Training of the

WWT Series
Wastewater Solutions for Ships
BIOPUR AND LC
Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
What is wastewater ?

Synonyms: sewage, liquid waste

Wastewater is any kind of water, that changes it‘s

composition by usage.

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
„Technical“ wastewater processing

Clean Water Process Waste Water

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Example:
Washing Hands

Clean Water or „INFLUENT“

Usage or „PROCESS“

Waste Water or „EFFLUENT“

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment

Even if it seems to be clean

after usage,
we consider it as wastewater!

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Kinds of wastewater and origin
• Domestic wastewater (e.g. households)
• Industrial wastewater (industrial applications e.g. dairy)
• Runoff by rain
• Groundwater infiltration into the sewer
• others

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Wastewater and origin ON SHIPS
• Kind of domestic wastewater only
• No industrial, no runoff, no infiltration

What is domestic wastewater ?

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Kinds of domestic wastewater

Brown Water
Black Water
Yellow Water

Handwash basin Water

Shower Water
Grey Water

Laundry and others

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Amount of wastewater on ships
• DIN EN ISO 15749-1 – 2004 suggests

Minimum amount of wastewater per person

and day
Type of Ship Vacuum system Non vacuum System
Black Black and Black Black and
water grey water water grey water
Passenger-liner 25 l 185 l 70 l 230 l
All seagoing vessels 25 l 135 l 70 l 180 l
excepting passenger-
liner

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Where comes the bacteria / biomass from?
• They are still in the wastewater, in the air, on surfaces
(everywhere!)
• If the bacteria find a place to survive, they will increase, grow up
and improve their properties
• The bacteria are always „hungry“ so they treat the incoming
wastewater all the time

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Why is treatment required?
• Treatment is required internationally for seagoing ships by
MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV.
• Equipment has to be type tested in accordance with IMO
Resolution 159(55)
• Treatment is required by national laws for national waters /rivers
+ harbours)

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Introduction
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Wastewater discharge requirements
- MEPC.159(55) has come into force for ships being keel lied 
Jan 2010
Compared to “old” Resolution MEPC 2 (VI):
• tightening of present limits of coli forms and suspended solids
• additional limit values for chemical oxygen demand and chlorine

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 2
Process variants made by RWO
Process Variants made by RWO

WWT Biopur WWT LC

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Process Variants made by RWO

MEMROD

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Process variants made by RWO
The activated sludge
It is called activated sludge because it is living  active
Consist of
• living bacteria and micro-organism
• dead cells
• organic and inorganic matters
• more than 99 % water

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Process variants made by RWO
PID WWT LC

influent

effluent

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Process variants made by RWO
WWT LC – Main differences to Biopur series
• fluidized bed technology
• free-chlorine re-movement  low chlorine
• pre-filtration (mechanical treatment)
• floating sludge removal device
• assembly of aggregates optimized

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Process variants made by RWO
Fluidized bed technology

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Process variants made by RWO
Free-chlorine re-movement
• While discharging, the effluent get in contact with a special
chemical (LC35) which is based on sodium-di-sulfite.
• It is mixed directly in the pump
• Chlorine value often was below detection limit

Pre-filtration
• LC series have a (police-)screening, which makes sure, that no big
solids can reach the bioreator

Floating sludge re-movement

• Floating sludge in the clarifier is a general problem at wastewater
treatment plants through secondary biological reactions
• Dynamic suction devise

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Process variants made by RWO
Type approval of a WWT LC

According to IMO resolution MEPC 159 (55) and German

National Authority Seeberufungsgenossenschaft (See
BG)

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 WWT LC prototype in Delmenhorst, Germa
Process variants made by RWO

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Process variants made by RWO

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22.5 ° inclination
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 3
Commissioning of the WWT
Commissioning of the WWT plants
How to start up a WWT Biopur or LC
Before first operation:
• Check electrical connections
• Turn the motor shaft of the discharge pump several times by hand
at the fan
• Check the flushing water connections and all flanges connections
for tightness

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
How to start up a WWT Biopur or LC
Before first operation:

• Check if wastewater (black water or black and grey water) is

available

• Ensure the availability of the flushing-water (fresh water) supply

• Open the ship-side valves in the water pipe to overboard and

check manometers

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
How to start up a WWT Biopur or LC
Before first operation:

• Checking the direction of rotation of the discharge pump and

blower

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
How to start up a WWT Biopur or LC
Before each start-up

• First filling of the wastewater treatment system with fresh water

(use of Inoculum to speed up?)

