Waste Disposal in

Stream
Self Purification of
Stream
When the wastewater or the effluent is
discharged into a natural stream, the organic
matter is converted into ammonia, nitrates,
sulphates, carbon dioxide etc. by bacteria.
In this process of oxidation, the dissolved
oxygen content of natural water is utilized.
Due to this, deficiency of dissolved oxygen is
created.
As the excess organic matter is stabilized, the
normal cycle will be in a process known as
Self-purification wherein the dissolved oxygen
is replenished by its reaeration by
atmospheric oxygen of wind.
Actions During Self-
purification:
Dilution:
When wastewater is discharged into the
receiving water, dilution takes place due to
which the concentration of organic matter is
reduced and the potential nuisance of
sewage is also reduced.
When the dilution ratio is quite high, high
available DO, higher rate of organic
decomposition, reduce pollution effects.
Actions During Self-
purification:
Dispersion due to Currents:
The currents, (as rapids, whirlpools, waterfalls
and turbulent flow) readily disperse the
wastewater in the stream, preventing local
accumulation of pollutants.
High velocity accelerates reaeration
 reduces the concentration of pollutants.
 reduces the time of recovery, though length of
stream affected by the wastewater is
increased.
Actions During Self-
purification:
Sedimentation:
If the stream velocity is lesser than the scour
velocity of particles, sedimentation will take
place, which will have two effects.
 The suspended solids, which contribute largely
the oxygen demand, will be removed by
settling and hence water quality of the
downstream is improved.
 Due to settled solids, Anaerobic decomposition
may take place.
 Actions During Self-
purification
 Temperature:
 At low temperature, the
activities of bacteria is
low and hence rate of
decomposition will also
be slow, though DO
will be more because
of increased solubility
of oxygen in water.
 At high temperatures,
the self-purification
takes lesser time,
though the quantity of
DO will be less.

Actions During Self-
purification:
Sunlight:
Sunlight helps photosynthesis of certain
aquatic plants to absorb carbon dioxide and
give out oxygen, thus accelerating self-
purification.
Sunlight acts as a disinfectant.
Zones of Pollution in
Stream
Minimum D = critical Zone of Clean Water (Zone 1)
Zone of Degradation/ Decomposition (Zone 2)
dissolved oxygen = Zone of Active Decomposition/ Septic (Zone 3)
Dc Zone of Recovery (Zone 4)
Zone of Cleaner Water (Zone 5)
Dynamics of Oxygen
Transfer
Rate of decomposition
( deoxygenation )
Linearly proportional to BOD level
BOD falls exponentially with time

Rate of oxygen dissolution

( reaeration )
Linearly proportional to the
oxygen deficit: DOsat – DOactual

DO falls when
decomposition rate > dissolution
rate

DO rises when
decomposition rate < dissolution
rate
Reaeration
10 Dissolved O2 (DO) vs. Time DOSaturation
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)

0
Flow Diagram
10 ∆ O2 /∆ time vs. Time
= DOSaturation
∆ DO 8
∆ DO IN
∆ time
∆ time
Inflow DOActual
6
Mg/L
time
4 Storing System
2

0
The closer the DOActual is from the
∆DO (in) = k aeration *(DOSat − DOActual ) DOSaturation the slower the rate at which
∆T
 Deoxygenation
10 Dissolved O2 (DO) vs. Time
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)

0
Flow Diagram
10 ∆ DO /∆ time vs. Time
DOActual ∆ DO OUT
∆ time
∆ DO 8
∆ time
Outflow
6
Mg/L
time
4
Depleting System
2

0
+ O2
∆DO
slower the rate at which they consume Food
(out) = k decomposition *(BODFOOD )
∆T
The less food the organisms have, the
Deoxygenation + Reaeration
Dissolved O2 (DO) vs. Time DOSaturation
10
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)

0
Flow Diagram
10 ∆ DO /∆ time vs. Time
DOActual DOSaturation
∆ DO OUT
∆ DO 8 ∆ time
∆ time
Inflow
Inflow Outflow
Outflow
6
Mg/L
time ∆ DO IN
4 ∆ DO OUT
∆ DO IN
Storing
∆ timeSteady -StateSystem
Depleting System
System ∆ time
2 ∆ time
0
More Oxygen Sag Curves
Effect of BOD Level:
•sag becomes more severe
•longer distance (or time)
at unhealthy DO levels

