CHAPTER 5

WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM AND PHYSICAL

TREATMENT

Prepared by Dr. Ahmed H. Birima

Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Universiti Tinaga Nasional
 Chapters Outline:
Goals of wastewater treatment and its individual
processes.
Physical treatment process principles of operation.
Design Considerations for Pump Station.
Flow Measurement.
Bar racks (coarse screen).
Grit Chambers.
Equalization Tank.
Primary Treatment.
 Contaminants Targeted for Removal

Sand, grit, debris

COD, BOD - organic matter
Bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites
Ammonia (total Kjeldahl), nitrate
Phosphorus (inorganic and organic)
Suspended particles
Odor, color
Specific chemicals (advanced only)
 Classification of Wastewater Treatment
Methods
The treatment method selected for a particular wastewater
would normally be a combination of a number of processes
depending on the characteristic of the wastewater, cost and
the degree of the treatment required.
 Wastewater treatment methods can be classified
based on two types:
By stage of treatment
Pre-treatment
Preliminary Treatment
Primary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Tertiary Treatment
By process
Physical process
Chemical process
Biological process
 1- Pretreatment
Objective of the treatment: To remove pollutants
from the wastewater at their source (industry).

Typical methods:
Pollution prevention
Waste minimization
Wastewater treatment at source
 2- Preliminary treatment
Objective of Treatment:
1. To remove or reduce size of large solids to protect
equipment.
2. To remove immiscible liquid such as oil and grease
3. To reduce fluctuations in flow and concentration
4. To adjust pH
5. To remove other constituents such as heavy metals

Typical Methods of Treatment:

Bar Screens, Comminutors, Grit Chambers, Pre-Aeration
And Equalization tank
 3- Primary treatment

Objective of the treatment:

To remove settleable and floatable solids
Typical Methods of Treatment
Sedimentation tanks
Micro screens
 4- Secondary treatment

Objective of the treatments:

To remove additional SS and soluble BOD
Typical Methods of Treatment
Activated sludge
Trickling filters
Rotating Biological Contactor
Oxidation Pond
Aerated lagoon
 5-Tertiary treatment (Advanced treatment)
Objective of the treatments:
To remove nitrogen, phosphorus, additional SS, BOD and
other pollutants as necessary.
Typical Methods of Treatment:
Phosphorus removal
Nitrogen removal
BOD &SS removal
Disinfection
Toxic chemicals removal
 Sludge and solid handling

Objective of the treatments:

1. To reduce volume of sludge
2. To stabilize organic solids
3. To recover resources
Typical Methods of Treatment
Thickening
Chemical addition
Centrifugation
Filtration
Digestion
Incineration
 Sludge Disposal
Objective of the process:
To place effluent and residues in safe places

Typical methods:
Treated wastewater (receiving waters)
Solids (land application , landfills)
Preliminary
treatment

Figure 5.1 Schematic diagram of a typical wastewater treatment

 Physical Treatment of Wastewater

Introduction
Head works: refers to the unit operations that are placed at
the upstream end of the wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP). These include the pumping station, flow
measurement, and a group of unit operations (preliminary
treatment).
Typically WWTPs are designed so that flow through the plant
is by gravity. The wastewater frequently is carried to the
WWTP by gravity.
Flow measurement is an essential component of the
operation management of the WWTP.
 Design Considerations for Pump Station
Pumping station is the location where pumps are installed.
There may be only one pump, or several pumps.
The pumps may be connected in parallel or in series.
In parallel connection, the discharges of all the pumps are
combined into one. Thus, pumps connected in parallel
increases the discharge from the pumping station.
Pumps connected in series increase the total head output
from a pumping station by adding the heads of all pumps.
Although the total head output is increased, the total output
discharge from the whole assembly is just the same input to
the first pump.
Section and plan views of a sewage pumping station

