Secondary Wastewater

Treatment
Secondary Wastewater Treatment
• Secondary wastewater treatment is biological treatment
of Primary wastewater treatment process effluent, that
aims to remove dissolved and particulate matter from
the wastewater
• Secondary treatment processes in overall waste
treatment system have three major purposes:
1. Biological oxidation of soluble organic mater
2. Absorption of SS as well as settling of solid
generated from biological process
3. Biological removal of certain nutrient (NH3, NO3,
PO4)
• Biological organism in secondary treatment system
needs: Source of food or energy, optimum growth
condition and time, source of oxygen
Secondary Wastewater Treatment
Classification of secondary
waste treatment process

Based on the Based on microorganism

presence of DO media growth

Aerobic, oxygen is presence with DO is Attached Growth, a mass of individual

maintained higher than 0,5 mg/L (optimum is 1
– 2 mg/L)
Anaerobic, DO should be non detectable, and
no nitrate or nitrite source exist
Anoxic, DO should be less than 0,5 mg/L and
most preferably non detectable, combined
oxygen like nitrate or nitrite exist.
microorganism attaching themselves to fixed
media in slime film (fixed film)
Suspended or Slurry Growth, microorganisms are
kept in suspended state as individual or mass of
organism (sludge flocs) that are mixed with
wastewater being treated in solids suspension
termed mixed liquor
Principle of Biological Wastewater Treatment

Colloidal and
dissolved organic Energy and stable
endproduct

Energy used for

cell growth
Microorganism

New cells Sludge Separation

to produce
(sludge formation) clarified effluent
Dissolved Oxygen
 Important Microorganism
Bacteria
Single cell microorganism which are
found wherever moisture and food
source are available. Its growth is
affected by temperature and pH. In
biological waste treatment, there are
two types of bacteria which are Floc-
forming and Filament-forming
bacteria
Protozoa
Protozoa are motile, microscopic
organism that are usually single cell,
and majority aerobic heterotrophs. In
biological waste treatment, protozoa
could act as effluent polishers since it
could consume swimming bacteria and
particulate organic matter
Fungi
Multicellular, non-photosynthetic,
heterotrophic organism. Most
fungi are strict aerobes, they have
ability to grow under low moisture,
low nitrogen, and low pH
condition.
Rotifers
Aerobic, heterotrophic, multicellular
organism that could consume
dispersed and flocculated bacteria
and small particles of organic matter.
Their presence in mixed liquor
indicates highly efficient aerobic
biological purification process
Algae
Unicellular or multicellular, autotrophic,
photosynthetic organism that can be
valuable in oxidation pond since they
have ability to produce oxygen through
photosynthesis but could be nuisance
when large amount of algae died since
they odorous
Worms
Worms are characteristic higher life
forms that appear in activated sludge
systems with very high sludge age
Bacterial Growth

• Biological treatment units are

composed of complex, interrelated,
mixed biological populations, with
each microorganism in the system
having its own growth curve
• The position and shape of a
particular growth curve in the system,
depend on food and nutrients
available and environmental factors
(temperature, pH) and whether the
system is aerobic or anaerobic
Bacterial Oxidation
Basic Methods of Secondary
Treatment

Activated Sludge Process

Aerated Lagoon

Trickling Filter

Rotating Biological Contactor

Activated Sludge Process
• Biological wastewater treatment that involves
production active mass microorganism to
degrade organic pollutant with the presence of
dissolved oxygen
• Developed and Patented in England in 1914
• Classified as suspended growth process, can be
applied both for domestic and industrial
wastewater
• Microorganism in activated sludge: bacteria,
protozoa, and small organism like rotifers
• Bacteria responsible for structural and functional
activity of the activated sludge
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Activated Sludge Process
Control Concept
• Common control methods used for the activated
sludge process include:
1. Solid Retention Time (SRT)
2. Food-to-Microorganism ratio (F/M)
3. Constant Mixed Liquor Suspended Solid
4. Return Activated Sludge Control

• These parameters are controlled to keep the

value within the range based on the biological
process design
Summary of Operating Data Range for Activated Sludge Processes
(Source: The Nalco Water Handbook, 2009)
 Solid Retention Time (SRT)
• SRT also known as Mean Cell Residence Time (MCRT) and Sludge age
• Calculated by dividing quantity of sludge in aeration tank and clarifier by daily
losses through waste sludge and effluent

Where:
SRT = Solid Retention Time (days)
X1 = MLSS in aeration tank (mg/L)
X2 = MLSS in clarifier (mg/L)
Xx = MLSS in waste sludge (mg/L)
Xe = MLSS in effluent (mg/L)
V1 = Volume of aeration tank (m3)
V2 = Volume of clarifier (m3)
Qx = Waste activated sludge rate (m3/d)
Qe = Effluent rate (m3/d)
 Solid Retention Time (SRT)