• Use only fresh water for the filling. The biomass establishes itself on the
fixed-film reactor after approx. 1 – 2 weeks when fresh water is used

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
First filling with fresh water

• Open the test valve on tank 1

• Close valve A (from tank 3)
• Open valve B (from flushing water inlet to tank 1)
• Fill the water in until water flows out of the test valve of tank 1
• Close valve B
• Open valve A

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
How to start up a WWT Biopur or LC
Before each start-up

• Check for disinfection agents and if needed prepare new one ( see
the document for preparation of the disinfection agent BIOPUR
CLG for Sewage Treatment Plant WWT 1-13 BIOPUR (depending
on WWT size)

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
Preparation of the disinfection agent at the LC

At the LC no preparation is needed as both chemicals,

chlorine and de-chlorine solution are provided as Ready-
Mixed-Canisters

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
Final start up

• Check that the 'Control Switch' is switched to the '0' position

• Switch the 'Power Switch' to the 'ON‘ position
• The blower starts in continuous mode
• The dosing pump starts running
• The wastewater treatment system is ready for the remaining steps
to put the system into operation

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
Putting the blower in operation

• Starts automatic after „Power Switch“ is on

• Open shut off valve if it is closed

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
Dosing pumps on the WWT LC

• Other Pump models which are easier to handle and have no

problems with suction of air

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Commissioning of the WWT plants
Final Actions
Switch the 'Control Switch' to the 'AUTOMATIC' position
• The wastewater treatment system is now ready for operation. The
feeding with wastewater can now start. The tanks fill sequentially
with wastewater
Vent the discharge pump
• The venting plug is located on the pressure nozzle of the discharge
pump. Check that the discharge pump is switched on when the
water level is 'HIGH' and switched off when the water level is
'LOW'
• Test it with fresh water if applicable

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Commissioning of the WWT plants

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 4
Operation Parameters
Operation Parameters
During operation several parameters are measuable
• Sludge Index
• Sludge Volume
• Total solids in the Sludge
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Temperature
• pH

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Operation Parameters
Sludge Index

The Sludge Index (SI) (also Sludge Volume Index – SVI)

describes the volume of sludge, which has one gram of
biomass. It is calculated by dividing the Sludge Volume
by the dry matter of a defined volume.
(DIN EN 14702 – 1: 2006)

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Operation Parameters
Sludge volume
The Sludge volume is equivalent to the density of
(micro)-organism in a solution – it is determined by
settling of the sludge in 30 minutes in a cylinder.
(DIN EN 14702 – 1: 2006)

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Operation Parameters
How to determine the sludge volume?
You will need:
• Cylinder with diameter 6-7 cm
• Sludge (at least 1 Liter)
• Stop watch (up to 30 min)

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Operation Parameters
How to determine the sludge volume?
• Get a sample from the sample cock at tank 1
• Fill into the cylinder
• Close the filling hole of the cylinder by hand and turn it headlong –
2 times – to mix it again
• Start watch rapidly
• After 30 minutes read the Sludge volume from the scale

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Operation Parameters

SV =220 ml/l
200 ml
100 ml

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Operation Parameters
To measure temperature and pH, you will need a pH-
meter
pH meter have a temperature-sensor, too, because the
pH depends on the temperature

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Self-monitoring
Microscopy
The bacteria/microorganism suspended in the activated
sludge are less that 0,001 mm (=1 µm) and are only
visible with the help of a microscope

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Self-monitoring
Microscopy and it’s background
With microscopy, you can see a lot of microorganism
which indicate the treatment process by presence of
special ones

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Self-monitoring
Microscopy

Name: Vorticella
Size: 30-60 µm
Indicator: enough oxygen

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50
Self-monitoring
Microscopy

Name: Rotaria
Size: 120-540µm
Indicator: high sludge age

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Self-monitoring
Microscopy
Measuring of the BOD5

Name: Swarming Cell

Size: 30-60 µm
Indicator: bad or changing conditions

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Self-monitoring
General
Self monitoring requires a lot of equipment, knowledge
and experience
If you need determination of values, it will be the easiest
way to contact your local wastewater treatment plant as
they have laboratory for sure and can help you

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 5
Malfunction
Malfunction
Mechanical
Electrical
Biological

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Malfunction
Mechanical / Electrical problems
Discharge pump
Blower
Dosing pump
Gaskets
Broken electrical parts

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Malfunction
Biological problems
Floating sludge
Foam
High effluent values in COD/BOD5

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Malfunction
Floating sludge
Where does it come from?
• Biological secondary and uncontrolled reactions (uncontrolled
Denitrification)

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Malfunction
Floating sludge
• The sludge contains the pollutants which were „filtered“ out of
the wastewater
• So the sludge should not leave the system uncontrolled trough the
outlet pipe

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Malfunction
Floating sludge - Problems

Floating Sludge Layer

To Disinfection

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Malfunction
Floating sludge - Problems

Floating Sludge Layer

To Disinfection

PROBLEM!

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Malfunction
Floating sludge – Solution

• Drop the water level by manual discharge (at least 3 minutes

• Remove the cover of tank 2
• Clean the surface of the clarifier
• If possible do not recirculate the decanted sludge back to tank 1

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Malfunction
Foam
Where does it come from?

Biological secondary and uncontrolled reactions (e.g.

bad nutrient-relations and a lot of other reasons) or
tensides

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 Caused by detergents

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 Caused by biological reaction
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Malfunction
Foam – Solution
• Stop the blower by shut down the plant (power switch off) for 2
hours
• Reduce the inlet of detergents
• Discharge the bioreactor frequently

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Operation Parameters
High effluent values in COD/BOD5
May caused by several problems
• High substrate by influent
• Too less biomass in the bioreactor
• Inhibition of bacteria through toxic substrate

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 with Malfunction without Malfunction
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Operation Parameters
Biological malfunction
There is only a chance to react on problems, not to act
because the wastewater is given and the composition
cannot be changed

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Thank you for your attention!

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