Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

1. State three reasons why proper disposal of waste water is important

➢ To avoid pollution of receiving water.
➢ To avoid unhealthy conditions.
➢ To have some agricultural value i.e. manure.
➢ To destroy pathogenic bacteria.
➢ To dispose of wastewater easily and safely.
2. Waste water contains 0.1% solid particles. Differentiate between suspended and
colloidal solids
The particles in a suspension may be separated by filtration unlike those in a colloid.
Colloids are able to scatter light, but suspensions cannot transmit light. Particles in a
suspension can be seen by the naked eye, but those in a colloid must be viewed using a
light microscope
3. Sludge must be treated before use as a fertilizer. Briefly describe the process of sludge
treatment in a conventional waste water treatment process.
➢ Thickening: is a procedure used to increase the solids content of sludge by
removing a portion of the liquid fraction.
➢ Digestion: is the process by which the solid organic matter deposited by
sedimentation is liquified and gasified by biological action.
➢ Conditioning: This involves addition of a coagulant to the sludge which improves
its dewatering characteristics.
➢ Dewatering: This is a physical unit operation used to reduce the moisture
content of sludge.
➢ Drying: is to reduce the moisture content and volume of sludge so that it can be
used after drying without causing offensive odours or risk public health.
➢ Incineration: In order to kill pathogens
4. State any 3 advantages & disadvantages of using waste stabilization ponds for
treatment of wastewater as compared to conventional sewerage treatment works
Advantages
➢ Has lower initial cost than that required for a mechanical plant.
➢ Lower operating costs.
➢ Has regulation of effluent discharge
➢ Treatment system is not significantly influenced by a leaky sewage system
bringing storm water along with the sewage.
Disadvantages
➢ Requires extensive land area hence the method can be used only in rural areas
where land costs are less.
➢ Assimilative capacity of certain industrial wastes is poor.
➢ There are potential odour problems.
➢ If used in urban areas, expansion of town and new developments may encroach
on the lagoon site.
➢ Effluent quality standards of 30mg/l for suspended solids are not met.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

5. Describe the following sewer appurtenances and their purposes

(i) Drop manholes
A manhole is a masonry or reinforced cement concrete constructed on the
alignment of a sewer for providing access to the sewer for the purposes of
inspection, flushing, cleaning and removal of obstructions from the sewers.
(ii) Catch basins
A catch basin or catch pit is a special type of inlet, in which a basin is provided
which allows grit, sand and debris flowing in with storm water to settle out.
(iii) Lamp holes
These are special openings constructed to join a hole in the sewer and the
ground for the purpose of lowering a lamp inside the sewer.
6. Identify the 3 forms of wastewater
➢ Domestic sewage,
➢ industrial sewage,
➢ and storm sewage
7. State 2 reasons why the use of pit latrines is a better waste disposal method than
septic tanks.
➢ Initial cost is less compared to septic tank
➢ Low maintenance cost compared to septic tank
8. Outline 2 reasons as to why grit removal is an important treatment process
➢ To protect moving mechanical equipment such as pumps from abrasion and
abnormal wear.
➢ To reduce the formation of heavy deposits in pipe lines, channels and conduits.
➢ To reduce the frequency of cleaning of subsequent unit operations such as
digesters caused by excessive accumulation of grit.
9. Outline the aim of primary sedimentation process in a wastewater treatment
➢ To reduce the strength of sewage by about 40%.
➢ To reduce the load on other treatment plants.
➢ To minimize the quantity of settleable solids by about 80%.
➢ To reduce BOD by 40%.
➢ To make sewage fit for other treatment processes
10. Sketch a well labelled conventional wastewater on surface bodies
Check on the notes
11. List any 3 merits and 3 demerits of using separate sewers

3 merits
i) The cost of, installation is low.
ii) The load on the treatment units will be lowered, since only the foul sewage carried by
the separate sewers need be treated.
iii) The sewages will be of more uniform character, lending
itself more easily to purification.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

iv) Flow in a sewer of smaller section is much more efficient.

