What Are Sewage Treatment Plant & How Do They Work?

A sewage treatment plant is designed to treat and process raw sewage over
different steps involving breaking, filtering, settling, controlled aerobic
decomposition and chemical treatment.

One of the most common things that come in our mind

regarding human waste; is to dump it to the sewers and
let the government take care of it. With an average
person producing more than 90 litters of sewage
per day; it’s obvious to wonder how sewage is
managed anand treated on ships.

Now since we no longer have the luxury to discharge untreated human waste
at sea and have limited space to store; the sewage produced is first treated
and then discharged. The process used to systematically break the sewage
into small parts;
arts; using biological and chemical method is known as sewage
treatment.

While the system used to perform sewage treatment is called sewage

treatment plant. A sewage treatment plant on ship consists of a screen filter,
primary chamber, aeration chamber, de
demisters,
misters, blowers, settlement and
chlorination chamber. Together they treat and discharge waste to comply with
Marpol regulation IV.
Design And Construction Of Sewage Treatment Plant

A sewage treatment plant is designed and constructed to best suit the need of
the facility; whether be industry, ships or regular sewers in urban cities. The
sewer stored can be treated with mainly two major ways; chemically or
biologically. Although many new plants came with hybrid models. Let us learn
about the design characteristics of these prominent types with detailed
discussion on each one of them.

1 ) Chemical Sewage Treatment Plant

The chemical sewage treatment plant consist of preliminary treatment,

primary treatment and secondary treatment chambers. The preliminary
chamber is equipped with coarse and fine mesh of screen as filters to remove
large solid particles from getting into the system. In many designs it stay set at
the top of the primary chamber with flow measurement device recording and
filtering waste water inlet at the same time.

The primary chamber is nothing but a large storage tank much like your in
house septic tank. It accounts to hold all the wastes flushed off your toilet,
wash basin and bathrooms. The Chamber is equipped with float switches to
control the sewage level. Furthermore they also acts as sedimentation tanks
as the solid particles settled to the bottom; allowing large volume of solid
waste to be stored and latter discharged off shore to designated authorities.

The secondary chamber first chlorinate the non solid water waste and store
them for further chemical treatment. This is done by adding a 5 % solution of
chlorine to kill of bacteria within a period of 30 minutes. Further chemical
treatment is done to remove the smell and get rid of the pale colour.

The treated water is then either discharged to the sea, to shore facilities or
used in toilets for flushing. De-Chlorination is required to remove or reduce
the amount of chlorine compound present; prior to the discharge at sea.

This is done by using de-chlorinate solution such as ammonia, sulphur

compounds and activated carbon. The solid waste is stored in a sludge tank
latter to be discharged to shore collection facilities.

2 ) Biological Sewage Treatment Plant

Unlike chemicals used in chemical sewage treatment plant biological plants
use aerobic and aerobic bacteria to break down the sewage in simpler form
and decompose. The process by which the sewage is treated in biological
sewage treatment plants by using aerobic bacteria is known as aeration.

The plant consists of six major parts; the fine mesh filter, primary chamber,
aeration chamber, demister, settlement chamber and air blowers. The fine
mesh of screen is fitted at the inlet to the primary chamber filtering unwanted
solids and debris fall into the system. The mesh screen also helps in breaking
the solid particle of organic waste ( sewage ) to break into smaller particles.

The primary chamber acts as the collection and holding tank for the raw
sewage. These tanks are equipped with level sensors and float switch to detect
sewage level and avoid overflow. This is the place where the heaviest of the
particle settles down and the rest moves to the aeration chamber.

Aeration chamber is the place where the magic happens. It’s basically a hybrid
bioreactors with air blows installed to provide favorable condition for aerobic
bacteria to reproduce and grow.

The sewage after bacterial action is then passed on to the next chamber called
settling tank. It consists of a set of separating channels with slop slides. The
heavier sludge and other sewage particle is separated of the light water; which
is then discharged overboard.

Design Of Sewage Plants Used On Board Ship

Due to strict rules and regulations regarding the quality of water allowed to be
discharged from sewage treatment plant. The ship’s are generally equipped
with hybrid treatment plants; with biological process as their primary method
of treatment and chemicals as secondary.

The basic principle of the plant ( i.e to decompose raw sewage ) is taken up by
the biological units; and the killing of involved bacteria before final
discharged is handled by chemical units.

Just like the biological sewage treatment plant the system consist of; primary
chamber, aeration chamber and settling chamber with an addition of
chlorination and activated carbon chamber for chemical treatment.
1 ) Primary Chamber

The raw waste water originating from toilet, wash basins and bathrooms; with
a concentration of 0.1% solid waste by weight is stored in the primary
chamber. The sewage is fed into the chamber with special macerator pumps
that reduce human waste to slurry using blending and grinding techniques.

The blended raw sewage is then passed through a series of coarse screen
mesh which acts as a filter; stopping any unwanted solids such as parts of
metal scraps, plastics and raw toilet paper. Primary chamber then then stores
the raw sewage for some time before passing it on to aeration chamber.

2 ) Aeration Chamber

Aerobic bacteria needs food and warmth along with oxygen to survive. While
there is plenty of food stuff in the form of raw sewage; which they can break
and utilize for energy but there is very little oxygen content. This is why
aeration chambers are equipped with one set of two air blowers with one in
service and another on stand by.