Fig. 5.2 Plan and section of pumping station showing parallel connections

Pumps connected in series

 Design Considerations for Pump Station
For redundancy, the pump station must have adequate
capacity to handle the peak hydraulic flow rate with the
largest pumping unit out of service.
Centrifugal pump selection is made based on the system head
curve (Fig.5.1), and Screw pump selection is made from
manufacturers specifications (such as maximum screw
diameter, capacity, and maximum height) (Table 5.1).
The static lift height is determined based on the difference in
elevation between the low flow into the plant wet well and
the required elevation to overcome head losses as
wastewater flows through the plant.
Fig. 5.3 Pumps (a)
Centrifugal pump
(b) Screw pump

(a)

(b)
Fig. 5.4 Performance curve of centrifugal pump
Table 5.1
 Flow Measurement
The two most common flow measuring devices used for
wastewater are the Parshall flume and the magnetic flow
meter.
Parshall flume

Fig. 5.5 Parshall flume

Parshall flume
The weir throat width (W) is used to set the other dimensions
of the flume.
The weir crest widths vary from 25 mm to I5 m to measure
flows from I m3/h to more than 300,000 m3/h. A list of
dimensions for a limited range of flow measuring capacities is
shown in Table 3.1.
When the flume is operating under free flow conditions, a
hydraulic jump is visible at the throat.
 Table 5.2 Parshall flume dimensions

For free flow conditions,

The flume is favored as flow measuring
device because it will pass a wide variety of
Where Q = flow rate, m3/s solids such as rags, sand, and large objects
Ha = depth of water at point a, m that potentially will foul other flow
C and n = coefficients to be obtained measuring devices
from following Figures
Fig. 5.6 Parshall flume coefficient n

Fig. 5.7 Parshall flume coefficient C

 Bar racks (coarse screen)
Purpose: remove larger
objects
Solid material stored in
hopper and sent to landfill
Mechanically (or in rare
instances manually) cleaned

Fig. 5.8 bar rack

 Table 5.2 Classification of racks and screens

Type Typical Typical use

opening
Trash racks 40 150 mm To prevent logs, stumps, and large heavy debris from
entering treatment processes. Principally used in
combined sewers ahead of pumping units. In WWTPs,
Followed by coarse screens.
Bar racks or coarse
6 75 mm To remove large solids, rags, and debris. Typically used
screens in WWTP.

1.5 6 mm To remove small solids. Typically follow coarse screen.

Fine screens

To reduce suspended solids to near primary treatment

Very fine screens level. Typically follow a coarse screen and /or fine
0.25 1.5 mm
screen.
May be used when downstream processes do not
include primary treatment.

1 m 0.3 mm Used in conjunction with very fine screens for effluent

Microscreens
polishing.
 Bar rack design practice
Two or more mechanically cleaned screens are provided so
that one unit may be taken out of service without impairing
performance.
Each should have adequate capacity to pass the peak
hydraulic flow rate with the largest unit out of service.
In very small plants, a single unit may be installed with a
bypass channel. The bypass channel will have a manually
cleaned screen.
The approach velocity should be at least 0.4 m/s to minimize
deposition of solids in the channel.
The velocity through screen should be less than 0.9 m/s at
peak flow rates to minimize forcing materials through screen.
Table 5.3. Design Guideline for Screening. MS 1228 (1991) and
Guidelines for Developers, Volume IV, 1998.
 Channels

Dual channels must

be provided.
Channel dimensions
are selected to achieve
the approach velocity
constrains.
The floor of channel
should be level or
Figure 5.9 Two channels with bar racks. (a) top channel is isolated
should slope down by stop plate. (b) slide gate. (c ) stop plates in channel. (d) channel
through the screen fillets.

without pockets that

may trap solids.
 Velocity through channel

The velocity of the open channel flow

in the channel may be described by
Mannings equation:

