AKSUM UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF WATER TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY & ENVIRONMENTAL

ENGINEERING

Wastewater Engineering-II:
WSEE-3123

May, 2024
 Objectives

• Design and apply secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment

• Identify and apply different methods for sewage effluents

disposal

• Understand methods for sludge treatment and disposal

 Outlines

1. Secondary/biological and tertiary wastewater

treatment
❖Microorganisms and their role in wastewater
treatment
❖Types of biological process for wastewater treatment
❖Tertiary treatment process

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 Course outlines
2. Sewage effluent disposal techniques
❖Land disposal and treatment
❖Disposal by dilution
3. Sludge treatment and disposal
❖Sludge treatment methods
❖Sludge thickening, conditioning, stabilization and dewatering
❖Disposal and reuse options
 CHAPTER 1
SECONDARY/BIOLOGICAL AND TERTIARY WASTEWATER
TREATMENT

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The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment
∞ Micro-organisms are important in the treatment of WW.
∞ They (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and crustaceans) play an essential
role in the conversion of organic waste to more stable or less
polluting substances.

How?
► Waste from humans is a useful food substrate for the micro-
organisms.
► And they require cellular building blocks, such as (carbon) C,
(hydrogen) H, (oxygen) O, (nitrogen) N, (phosphorus) P, and
minerals for growth.
► These can be obtained through consuming organic substances
containing these elements, or from inorganic materials, such as
carbon dioxide, water, nitrate and phosphate.

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The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment
▪ Three types of processes to represent the conversion of
organic wastes by micro-organisms.
1. Aerobic oxidation : utilize oxygen to oxidize organic substances
to obtain energy for maintenance, mobility and the synthesis of
cellular material.

2. anaerobic oxidation: utilize nitrates, sulphates and other

hydrogen acceptors to obtain energy for the synthesis of cellular
material from organic substances.
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The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

▪ Methane (CH4) is a source of heat but, if released to the

atmosphere without being combusted, it contributes to the
greenhouse gas effect.
▪ hydrogen sulphide (H2S) contributes to WW odour.

3. photosynthetic.

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 Microbial Growth Kinetics
o Growth of a microbial population is defined as an
increase in numbers or an increase in microbial
mass.
o Growth rate is the increase in microbial cell
numbers or mass per unit time.
o Microbial populations can grow as:
1. batch cultures (closed systems) or
2. continuous cultures (open systems).

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 Microbial Growth Kinetics
1. Batch Cultures
▪ When a suitable medium is inoculated with cells, the growth of the
microbial population shows four distinct phases.
The lag phase is a period of cell
adjustment to the new environment
At log/exponential phase the number of
cells increases exponentially
At stationary phase microorganisms
cannot grow indefinitely, mainly because
of lack of nutrients and electron
acceptors, and the production and the
accumulation of toxic metabolites.
During death phase, the death (decay)
rate of the microbial population is higher
than the growth rate.
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Figure of Microbial growth curve
 Microbial Growth Kinetics
2. Continuous Culture of Microorganisms
❖the exponential growth phase over a long period of time
can be achieved by growing continuously the cells in a
completely mixed reactor in which a constant volume is
maintained.

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 Microbial Growth Kinetics
Physical and chemical factors affecting microbial growth
1. Substrate Concentration
2. Temperature
3. pH
4. Oxygen Level

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 B i o l o g i c a l Wa ste wate r Tre at m e nt
• to introduce WW contact with bacteria (cells) which feed organic
matter in WW. Or simply,
• the purpose of biological treatment is BOD reduction.
Principle:
• simple bacteria (cells) eat the organic material.
• through their metabolism, the organic material is transformed into
cellular mass,
• this cellular mass can be precipitated at the bottom of a settling tank
or retained as slime on solid surfaces or vegetation in the system.
• then, the WW exiting the system is much clearer than it entered.
• cells need oxygen to breath, so adequate supply of O2 should there
for the operation biological WWT.
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 B i o l o g i c a l Wa ste wate r Tre at m e nt

The common processes of biological wastewater treatment are:

a) Aerobic processes such as trickling filters, activated sludge process,
oxidation ponds and lagoons, oxidation ditches, constructed wetland
b) Anaerobic processes such as anaerobic digestion, and
c) Anoxic processes such as denitrification.