v) Easier to be ventilated than those of larger sections.
vi) Rain water can be discharged into streams or rivers without any
treatment.
vii)If there is necessity of lifting the sewage mechanically, the system is economical
3 demerits
i) Since the sewers are of small size, it is difficult to clean them.
ii) They are likely to get chocked.
iii) Two sets of sewers may ultimately prove to be costly.
iv) Lesser air contact in small size sewers, foul smell due to the sewage gas formed.
v) There is a likelihood of connections being wrongly made through a confusion of the
systems.
vi) Storm water sewers comes in use only during the rainy season.
12. Differentiate between the following terms:
Sewage: is the liquid waste from the community that includes sullage, discharge from
latrines, urinals, stables, industrial waste and also the ground surface and storm water that may
be admitted into the sewer.
Sewerage: means the structures, devices, equipment and appurtenances intended for the
collection, transportation and pumping of sewage and liquid wastes, but excluding works for
the treatment of sewage
13. Outline safety measures observed before, during and after for sewer clean up
14. State five factors considered while selecting sewer pipes
➢ Hydraulic efficiency: should be such that value of Manning's coefficient N is as
low as possible so that a hydraulically efficient surface is available.
➢ Resistance to abrasion: For a longer life, the sewer material must possess high
degree of resistance to abrasion.
➢ Resistance to corrosion: For longer life, the sewer material should possess
enough resistance to corrosion.
➢ Strength: The material should be strong enough to resist all such external forces.
➢ Durability: should be durable so that expenditure due to its frequent
replacement is minimum.
➢ Cost: The cost of the material should be less so that overall economy is achieved
in its construction.
➢ Weight: The material should be light in weight so that it can be easily handled
and transportation costs are also less.
➢ Imperviousness: should be impervious and should not allow seepage of the
sewage from the sewer
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

15. List & explain down sewer appurtenances you know

➢ Manholes.
➢ Inlets.
➢ Catch basins or catch pits.
➢ Clean outs.
➢ Flushing tanks.
➢ Flushing units.
➢ Lamp holes.
➢ Inverted siphons
➢ Grease and oil traps.
16. Identify any 3 types of sewer pumps
➢ Centrifugal pumps.
➢ Reciprocating pumps.
➢ Pneumatic ejectors/Air lift pumps.
17. Explain the process for the testing of leakage in sewers using the water test
➢ Fill the sewer system with water and observe the water level for 15-20 minutes.
If the water level drops, you have a leak somewhere in your sewer system.
18. Explain how ventilated pit latrines overcome the common problems experienced with
traditional latrine designs
➢ Excreta are collected in a pit
which has a vent pipe covered with a fly-proof screen at the top. In these latrines, air
circulates down the squat hole or chute, into the pit and through the vent pipe. This
reduces smells in the shelter.
➢ No cover is placed over the squat hole or seat in order to allow free flow
of air into the shelter and into the pit. In order to ensure an unhindered flow of air, the
top of the vent pipe must be at least 0.3 meters above the top of the shelter
➢ The latrine must be away from high buildings or tree

19. Sketch and label a septic tank

Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

20. What are aqua-privies? It’s a single chamber septic tank, except the toilet is located
directly over the tank.
State 2 disadvantages of adopting them as method of waste disposal in a community.

21. Discuss physical, chemical and biological characteristics of wastewater

Physical
The main physicochemical characteristics of wastewater which are generally examined
include:

➢ Colour, Odor, Temperature, Turbidity, Solids, pH, Dissolved oxygen and

Chemical oxygen demand.
Chemical characteristics of wastewater.
Organic solids may include:
➢ Fats and oils from kitchens, workshop, laundries etc.
➢ Carbohydrates i.e., cellulose, starch, sugar etc.
➢ Nitrogenous compounds which are proteins that include wastes from urinals,
urea, hydrocarbons etc.
Inorganic solids include mineral matter such as gravel, grit, debris, chlorides, sulphates
etc. which come from street washing, kitchen and courtyard washing.
22. Explain the effects nutrients in domestic wastewater on surface water bodies
➢ eutrophication and algal blooms in surface waters
➢ contamination of drinking water
23. Sketch a well-labelled diagram of a drop manhole

24. Draw a well labelled conventional wastewater treatment flowchart

Check on your Notes please
25. Outline primary sedimentation process in wastewater treatment
➢ a physical process utilizing gravitational forces.
➢ Settleable and suspended solids, which are the major components of sludge and
are heavier than water, settle out of the sewage along with any grit carryover
from the headworks.
26. Outline two reasons as to why grit removal is an important treatment process
➢ To protect moving mechanical equipment such as pumps from abrasion and
abnormal wear.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

