WASTEWATER

TREATMENT
MICROBIOLOGY
JESSE LITO V. BARING
BACTERIA
 BACTERIAL DIGESTION
MECHANISM
• Bacterial digestion is the
process of bacteria, consuming
organic matter.
• Enzymes act to break the
organic matter into
water soluble nutrients, which
the bacteria digest.
 ACTIVATED SLUDGE FLOC
(NORMAL)
Normal flocs: A balance
between floc-forming and
filamentous bacteria results
in strong flocs that keep
their integrity in the aeration
basin and settle well in the
sedimentation tank.
 ACTIVATED SLUDGE FLOC
(PIN POINT FLOC)

Pin-point flocs: filamentous

bacteria are absent or occur
in low numbers. This results
in small flocs that do not
settle well. The secondary
effluent is turbid 
BULKING SLUDGE FLOC
TEN MOST PREVALENT FILAMENTOUS
BACTERIA
• Nocardia Spp. • Sphaerotilus natans

• Type 1701 • Microthrix Parvicella

• Type 0092
• Type 021N
• Haliscomenobacter
• Type 0041 Hydrossis
• Thiothrix spp. • Type 0675
 NOCARDIA SPP.

It can produce a stable,

viscous, brown foam on the
aeration tank surface that can
carry over onto the clarifier
surface and may even escape
in the effluent
 TYPE 1701

• Exist at low DO, can grow

at 0.01 mg/L -0.03 mg/L
• Promote bulking
• Control, Chlorination
 TYPE 021 N

• Due to broad spectrum of F/M

• Lack of Nutrient including oxygen
• Presence of easily biodegradable
substance

• Promote Sludge Bulking

 TYPE 0041

• Occur due to low F/M

• Promote bulking
 THIOTHRIX SPP.

Cause by low nutrient and

septicity
 SPHAEROTILUS NATANS

Cause by low Dissolve

Oxygen and high Hydrogen
Sufide
 MICROTHRIX PARVICELLA

It can produce a stable, viscous,

brown foam on the
aeration tank surface that can carry
over onto the clarifier surface and
may even escape in the effluent
 TYPE 0092

• Found in high septic

condition
• Low F/M 0-02 – 0.2 mg/L
and high MCRT
 HALISCOMENOBACTER
HYDROSSIS

• Nutrient Defficiency, low DO, low F/M

• Cause TSS problem

 TYPE 0675

• Low F/m with long MCRT

 CAUSES OF NOCARDIA
FOAMING
(1)receive oil and
grease wastes

(2) have poor or no

primary scum removal

(3) recycle scum

rather than remove it
from the plant.
PROTOZOA IN ACTIVATED SLUDGE

• Amoebae • Free Swimming Ciliates

• Flagellate Plant like • Crawling Ciliates
• Flagellate Animal like • Stalked Ciliates
 AMOEBAE
• Rarely predominant except
for start-up conditions and
conditions that mimic
start-up such as over-
wasting, recovery from
toxicity, washout, and
organic overloading
 FLAGELLATE PLANT LIKE

• Dominant under high organic

loading, dispersion of floc
particles, such as through
chlorination, and start-up
conditions or conditions that
mimic start-up. Also may
dominate in the presence of
excess soluble phosphorus.
 FLAGELLATE ANIMAL LIKE
• Except for the presence of
excess soluble phosphorus,
these are dominant for
operational conditions
listed for plant-like
flagellates and usually
follow plant-like flagellates
as the dominant group.
 FREE SWIMMING CILIATES

• Transition group that

dominates between
healthy and unhealthy
conditions and proliferates
when large numbers of
free-swimming bacteria
are present
 CRAWLING CILIATES

Dominant in the presence of

mature floc particles and low
BOD in the bulk solution.
Alternate with stalked
ciliates as the dominant
group
 STALKED CILIATE

Dominant in the presence of

mature floc particles and low
BOD in the bulk solution.
Alternate with crawling
ciliates as the dominant
group.