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 Tertiary Treatment Processes
▪ final stage in the wastewater treatment train
▪ employed to further improve the quality of treated wastewater beyond
what is achieved by primary and secondary treatment processes.
▪ particularly important for meeting stringent effluent quality standards
and environmental regulations
▪ also called effluent polishing
.

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 Tertiary Treatment Processes

Some common tertiary treatment processes:

Filtration:
▪ involves passing the treated wastewater through various filtration media to
remove fine particles, residual suspended solids, and microorganisms.
▪ can be achieved through rapid gravity filtration, pressure filtration, or
membrane filtration processes such as ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse
osmosis (RO)
Lagooning
▪ provides settlement and further biological improvement through storage in
large man-made ponds or lagoons.
▪ lagoons are highly aerobic 16
 Tertiary Treatment Processes
Nitrogen removal
Ammonia oxidation nitrate (nitrification),
reduction
Nitrate nitrogen gas (de-nitrification)
Then, N2 gas is released to the atmosphere and thus removed from the water.
• Sand filters, lagooning and reed beds can all be used to reduce nitrogen
Phosphorus removal
• Phosphorus can be removed biologically
• Phosphorus removal can also be achieved by chemical precipitation, usually
with salts of iron (e.g. ferric chloride), aluminum (e.g. alum), or lime.
• This may lead to excessive sludge production as hydroxides precipitates and the
added chemicals can be expensive. 17
 Tertiary Treatment Processes

Disinfection
• is a process of killing/deactivating the microorganisms in water.
• Common methods of disinfection include ozone, chlorine,
ultraviolet light, or sodium hypochlorite.
• Chlorination remains the most common form of WW disinfection
due to its low cost and long-term history of effectiveness.

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 Tertiary Treatment Processes

Odour Control
• Odours emitted by sewage treatment are typically an indication of an
anaerobic or "septic" condition.
• odours is treated with carbon reactors, a contact media with bio-slimes,
small doses of chlorine, or circulating fluids to biologically capture and
metabolize the obnoxious gases.
• Other methods of odour control exist, including addition of iron salts,
hydrogen peroxide, calcium nitrate, etc. to manage hydrogen sulfide
levels.

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 CHAPTER 2
SEWAGE EFFLUENT DISPOSAL TECHNIQUES

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 Sewage effluent disposal techniques

There are two general methods of disposing of the sewage

effluents:
1. Dilution i.e. disposal in water; and
2. Effluent Irrigation or Broad Irrigation or Sewage Farming, i.e.
disposal on land

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 Sewage effluent disposal techniques
1. Disposal by dilution
• the effluent from the sewage treatment plant is discharged into a river
stream, or a large body of water, such as a lake or sea.
• the discharged sewage, in due course of time, is purified by what is
known as self purification process of natural waters.
• Disposal by dilution method is favorable:
(i) when sewage is comparatively fresh (4 to 5hr old), and free from
floating and settle-able solids,
(ii) when the diluting water has high dissolved oxygen content.
(iii) where diluting waters are not used for the purpose of navigation
or water supply,
(iv) where the flow currents of the diluting waters are favorable,
causing no deposition, nuisance or destruction of aquatic life. 22
 Sewage effluent disposal techniques
Dilution in rivers and self purification of natural streams
▪ the receiving water gets polluted due to waste products,
present in sewage effluents.
▪ because the natural forces of purification, such as dilution &
dispersion, sedimentation, oxidation-reduction in sun-light,
etc., go on acting upon the pollution elements, and bring
back the water into its original condition.
▪ this automatic purification of polluted water, in due course, is
called the self-purification phenomenon.

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 Sewage effluent disposal techniques
2. Disposal of sewage effluents on land for irrigation
❖in this method, the sewage effluent is generally disposed of by applying
it on land.
❖this method can then be used for irrigating crops.
❖help in increasing crop yields (by 33% or so).
❖when raw or partly treated sewage is applied on to the land, a part of it
evaporates, and the remaining portion percolates through the ground
soil.
❖while percolating through the soil, the suspended particles present in
the sewage are caught in the soil voids.
❖if proper aeration of these voids is maintained, the organic sewage solids
caught in these voids get oxidized by aerobic process. 24
 Chapter 3

