Credit Hours System – Faculty of Engineering – Cairo University

PBWN 201 – Spring 2023

Water & Wastewater Engineering

Part Two: Wastewater Engineering
On-site Sanitation
Prof. Dr. Mona M. Galal
Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
Dr. Safwat Mahmoud, PMP®
Associate Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
Dr. Nagwan Gamal
Associate Professor of Sanitary & Environmental Engineering, Cairo University
 On-Site Wastewater Treatment
Systems
 Septic Tanks
 Final Disposal Methods

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On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems

• Rural areas and the outskirts of urban areas may have insufficient
population to support sewer systems and central treatment.
• In such areas it is likely that unsanitary disposal techniques may be used.

• Satisfactory techniques will ensure that:

 Water supplies, particularly shallow wells, are not contaminated
 Flies have no access to excreta
 Surface waters are not polluted by runoff
 Nuisance conditions such as odors are minimized

• Acceptable systems, depending on circumstances, include septic tanks and

subsurface percolation.

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Septic Tanks

• Septic tanks are primarily

sedimentation basins, although a
minor degree of solids destruction
may occur as a result of anaerobic
activity.
• Modern septic tanks are
manufactured from both concrete
and fiberglass.

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Details of Septic Tank

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Septic tanks are buried, watertight tanks designed and constructed to
receive wastewater:
to separate solids from the liquid (Sedimentation)
• Settleable solids settle to the bottom where organic matter is partially
decomposed under anaerobic conditions.
• A scum of lightweight material (including fats and greases) rise to the
top.

to provide limited digestion of organic matter (Fermentation)

to store solids or sludge (Storage)

to allow the clarified liquid to discharge for further treatment and
disposal.

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Basic considerations:
1. The septic tank must be watertight.
Excessive leakage from septic tanks can cause the level of the scum layer
to drop below the outlet baffle. This would allow excessive scum to
discharge into the trenches.
Infiltration may enter the tank, which can cause hydraulic overloading
of the tank and the percolation system.

2. Accessibility to all chambers is necessary for maintenance.

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3. To ensure that the flow out of the septic tank carries a minimal
concentration of settleable solids, proper inlet and outlet devices (baffles
and tee-connections) must be installed.
• These devices serve four general functions:
1) Minimize turbulence caused by the inlet flow to prevent mixing and
poor settling of sludge
2) Maintain anaerobic conditions
3) Prevent rising gases from the anaerobic digestion process from
interfering with settling and resuspension of particles.
4) Protect against scum outflow

4. The effluent of a septic tank is offensive and potentially dangerous and

so, further treatment of septic tank effluent is required, either in an
additional process or subsurface disposal.

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Design of septic tank:

1- At start 3 – Check:
Get Qd then Vt Get on T and Vs
Vt = Vw = Qd*t1 T = (1-3) years
Qd = 1.5*P*qavg = P*qmax Vs = P*S*T ≤ (Vt/2)
assume t1 = 2 - 3 days
2- At end (desludging) 4 – Design:
Get T= detention time of sludge Get dimensions
Vt = Vw + Vs = Qd*t2 + P*S*T assume Vone max = 30 m3 ,L = (2-3)B, and d = 1.2-2m
assume t2 = 1-2 days n = Vt/30 .. get nnew,
Vone = Vt/nnew = L*B*d ,

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Where: 1- At start
Qd = Design flow ( m3/d)
P = Population (capita)
qavg = Average water consumption (m3/c/d)
time= t1
Vt = Total volume (m3)
Vw = Volume of water (m3)
Vs = Volume of sludge (m3) Vt=Vw
t1 = Maximum detention time (days)
t2 = Minimum detention time (days)
T= Detention time of sludge (y)
2- At end
S = Sludge production rate (m3/c/y)
L = Length (m)
B = Width (m) time= t2
d = Water depth (m)
n = Number of septic tanks
Vt=Vw+ Vs 11
Final Disposal Methods

• Subsurface disposal fields can serve as a point of further treatment and

ultimate disposal for wastewater which has undergone some reduction in
suspended solids and grease in processes such as septic tanks.

• Two types of subsurface disposal:

Percolation trench
Filtration trench

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1) Percolation Trench

Without Mortar

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Design of Percolation Trench

Used when:
1. ROPsoil ≥ 150 l/m2/d AND 2. GW depth ≥ 2m

Design:
1. Area = Qd/ROPsoil = L*d*2 ,
assume d = 1 m, and get L
2. Lone max = 40 m, n = L/40.. get nnew,
Lone = L/ nnew

Where ROPsoil = rate of percolation of soil , L = length of trench (m) ,

d = water depth in trench (m) , n = number of trenches
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2) Filtration Trench

Without
Mortar
With Mortar

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Design of Filtration Trench

Used when:
1. ROPsoil < 150 l/m2/d OR 2. GW depth < 2m

Design:
1. Area = Qd/ROFsand = L*d ,
assume d = 0.5 m, and get L
2. Lone max = 40 m, n = L/40.. get nnew,
Lone = L/ nnew

Where ROF = rate of filtration of sand (if not given = 450 l/m2/d)

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Example:
A community having a population of 150 people lies in a rural area. If the average rate
of water consumption is 120 l/c/day, sludge production rate is 60 l/c/year, and
minimum and maximum detention times are 1.5 and 2.5 days, respectively. Design an
on-site wastewater treatment facility (septic tank).

1- At start 2- At end

time= t2
time= t1

Vt=Vw Vt=Vw+ Vs
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Q max = 1.5 * 120*150*1/1000 = 27 m3/day
• At start:
V = Q max * T1 = 27 *2.5 = 67.5 m3
• At desludging:
V = Q max * T2 + S * Pop* T
67.5 = 27 *1.5 + (60*150*T/1000) Check:
So, T = 3 years (in range) O.K. V sludge = 67.5 -27 *1.5 = 27 m3 < 0.5 V O.K.

No. of tanks = V/V max = 67.5/30 = 2.25 ≈ 3 tanks

V one = 67.5/3 = 22.5 m3
Assume d = 1.5 m and L = 3B
V one = 22.5 = 1.5 *B*3B B = 2.23 ≈ 2.30 m
L = 3* 2.30 = 6.9 m
Take 3 Septic tanks of (6.90 m, 2.30 m, 1.50 m) water dimensions

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Example:
Find the length of a trench which is used after a septic tank knowing the following:
Volume of septic tank = 21.6 m3, maximum detention time of septic tank = 3 days,
ground water depth = 2.5 below ground surface, Rate of percolation of soil = 360
l/m2/d

Design of Percolation Trench

Area = Qd/ROPsoil = L*d*2

Qd= V/T = 21.6/3 = 7.2 m3/day

Assume d= 1.0 m

7200/360 = L*1*2

L = 10 m
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 Thank you
Any Questions?

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