5.1

5.2

Where,
v = velocity, m/s
n = coefficient of roughness, unit less
R = hydraulic radius, m
= cross-sectional area of flow, m2
Wetted perimeter, m
 Example 5.1:
Design the channel for the bar rack for a towns W.W.T.P.
Assume the following:
Average flow rate at design capacity = 37,000 m3/d
Peak factor = 2.8
Approach velocity at average flow rate 0.4 m/s.
Approach velocity at peak hour flow rate at design capacity
0.9 m/s.
Slope of channel is 0.0001 m/m.
Width of channel is equal to Parshall flume inlet (1.6 m).
Two channels will be provided for redundancy, but one
channel must handle the flow for the peak hydraulic flow rate.
Freeboard = 0.6 m.
Bar rack Design.

5.3
 The approximate number of bars is:

5.4

5.5
 Example 5.2
Estimate the head losses for a bar rack for Towns W.W.T.P
shown in example 5.1 with clean bar rack and with partial
blockage of the screen. Use the following assumptions:
1. Mechanically cleaned bar rack.
2. Bar width = 15 mm.
3. Bar spacing = 20 mm.
4. Angle from vertical = 300
5. Differential head loss for activation of the cleaning rakes is
150 mm.
6. Maximum flow area blockage to initiate continuous
operation is 50%.
Bar Rack Design.

5.6

5.6
 Example 5.3
Design a screen for the W.W.T.P of the town, if the following
data are given:
Population equivalent (PE) = 10000 capita
Water usage (q) =225 L/capita.day
Flow through velocity at the peak flow = 0.57 m/s
The depth of the water at the maximum flow = 0.8 m
The dimensions of the screenings trough (hopper) are:
Length = 1.15 m
Width = 0.5 m
Depth = 0.3 m
Note: use the design criteria of the Malaysian guidelines for
the developers, volume IV, 1998. Slide 18
 Grit Chambers

Purpose: remove inert

dense material, such as
sand, broken glass, silt and
pebbles
Avoid abrasion of pumps
and other mechanical
devices
Material is called grit
 Grid removal types
There are four general types of grit removal systems: horizontal-flow grit
chambers, detritus tanks, aerated grit chambers, and vortex-flow grit
chambers.
Horizontal-flow and detritus grit chambers are old systems.
Aerated grit chambers
In aerated grit chambers, air is introduced along one side of the tank near
the bottom and causes a spiral roll velocity pattern perpendicular to the
flow through the tank (Figure 5.10).
The velocity of the roll of water across the bottom of the tank controls the
size of particles of a given specific gravity that will settle out.
The rate of air diffusion and the tank shape govern the rate of velocity of
the roll.
The particles that settled out are moved to the grit hopper or trough.
 Grid removal

Figure 5.11 aerated grit chamber with dimension

notations. The distance of the air header to the sloped wall
Figure 5.10 spiral roll pattern in an aerated grit chamber of the grit chamber is noted as 0.6 1 m.
Aerated grit chambers

5.8
 Aerated grit chambers

The equation may be simplified slightly if the air flow rate is

given in units of m3/s.m of chamber length so that the form is:

5.9

Where Af =air flow rate per unit length, m3/s.m

K = 0.7 m.s
Table 5.4 Typical design criteria for aerated grit
chambers
 Vortex-flow grit chambers.

The vortex systems rely on a

mechanically induced
vortex to capture grit
(Figure 5.12) (Refer to your
text book)