• Activated sludge system can be

controlled based on maintaining
SRT at constant value
• Main variable control for SRT:
Sludge Wasting Rate
• There are condition and period
when SRT should be
increase/decrease, depending on
loading rates, changes flow rates,
or presence of toxic material
 Food-to-Microorganism Ratio (F/M)

• Term for expressing organic loading of an Activated Sludge Process

• F/M help to maintain a balance between quantity of food and microorganism
• Quantity of food stated as BOD5, and quantity of microorganism stated as Mixed
Liquor Volatile Suspended Solid (MLVSS)

Where:
F/M = Food-to-Microorganism ratio (kg BOD/kg MLVSS)
Q0 = Influent flow rate (m3/day) S0 = Influent BOD (mg/L)
Se = Effluent BOD (mg/L) VA = Volume of aeration tank (m3)
XA = MLVSS in aeration tank (mg/L)
• F/M can be used to sizing the aeration tank
 MLSS and MLVSS
• Suspended Solid Level is one of the most important control parameter in
biological WWT → directly related with sludge settling properties, effluent
efficiency, and F/M
• MLSS (Mix Liquor Suspended Solid) represent total suspended solid, irrespective
of biological activity
o Measured by empirical test using glass filter 1,2 μm
• MLVSS (Mix Liquor Volatile Suspended Solid) represent active microbial
population in MLSS
o Measured by empirical test by ignited the MLSS in the furnace at 550oC
• Like SRT, activated sludge system can be controlled by maintaining MLSS at
constant value
• Main variable control for MLSS : Sludge Wasting Rate
 Return Activated Sludge Control
• A portion of mix liquor solid (sludge) that settled in secondary clarifier are
continuously returned back to the aeration tank, because:
1. Sludge will quickly fill the clarifier and might be cause effluent lost
2. To continue supply microorganism at aeration tank for the degradation pollutant
process
• Operator controlled RAS rate so that the constant sludge blanket depth can
be maintained, the adjustment of RAS rate should be needed only
occasionally
• Sludge blanket should not too deep, but also desirable to keep some solid in
clarifier
• Sludge blanket should be measured at the same time each day and at the
same point on clarifier bridge
 Sludge Volume Index (SVI)
• SVI can be used to determine and compare mix liquor settleability
• SVI defined as the volume in milliliter occupied by one gram of activated sludge
(taken at the outlet of aeration tank) after 30 minute of settling in 1000 mL cylinder

Where:
SVI = Sludge Volume Index (mL/g MLSS)
Vs = Volume sludge after settling (mL/L) MLSS = Mix Liquor Suspended Solid (g/L)
• SVI value can indicate the settling characteristic of the sludge
• SVI and sludge settling characteristic with MLSS 1500 – 3500 mg/L:
SVI value (mL/g MLSS) Sludge Settling Characteristic

80 - 120 Normal settling, good settling

> 120 Possible bulking in the clarifier

< 80 Very compact, heavy floc

 Aerated Lagoon
• Aerated lagoon is a basin which wastewater is
treated on a flow-through basis; surface aerator
were installed to overcome the odors from
organically overloaded ponds

• Aerated lagoon are similar to activated sludge

process system without recycle, usually
followed by large settling ponds

• Aerated lagoon and stabilization ponds are

currently in use in older plants but are out of
favor for new construction, due to odor from
algae blooms, groundwater contamination
concerns, and large land area requirements
 Trickling Filter
• Trickling filter consist of a bed of coarse material
(stones, salts, or plastic) which over wastewater is
distributed from moving spray distribution

• A secondary clarifier usually follows the trickling

filter to reduce the effluent solids

• Trickling filter are not filtering or straining process, it

provide large amount of surface area where the
microorganism cling and grow in slime on the rock
as they feed on the organic matter

• The under-flow system support the media and

provide drainage of the waste flow to a collection
channel while permitting air circulation up through
the media to supply oxygen
 Rotating Biological Contactor
• Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) uses a
biological slime of microorganism that grow on
a series of thin disc mounted side by side on a
shaft

• The disc are rotate slowly and are partially

submerged in the wastewater, the disc are
usually made from lightweight plastic

• Microorganism will attach to the surface of the

disc until all the disc are covered by layer of
biofilm

• The excess growth of microbes breaks off from

the disc and flows to the clarifier for the solid
liquid separation process
 Membrane Bioreactor
• Membrane bioreactor system using membrane
as the separation device for solids-liquid
separation instead of clarifier or DAF

• In MBR system membrane could be placed

submerged directly in aeration basin or reside in
an external tank, membrane pore size usually
0,04 – 0,4 um

• This system allows operation in higher MLSS,

long sludge retention time, and low HRT than
conventional system, and could resulted lower
effluent TSS

• The problems that may occur in MBR system is

membrane fouling that could limiting membrane
flux and causing operational issues
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