SLUDGE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

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 Sludge treatment and disposal
What is sludge?
• sludge is the residual material that remains after sewage or wastewater
undergoes treatment processes to remove contaminants, solids, and
pathogens.
• this material settles at the bottom of settling tanks or is separated during
filtration processes.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
• the main objective of any type of wastewater treatment is to get:
✓ clear effluent and
✓ good sludge

• the sludge generated from wastewater by primary, secondary and tertiary

treatment processes must be treated and properly disposed of

• the higher the degree of wastewater treatment, the larger the quantity of
sludge to be treated and handled
 Sludge treatment and disposal
❑Main objectives of sludge treatment:

✓ reduce volume of sludge (removal of water )

✓ reduce/remove odor
✓ stabilization of the organic matter contained in the sludge,
✓ destruction of pathogenic organisms,
✓ reclaim useful by-products (biogas, soil conditioners)
✓ disposal of the sludge in a safe and aesthetically acceptable manner.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Sludge and its moisture content
▪ moisture content of sludge is a crucial factor in its management and
disposal.
▪ moisture content affects the sludge's weight, volume, handling
characteristics, and disposal options.
▪ sludge containing high moisture content becomes very bulky, and difficult
to handle

So, its management is critical for efficient handling and disposal practices.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Sludge processing and disposal methods
Sludge thickening: is a procedure used to remove water and increase the
solids concentration
Sludge digestion/ anaerobic digestion : in a sludge digestion process, the
sludge gets broken into the following three forms:
✓digested sludge
✓supernatant liquor
✓gases of decomposition
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Factors affecting sludge digestion and their control
The important factors which affect the process of sludge digestion, and are,
therefore, controlled in a digestion tank, are:
✓ temperature
✓ pH value
✓ seeding with digested sludge
✓ mixing and stirring of the raw sludge with digested sludge.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Disposal of digested sludge

The digested sludge from the digestion tank contains a lot of water,
and is, therefore, first of all, dewatered or dried up, before further
disposal either by burning or dumping.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Dewatering, drying and disposal of sludge by sludge drying beds
Overview of the process:
1. Dewatering:

▪ The first step involves thickening the sludge to increase its solids
concentration, typically through gravity thickening or mechanical
methods.

▪ The thickened sludge is then applied onto the sludge drying beds,
usually using a sludge distribution system to evenly distribute the sludge
over the bed surface.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Dewatering, drying and disposal of sludge by sludge drying beds
o Overview of the process:

2. Drying:

▪ Sludge drying beds consist of a series of porous sludge beds constructed with
sand, gravel, or synthetic media, allowing water to drain through while retaining
the sludge solids.

▪ As the sludge is spread over the drying beds, water drains from the sludge due to
gravity and evaporation, aided by exposure to sunlight and natural airflow.

▪ The sludge gradually dries over a period of several days to weeks, depending on
factors such as weather conditions, sludge characteristics, and bed design.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Dewatering, drying and disposal of sludge by sludge drying beds
o Overview of the process:
3. Disposal:
▪ Once the sludge has reached the desired level of dryness, it is removed
from the drying beds
▪ The dried sludge, now known as sludge cake, is typically hauled away for
final disposal or beneficial reuse.
▪ Final disposal options for the dried sludge may include landfilling, land
application as a soil conditioner or fertilizer, or incineration, depending on
regulatory requirements and available infrastructure.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Dewatering, drying and disposal of sludge by sludge drying beds
• Key considerations and benefits of sludge drying beds include:
▪ Cost-effectiveness: sludge drying beds are relatively simple and low-cost
compared to mechanical dewatering equipment.
• Environmental sustainability: the drying process relies on natural processes
such as gravity, sunlight, and airflow, minimizing energy consumption and
environmental impact.
• Pathogen reduction: the drying process helps reduce the moisture content of
the sludge, aiding in pathogen reduction and stabilization.
• Flexibility: sludge drying beds can accommodate various types of sludge and
can be designed to fit the specific needs and constraints of a wastewater
treatment plant.
 Sludge treatment and disposal
Disposal of dewatered sludge
Disposal of dewatered sludge involves the final management and
removal of the sludge cake or semi-solid material produced after
dewatering.

Some methods for the disposal of dewatered sludge:

✓ Dumping into the Sea
✓ Burial into the Trenches
✓ Incineration
Any question?

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