The air is pumped from the blew of the aeration chamber using a controlled
air diffuser thus forming air bubbles. This thus increase the surface area and
helps in the growth and reproduction of aerobic bacteria. The proper
ventilation system and exhaust fitted in the chamber allow for the NH 3 and
CO2 Produced to escape.

3 ) Settling Chamber

The waste water after biological treatment went to the settling chamber
where the heavier solid particles settles down by effect of gravity. To further
support the process and nullify effects of flow of sewage; the waste water is
inserted into the chamber from chamber and exit from top to the next
chamber.

The chamber is sometimes also called as the hopper tank due to the presence
of sloping

slides one after another to increase the separation efficiency of the settling
tanks / chamber. To reduce the need to add fresh set of bacteria and increase
plant efficiency; many new designs came with air driven ejector pump.
They pumps 1/4th of the sludge back to aeration chamber for further
treatment and growth of bacteria in the fresh lot of sewage.

4 ) Activated Carbon Addition

Activated carbon is added on purpose to the biological treated sewage to

remove the foul color and bad smell. It get on to absorb all the organic
molecules associated with the smell and distinct colour. In many design the
activated carbon sets are filled just after the settling chamber; thus allowing
waste water to be treated before moved to next chamber.

This is achieved by the process called adsorption. Many a times they not just
used to remove odor and color; but also unwanted bi-product of biological
treatment. The short explanation for why only activated carbon is used for the
purpose is that; it provide large surface area with many bonding sites to trap
targeted molecules or compound. 5 ) Chlorination Chamber

Just like everything that glitters is not gold; water that don’t smell or appears
unhealthy is allowed to be dumped at sea. In fact even after passing through
the activated carbon; the waste water still contains the aerobic bacteria that
we used in first place. So the treated waste water is disinfected killing all
germs ( Salmonella & Pseudomonas ) and bacteria prior to final discharge.

The chlorination chamber thus provides the space and means to hold and
disinfectant the waste water using chlorine solution. While some ships use
chemical injection method; most prefer the old but solid method of tablet
dosing.

The chlorine reacts with their inter cellular enzymes and cell membrane;
making them incapable to reproduce, die or nonfunctional.

Rules And Regulation Governing Sewage Treatment Plant

While most authorities whether at sea or land prefer to limit the oxygen
demand of the bio-chemical compound; to be as less as 20. But at sea there are
special set of rules stated under Marpol regulation 4; governing the operation
and discharge criteria of sewage treatment plant.
The law requires all ships and water vessels above 4000 Gross tonnage dead
weight or carrying more than 15 crew / personal in international waters is
required to have dedicated sewage treatment plant or sludge tank to hold
sewage for appropriate time. The provision of these rules are nor applicable
to territorial waters under state control. Under regulation 9.1.02 of Marpol
Annex IV the discharge of sewage is permitted if the ship proves to have
approved sewage treatment plant installed on board. The law required the
ships to have a log of sewage produced, discharged, treated and transferred to
shore facility.

The law require the ships to discharge disinfected treated waste at a distance
of at least 3 nautical miles from the nearest land. Furthermore in case of
normal biological sewage treatment plant i.e waste water untreated with
chlorine and active carbon; is required to discharged at at least 12 nautical
miles from the nearest land.

Under Resolution MEPC 62 adopted on 2013 all passenger ships; are

restricted from discharging sewage in special area ( i.e Baltic Sea ). They are
only required to discharge if they provide evidence that; their sewage
treatment plants are of approved type and capable to meet the standards for
nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

S.T.P ( Sewage Treatment Plant ) Working Principle

The main aim of sewage treatment plant is to treat the raw sewage to
acceptable levels so can be dumper or discharged at sea. To perform task the
raw sewage had to undergo several process; that break, disintegrate, treat and
disinfect the waste water. These process start with the introduction of raw
sewage into the primary chamber through a coarse filter.

This is the place where the heavy grit settles down on its own weight leaving
the mixture of fine solid waste and water. This mixture is then introduced to
the aeration chamber; where either fresh set of aerobic bacteria is added or
reproduced from a part of sludge and waste left from last treatment.
These microorganisms use the available oxygen and organic waste to
reproduce and grow. In the process they convert organic matter into carbon
dioxide, ammonia and other byproducts including other inorganic and organic
residue. While there are various factors that can play hand in the time
required in the process; but the most important are, air supply ( Oxygen ),
temperature, P.H, surface area and sewage quality.

The treated waste is then passed through sedimentation tank; where the
slurry and heavy solids get separated of waste water. It is then sent to the
chlorination chamber through; an activated carbon channel.

These substances with their large surface area and targeted bonding hands;
adsorb molecules and compounds leading to distinct colour and smell of
waste water. The non stinky clean waste water is then added with chlorine
solution to kill off any residual bacteria; before the final discharge to the open
sea.

Everyone have question but its thought to us whole life not to ask. But here
at Shipfever.com we know the importance of doubts and curiosity. So whether
how silly it may be ! We try to answers some of the most common doubts and
question we all have at some point of time; regarding sewage treatment plant
and its operation on ship.