Effect of temperature:
•sag deepens and shortens
•may cause a portion of river to
have unhealthy DO levels
 Organic matter is oxidized, stream re-
The
without Streeter-Phelps
treatment aeratesEquation

with treatment
Stream Modelling
Why We Do All of This
To determine how much waste can safely be put in a
river


 Process
 Determine minimum acceptable DO
 Calculate waste load that keeps critical DO above the
minimum


 If discharged waste is above acceptable limits:

 More treatment needed
 Discharger may add dissolved oxygen to wastewater


 Cautions
 Be sure to make calculations for worst conditions
 Remember to consider all dischargers
18
Streeter-Phelps Model
Assumptions of the Model
stream is an ideal plug flow reactor
steady-state flow exists in stream.
BOD and DO reaction due to disposed
organics only.
The only reactions of interest are BOD
exertion and transfer of oxygen
from air to water across air-water
interface
Limitations
Steady state
Streams aren't steady state. Flows, velocities,
geometries, and temperatures all vary with
time. Dividing the stream into smaller
reaches reduces this limitation, but steady
state conditions are still assumed inside
each reach. To the extent that the reach is
not steady state, inaccuracies will be
introduced.
Plug flow
Streams aren't really plug flow. The
geometries of natural streams are not
regular -- there are wide spots, pools, narrow
chutes, sand bars, rocks -- so the flow
Limitations
Algae
The model doesn't include algae which are a
very important source of oxygen. Note that
the effects of algae are very dependent on
sunlight, which changes through the day.
Modeling algae accurately would require a
nonsteady-state model.

Limitations
Benthic organisms
The model assumes that all the oxygen
demand is from suspended organisms (i.e.,
bacteria living in the water column like they
were in the BOD bottle). In fact, most natural
bacteria live attached to surfaces in
"biofilms" -- slimy coatings on rocks or soil
particles. So a significant portion of the BOD
is due to bottom-dwelling (benthic)
organisms. The effect of benthic demand is
especially strong if much of the organic
material is in the form of particles that settle
out. Benthic effects are not included in the
Account for DO gain/loss
processes
Rate of Rate of Rate of Rate of
Oxygen = Oxygen - Oxygen + Oxygen
accumulated In Out Generated

Reaeration Decay

Qr , Lr , Tr Qa , La , Ta

Qw , Lw , Tw

23
 Rate of Oxygen Rate of
accumulated = - Rate of Oxygen + Rate of Oxygen
Oxygen In Out Generated

 Oxygen is introduced into the stream by reaeration

 There is no oxygen leaving the stream since we have
assumed it is unsaturated
 Dissolved oxygen may be produced in water by algae
during Photosynthesis, but is a swift stream the algae
don’t have time to grow and there is no oxygen
produced in this way.
 Oxygen may be used by microorganisms respiration.
This is called deaeration or deoxygenation
 So the new mass balance is
Rate of Oxygen Rate of - Rate of Oxygen + 0

accumulated = Oxygen In consumed



 oxyg e n d e ficit = D = D O S – DO
DOS = oxygen saturation concentration, a function of temperature of the
water, atmospheric oxygen concentration, and water
chemistry
d ( DO) d ( D)
=−
d (t ) d (t )

At steady state, the rate of consumption of DO coincide with rate of BOD

d ( DO) degradation
d ( D) d ( BOD)
=− =−
d (t ) d (t ) dt

Rate of deaeration = -kd L (first order)

kd = deaeration constant, function of type of waste, temperature, etc.
Units, day-1

Rate of reaeration = kr D (first order)

Rate of Oxygen
kr = reaeration constant based on Oxygen
Rate of characteristics
In - Rate of of
theOxygen
streamconsumed
and the
=
weather accumulated (Reaeration) (Deaeration)

d ( D)
= kdL − krD
d (t )
 dD/dt = kdz - krD
z = the amount of O2 still needed by the microorganisms
= L e-k1t
L = ultimate oxygen demand

Rate of Oxygen
accumulated = Rate of Oxygen In - Rate of Oxygen consumed
(Reaeration) (Deaeration)