Figure 5.12 Vortex grit chamber

 Example 5.4

Using the data from Example 3.2, design an aerated

grit chamber for the towns W.W.T.P. assume a design
velocity through the slot of 0.15 m/s and that two
grit chambers will be provided but the peak hourly
flow rate must be met with one out of service. Also
assume a worst case for design of the grit channel.
 Equalization Tank
Purpose: to dampen the variations in the flow as well as in
the concentration.
Equalization design practice: The principal factors that must
be considered in the design of equalization basins are: (1)
location and configuration, (2) volume, (3) basin geometry, (4)
mixing and air requirements, and (5) pumping facilities.
Location and configuration: the basin are normally located
downstream of pretreatment facilities such as bar screen and
grit chambers. Two typical WWTP configurations are in-line
equalization and of-line equalization (Figure 3.6).
Figure 3.7 Typical wastewater-treatment plant flow diagram incorporating flow equalization: (a) in-line equalization and
(b) offline equalization.
Flow equalization can be applied after grit removal, after primary sedimentation, and after secondary treatrnent where
advanced treatment is used.
 Table 5.5 Design Parameters for Balancing Tank. MS 1228 (1991) and
Guidelines for Developers, Volume IV, 1998.

Note: Equalization tank are mandatory for all treatment process

that are not designed at peak flow. For extended aeration plants
that are designed with retention time of more than 18 hours and
clarifiers designed at peak flow, the use of equalization tank is not
required (MS 1228 (1991).
 Primary Treatment
Purpose: settle organic
particulate matter and thus
remove BOD
Tanks may be circular or
rectangular
Settled sludge (called raw
sludge) is removed
mechanically
Raw sludge is stabilized and
dewatered before disposal
Removal efficiency of about
30%
 Importance of Primary Treatment

The process is important because the reduction of suspended

solids and BOD5 lowers the oxygen demand, decreases the
rate of energy consumption, and reduces operational
problems with downstream biological treatment processes.
Primary treatment also serves important function of removing
scum and inert particulate matter that was not removed in
the grit chamber.
 Sedimentation practice
Circular tanks (Figure 3.8) and rectangular tanks (Figure 3.9) are the
most common configurations. Square tanks with circular sludge
collection mechanisms have been used.

Figure 5.13 Rectangular primary settling tank.

Figure 5.14 circular primary settling tanks (a) center

feed, (b) peripheral feed.
 Circular Tanks:
A minimum of two tanks is provided. Tanks are typically arranged in
pairs with a flow-splitting box between them (Figure 3.10). Concrete
is commonly used for construction of tanks for municipal systems.

Figure 5.15 flow splitting box for two circular primary

clarifiers
 Advantages and disadvantages of each
type
Circular tanks are favored because they require less
maintenance and the construction cost is generally lower than
that for rectangular.
The disadvantages of circular tanks are that they require a
larger footprint and that they require more yard piping and
pumping facilities.
Rectangular tanks are favored when space is constraint
because they may be constructed with common wall and
piping arrangements are more economical than for circular
tanks
 Sedimentation Basin Design
Redundancy: Multiple units capable of independent operation are required
for all plants where design average flows exceed 380 m3/d.
Table 5.6 Typical Design Criteria for Primary Sedimentation Tanks
Table 5.6 Typical Design Criteria for Primary Sedimentation Tanks (continue).
Table 5.7 Design Guideline for Primary Sedimentation tank
MS 1228 (1991) and Guidelines for Developers, Volume IV, 1998
 Circular Sedimentation Basin Design
Inlet configuration
The typical center feed tank has a vertical inlet pipe with ports
that transmit the flow from the feed pipe to the feed well
(Figure 3.11). The feed well (also called flocculation center
well).
A detention time of about 20 minutes achieves over 90
percent of the obtainable flocculation. This has led to a rule of
thumb that the flocculation center well should be sized to
obtain 20 minutes of residence time at average dry weather
flow.
The projection of the feed well downward into the tank may
range from 30 to 75 percent of the tank depth.
Figure 5.16 standard center inlet
 Example 5.6

The Camptown wastewater treatment plant is being designed

to treat a flow rate of 56,800 m3/d. Eight identical circular
primary tanks will be used. Design a circular primary clarifier
for this plant.
Assume overflow rate of 40 m3/d. m2 and a side water depth
of 4.3 m.
To complete the design provide the following:
Diameter of tank
Diameter and depth of feedwell
Check of velocity across sludge zone
Calculation of the weir loading rate