Sewage disposal

Sewage disposal disposal on land

disposal in water

(i) dilution or disposal into water i.e. into sea, lakes or rivers

(ii) Disposal on land or land treatment i.e. sewage farming and irrigation.
 Condition Favoring Disposal by Dilution

• When the sewage is comparatively fresh i.e. it is discharged within 3-4 hours
of its collection.

• When the floating matter and settlable solids have been removed by primary
treatment.

• When the diluting water has high DO content, so that not only the BOD is
satisfied, but sufficient DO remains available for the aquatic life.

• Where flow current of the diluting waters are favourable, causing no

deposition or destruction to aquatic life
 Standard of Dilution

The ratio of diluting water to that of sewage is known as dilution factor

Natural sources of purification :
• dilution
• sedimentation
• sunlight
• oxidation
• Reduction
zones of pollution in a stream :

• zone of degradation
• zone of active decomposition
• zone of recovery
• zone of clearer water
Zones of pollution in a river or Stream
The Oxygen Sag or Oxygen Deficit of a Polluted River.

• The oxygen deficit D at any time in a polluted river is the

difference between the actual D.O. Content of water at that
time and saturation D.O content at the water temperature

• Oxygen Deficit (D)= Saturation DO- Actual DO

• In order to maintain clean conditions in a river, the oxygen

deficit must be nil, and this can be found out by knowing the
rates of de-oxygenation and re-oxygenation.
Oxygen Sag Curve or Oxygen Deficit Curve
Land treatment

• When sewage is evenly spread on the surface of land ,

method is called land treatment

• Water of sewage percolates into ground and organic

suspended solids remain at the surface

• Organic suspended solids are acted upon by bacteria , partly

oxidised by atm. Conditions of heat , light and air
Application of sewage

Surface irrigation

• Parallel drains constructed in the field

• These drains connected to distributary drains
• Suitable in sloppy areas
Sub soil irrigation :

• Network of open jointed pipes laid 30 cm below the ground

level

• Sewage is allowed to follow through the pipe which is

absorbed by the soil
Flooding

• Irrigation area is divided into various plots surrounded by dykes

• Sewage is filled to a depth of few cm to 50 cm

Ridge and furrow :

• Land is ploughed , divided into plots & sub plots

• Ridge ad furrow formed in each subplot

• Sewage is allowed to flow in furrows ,& crops are grown on ridges

Spray irrigation

• Sewage filled in tanks ….solids settle

• Sewage sprayed over the field by pumping through pipes

fitted with nozzles
 Sewage Sickness
• When the sewage is applied continuously on a piece of land, the soil pores
or voids may get filled up and clogged with sewage matter retained in
them.

• The time taken for such clogging will depend upon the type of the soil
and the load present in sewage.

• But once these voids gets clogged, free circulation of air will be
prevented an anaerobic conditions will develop within the pores.

• Decomposition of organic matter would take place under anaerobic

conditions with evolution of foul gases like H 2S, CO2 and methane. This
phenomenon of soil getting clogged, is known as sewage sickness.
Methods of Preventing Sewage Sickness

Primary Treatment of Sewage

• The sewage should be disposed of only after primary treatment,
such as screening, grit removal and sedimentation. This will help in
removing settle able solids and reducing the BOD load by 30 % or
so and soil will not get clogged frequently

Choice of Land
• The piece of land used for sewage disposal should normally be
sandy or loamy. Clayey lands should be avoided.

Under drainage of soil

The land, on which the sewage is being disposed of can be drained,
if a system of under drains is laid below, to collect the effluents
This will also minimize the possibility of sewage sickness.
Methods of Preventing Sewage Sickness

Giving rest to the land

• The land being used for disposal should be given rest, periodically
by keeping some extra land as reserve and standby for diverting the
sewage during the rest period.

Rotation of crops
• Sewage sickness can be reduced by planting different crops This
will help in utilizing the fertilizing elements of sewage and help in
aeration of soil.
 Laying of sewer
• Sewer pipes are generally laid starting from their outfall end towards
starting ends

 First locate the points where manholes are to be constructed & then
laying the sewer between the manholes

 Centreline of sewer may be marked by drawing a line on the ground

parallel to it………offset line offsetted from centreline of sewer by a
suitable distance of ( half the trench width+ 0.6m ) & marked on the
ground by pegs
 Excavating the trenches

• Trench is excavated between 2 manholes and sewer is laid between them

• Excavated material laid on one side of sewer and other side being used for
offset line , lowering of pipes, sewer, and other construction materials

• Width of trench at the bottom is 15 cm more than dia of the sewer

• Pipes are embedded in concrete

 Timbering and sheeting

• When trenches with vertical sides are excavated in depth more than 2m ,it
is necessary to support the soil by sheeting and bracing the trenches
 Dewatering of trenches

• If water table happens to be high or if the sewer happens to be laid very

deep , ground water may appear

• Ground water may be removed through an open jointed drain constructed

below the sewer trench

• pumping out the water from trench

Laying of sewer pipes

• Sewer pipes are lowered into the trench

• Smaller pipes can be handled directly by masons, larger pipes can

be lowered by passing ropes around each pipe …machines

• Spigot of each pipe is fitted into socket of already laid pipe

socket
 Testing of sewer pipe

• Test for leakage - water test

• Lower end of sewer is plugged

• Water is filled in the manhole at upper end and is allowed to flow through
sewer line

• Joints which leak is repaired

 Backfilling the trenches

• Earth should be laid equally on either side of sewer and

should be filled in layers of about 15 cm thickness …properly
watered and rammed