➢ To reduce the formation of heavy deposits in pipe lines, channels and conduits.
➢ To reduce the frequency of cleaning of subsequent unit operations such as
digesters caused by excessive accumulation of grit.
27. Discuss merits and demerits of using
i) Separate sewers: comprises of two separate sewer systems – one for collecting
and conveying foul sewage only while the second system collects and carries
runoff from the roofs and street surfaces.
Merits
➢ The cost of, installation is low.
➢ The load on the treatment units will be lowered, since only the foul
sewage carried
➢ The sewages in the separate system will be of more uniform character,
more easily to purification.
➢ There is no necessity of providing automatic flushing tanks, for use in dry
weather.
➢ Since the separate sewers are of smaller section it can be easily
ventilated than those of larger sections.
➢ Rain water can be discharged into streams or rivers without any
treatment.
➢ It’s economical
Demerits
➢ Since the sewers are of small size, it is difficult to clean them.
➢ They are likely to get chocked.
➢ Two sets of sewers may ultimately prove to be costly.
➢ Because of lesser air contact in small size sewers, foul smell may be there
due to the sewage gas formed.
➢ There is a likelihood of connections being wrongly made through a
confusion of the systems.
➢ Storm water sewers or drains comes in use only during the rainy season.
During other part of the year, these may serve as dumping place for
garbage, and may get chocked.
(ii) Combined: are those which have one set of sewers to carry both the foul
sewage as well as the storm water.
Merits
➢ The system requires only one set of sewers hence the maintenance costs are
reduced.
➢ Since the sewers are of larger size chances of their choking are rare.
➢ The strength of the sewage is reduced by dilution.
➢ It is easy to clean them due to their large size.
➢ The chances of foul smell are reduced.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

Demerits
➢ The cost of construction is very high because of large dimensions of the
sewers to be constructed.
➢ Because of the large size of sewers, their handling and transportation is
difficult.
➢ Due to the inclusion of the storm water, the load on the treatment plant
increases.
➢ Storm water is unnecessarily polluted.
➢ During heavy rains, the sewers may overflow, and may thus create
unhygienic conditions and cause pollution problems.
➢ may become foul in dry weather when rain water is not available.
➢ Large sewers are more difficult to be ventilated than the smaller ones.
➢ The system is uneconomical in the circumstances when pumping is required
for lifting of sewage.
(iii) Partially combined: have one set of underground sewers that admit foul sewage as
well as the early washings by rains.
Merits
➢ The sewers are of reasonable size thus cleaning them is not very difficult.
➢ It combines the advantage of both the separate as well as the combined
sewerage systems.
➢ The problem of disposing of storm water from homes is simplified.
➢ The storm water permitted in the sewers eliminates its chances of chocking.
➢ The sewers are completely cleaned during the rainy season.
Demerits
➢ During the dry weather, when there is no rain water, the velocity of flow will
be low thus self-cleansing velocity may not be achieved.
➢ The storm water increases the load on treatment units.
➢ The storm water also increases the cost of pumping.
28. Define the term waste water
Water that has been used in the home, in a business, or as part of an industrial process.
29. Differentiate anaerobic ponds and facultative ponds
anaerobic ponds
➢ Do not require the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water to function.
➢ The build-up of sludge is much less in the anaerobic system compared to the
aerobic system.
➢ Their depths ranging from 2.5 to 5m.
➢ length to width ratio of 2:1.
➢ The chief function of anaerobic ponds is deposition and digestion sewage solids.
➢ Used mainly in the treatment of strong industrial wastes.
facultative ponds
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

