensions of a set of constant
velocity grit chambers for the treatment plant data given previously.

Solution:
The simplest installation will comprise one duty grit chamber and one standby,
controlled by a single critical depth flume.
Control Flume Design:
As an initial trial, adopt the same dimensions and discharge equation as those for
the stream control flume in the previous exercise.

𝑄 = 1.7𝑏ℎ 3/2

Where, b = 0.2m. Then flow depth upstream of the flume are ha = 0.308m, hd =
0.488m and hw = 1.23m.

Grit chamber:
Cross sectional area, A = Q/Vf
For constant velocity, Vf = 0.3m/s (recommended), and at Qa
0.058
𝐴𝑎 = = 0.193 𝑚2
0.3
As per lecture notes, width of grit chamber = 1.5A/h:
1.5𝐴𝑎 1.5 × 0.193
𝑊= = = 0.94𝑚
ℎ𝑎 0.308
Similarly, Wd = 1.189m, and Ww = 1.886m.

For the three flows, calculated values of h and W can be plotted to give the ideal
parabolic cross section, under suitable trapezoidal approximation can be developed.
The length of the grit chamber is obtained as follows:
𝐿 ≥ 18ℎ𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 18 x 1.23 = 22m.

Grit collection Chamber:

Estimated rate load ≈ 0.005 to 0.05 m3/ML
This load, m3/ML is the volume of grit per 1 x 106 Litres of wastewater. Therefore, we
consider the Qw as 0.464 m3/s and convert to m3/day
0.464 x 24 x 60 x 60 = 40,000 m 3/day
Then we convert m3/ML to m3/day, we divide by 1000:
At Qw, total grit load = 40(0.005 to 0.05) = 0.2 to 2.0 m3/day.
Cross sectional area of grit chamber:
= Volume/Length = 2.0/22 = 0.09 m2.

A channel 0.3m × 0.3m would give an area of 0.09 m2 and should be adequate to
ensure that cleaning is only required once each day at PWWF.

Task 3:
Two rectangular primary sedimentation tanks are to be designed for the treatment
plant whose data are as per the previous example. Determine suitable dimensions
for these tanks if the surface loading rate is 35 m3/m2.day at peak dry weather flow
(DWF), detention time is not to exceed 4 hours at ADWF and forward velocity at a
maximum flow of 3ADWF is not to exceed 5mm/s (flows in excess of 3ADWF are to
be diverted upstream of the primary sedimentation tanks).

Solution:

Flows: Qa = 5 ML/day = 58 L/s.

Design Flow: Qd = 10 ML/day = 116 L/s
3 ADWF = 15 ML/day = 174 L/s

Surface Loading Rate

This is given as 35 m3/m2.day = 35/86.4 = 0.4 L/m2s
0.4 L/m2s is equivalent of a theoretical particle settling velocity of 0.4mm/s.

Surface tank area (each):

For “n” tanks, in this example 2 tanks.
Tank Surface Area (m2), A =

𝑄 𝑄𝑑 116
𝐴= = = = 145 𝑚2
(𝑄/𝐴) [(𝑄/𝐴)𝑛 ] 0.4 × 2
Detention Time (t):
t = V/Q = 4 hrs @ ADWF.
 𝑄𝑎 𝑄𝑑
𝑡= =
𝑡𝑎 𝑡𝑑
Therefore
𝑄𝑎 𝑡𝑎
𝑡𝑑 = = = 2 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝑡𝑎 𝑄𝑑 2

Tank Depth:
𝐻
𝑡= (𝐻 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠)
𝑄/𝐴

𝑡𝑄 2 × 35
𝐻= = = 2.92𝑚
𝐴 24
This is determined as divided by 24 as t = 2hrs, and the Q/A is in m3/m2days. So,
2/24 is converting 2 hrs into days. Therefor m3/m2 is metres.

Forward Velocity (vf)

𝐿
𝑣𝑓 = (𝐿 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠)
3.6𝑡

*note that vf = 5mm/s at 3Qa

Hence, @ Qd = 2Qa, vf = 3.33 m/s.

Therefore: L = 3.6t. vf = 3.6 x 2 x 3.33 = 6m.

Tank width = W = A/L = 145/24 = 6m

Checking Length to width ratio: α = 24/6 = 4

Tank should be: L = 24m , W = 6m, Depth = 3m.

• Can also be designed using charts.