QUESTION 1: You have been hired as a sewerage system design expert.

Discuss in detail
how you will determine the design flow for a sewerage system.

Designing a sewage system involves careful planning, analysis and consideration of

various factors to ensure the effective and efficient disposal of wastewater and the
prevention of environmental pollution. When hired to design a sewerage system flow for a
town or community, I would follow the following steps to come up with an effective and
economical sewage system design flow;
1. Gather information about the area. This gathered information would help me decide
on the design flow of the sewage system and the system of waste disposal. Some of
the information I would gather would be the land use patterns and industrial
activities. I would also obtain information about water consumption rates and rainfall
patterns. Such factors greatly factor in my design of the sewage flow.
2. Estimate the design population. The population of an area is one the critical factors
that should be considered when designing a sewerage flow. Therefore, the
population of an area, both the present and the future, should be considered. The
design population can be determined based on the current population of the area
and the anticipated growth rates. This involves factors such as economic
development and future urbanization plans. Also, statistical methods and
demographic studies can be used to estimate the population growth over the design
life of the sewerage system.
3. Water consumption rates. Water consumption rates highly determine the amount of
sewage generation since when people consume more water, they generate more
sewage. Therefore, I would analyze the rates at which water is being consumed in the
area including the residential, commercial, institutional and industrial sectors. This
analysis would be a great help in me designing the correct design flow for the sewage
system.
4. Peak flow estimation. Based on the design population and the sewage generation
rates, I would determine the peak flow rate, i.e., when the sewage system would be
mostly utilized. I would accomplish this by considering the variations in flow rates
during different times of day and different days of the week. The peak flow would
help determine the maximum design flow required since at the peak flow is when
the sewage system would be the busiest transporting sewage.
5. Rainfall and infiltration analysis. The rainfall and infiltration rates of an area
determine the amount of sewage that particular sewage generates since water
infiltrates the soil and reaches the underground sewerage systems. Based on the
rainfall data of the area collected, I would assess the potential infiltration rates
considering factors such as surface runoff and subsurface drainage. This data would
also affect the design flow of the sewage system.
After analyzing and collecting data, and computing the design flow of sewage to be
constructed in an area, I would also consider the safety factor. After computing the rate
of sewage flow, I would multiply it by a factor of 3 to get the maximum flow of the
sewage. This would be used as the design flow for the sewage system construction.
QUESTION 2: Discuss hourly variation of sewage flow as a critical design parameter in
sewerage system design.
Understanding the fluctuation in sewage flow rates throughout the day is essential for
designing a sewerage system that can handle the maximum flow without causing overloads.
Sewage flows vary throughout a 24-hour period. These variations are influenced by human
activities, particularly water usage patterns. For instance, sewage flow rated tend to be
higher in the mornings and evenings when people are using water for various purposes.
Residential areas have a peak sewage flow in the morning hours. This peak flow is usually
refereed to as “Morning Surge”. It is essential to consider the average household size,
occupancy and water usage habits when estimating sewage flow from residential areas.
Commercial and industrial sectors, on the other hand, have different hourly variations. For
instance, sewage flow may peak during lunchtime hours for restaurants and hotels.
Therefore, analyzing these patterns is essential in accurate estimation of sewage flow.
The occurrence of special events greatly impacts the sewage flow of an area. For instance, a
special event housing many people would lead to a peak sewage flow in the area where the
event was hosted. As a result, additional capacity in sewage systems would be required to
handle the sewage surges generated.
By analyzing and incorporating the hourly variation of sewage flow in the design of sewage
systems, engineers can guarantee that the sewage system is sized adequately to
accommodate peak flows while maintaining proper operation and minimizing the risk of
overflows.
QUESTION 3: Discuss the importance of preliminary treatment of sewage in the overall
treatment of sewage.
1. Protecting treatment equipment and reducing the load on secondary treatment
units. Large debris, such as rocks, branches, and rags, can cause damage to pumps,
pipes, and other mechanical equipment used in the treatment process. By removing
these materials in the preliminary treatment stage, the risk of equipment damage
and subsequent operational issues is significantly reduced.
2. Preventing blockages. When large objects and debris enter the system, they can
accumulate and clog pipes, pumps, and other components. Blockages not only
disrupt the treatment process but can also lead to overflow or backups, causing
environmental pollution and health hazards. Removing these materials at the
beginning reduces the likelihood of blockages and associated problems.
3. Improving eefficiency of the sewage treatment plant. Large debris can interfere with
the settling of solids, hinder biological processes, or reduce the effectiveness of
filtration and disinfection methods. Removing these materials upfront allows the
subsequent treatment stages to work optimally and achieve better overall results.
Therefore, by removing large materials in the preliminary treatment stage, the
subsequent treatment processes become more effective and efficient.
4. Protecting the eenvironment. Sewage often contains pollutants and contaminants
that can harm the environment if discharged directly. Preliminary treatment removes
materials that could be unsightly or dangerous if released into natural water bodies.
It helps prevent the spread of debris and non-biodegradable substances, reducing
the impact on aquatic ecosystems, wildlife, and overall water quality.