➢ Require oxygen to function

➢ Depths ranging from 1.0 to 1.5m.
➢ length to width ratio 3:1.
30. State two preliminary treatments in an anaerobic pond.
➢ Coarse screening
➢ grit removal
31. Describe the design of anerobic pond
➢ depths ranging from 2.5 to 5m.
➢ length to width ratio of 2:1.
32. State 4 types of grit chambers
➢ Horizontal flow grit chambers.
➢ Aerated grit chambers.
33. Explain the function of screens in waste water treatment
➢ used to trap large floating/suspended solids from sewage.
34. Differentiate a bar screen from a woven wire screen
35. State 3 major functions of manholes
➢ Joining sewer lines.
➢ Changing the direction of sewer line
➢ Changing the alignment of sewer lines.
36. Explain 4 major types of sewer problems
➢ Tree root intrusion
➢ Pipe Shifting
➢ Pipe Corrosion
37. State 3 major methods used in sewer cleaning
➢ Chemical Sewer Cleaning
➢ Mechanical Sewer Cleaning Methods
➢ Hydraulic Sewer Cleaning Methods
38. State 3 abuses that can be done to septic tanks
➢ Driving over the system
➢ Heavy garbage disposal use
➢ Excessive water usage
➢ Excessive use of household cleaners
➢ Washing paints, oils, etc. in the sinks
➢ Pouring grease down the drains
➢ Flushing unused medicine
➢ Adding enzymes in lieu of pumping the tank
➢ Building structures over the system
39. Highlight two reasons why most rural areas are left unsewered.
➢ Adequate water supply for the efficient functioning of a water carriage system is
not available in most rural areas.
➢ The population at rural areas is not concentrated as it is in urban centers.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

40. Define sewer appurtenances: are the structures of the sewerage system which are
constructed at suitable intervals along a sewer line to assist in the efficient operation
and maintenance of the system.
41. Explain the importance of a pump in a sewerage system
➢ it is more economical to pump the sewage from the low-lying area into the
upper branch or main.
➢ Pumping is resorted to at intervals for a sewage system in a flat country since
laying of sewers at the designed grade continuously all along will mean
expensive excavation.
➢ Pumping is resorted to when outfall sewer is at a lower level than the body of
water into which it is to be discharged.
➢ Pumping is resorted to when outfall sewer is at a higher level than the entrance
to the treatment works.
➢ When a sewer has to go across a high ridge it will be more economical to pump it
into sewers laid across the slope of the ridge at reasonable depth rather than
driving a tunnel.
➢ Pumping is required to take out sewage from the basements of buildings, when
the level of basement is much lower than the invert level of sewer to which
drainage connection is to be made.
➢ When soil stability is unsuitable for trenching
➢ When groundwater is too high for installing deep sewers
42. Differentiate between a clean out and a lamp hole
A clean out is an inclined pipe with one end connected to the underground sewer line
and the other end brought up to ground level, with a proper cover at the top.
Purpose
They are meant for clearing out the lateral sewers.

Lamp hole: are special openings constructed to join a hole in the sewer and the ground
for the purpose of lowering a lamp inside the sewer.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

43. Illustrate with neat sketches the construction features of grease and oil trap.

44. Highlight any 3 factors that complicate sewage pumping

➢ Sewage has foul characteristics.
➢ Sewage contains a lot of suspended and floating materials that may make
running of pumps difficult and may cause frequent clogging of the pumps.
➢ Sewage contains organic and inorganic wastes which may cause corrosion and
erosion of parts of the pumps thus reducing the life of the pumps.
➢ Sewage contains disease causing bacteria and organisms which may cause health
hazards to the persons working at the pumping station.
➢ The rate of flow of sewage varies continuously and hence pumping operations
have to be adjusted accordingly.
➢ The pumps should be of high order reliability since failure of pumps will lead to
flooding which may cause unbearable nuisance.
45. Describe a trickling filter using a neat diagram
46. Using a neat diagram, describe the construction feature of a VIP latrine.
Q & A Waste Water- Nancy-Moreno-(+254723415013)

47. State 3 advantages of using a pit latrine as a method of waste disposal

➢ It is economical in terms of construction
➢ Requires minimal maintenance
48. List any 2 safety measures to consider in a pumping station
49. Discuss the properties of wastewater under the following sub-headings
i. Physical
➢ Colour.
➢ Odour.
➢ Temperature.
➢ Turbidity.
➢ Solids.
➢ Specific gravity.

ii. Chemical
Organic solids are:
➢ Fats and oils from kitchens, workshop, laundries etc.
➢ Carbohydrates i.e. cellulose, starch, sugar etc.
➢ Nitrogenous compounds which are proteins that include wastes from urinals,
urea, hydrocarbons etc.
Inorganic solids include mineral matter such as gravel, grit, debris, chlorides,
sulphates etc. which come from street washing, kitchen and courtyard washing.
Note: The nature of fresh sewage is alkaline and that of stale sewage is acidic.
iii. Biological
➢ living organisms found in sewage are bacteria and algae