Chapter 5

Sewage Effluent Disposal Techniques

Before we discuss the various treatments that may be given to raw sewage before disposing it off, it shall
be worthwhile to first discuss the various methods and sources of disposal of sewage.

The study of the sources of disposal is important, because the amount of treatment required to be given to
sewage depends very much upon the source of disposal, its quality and capacity to tolerate the impurities
present in the sewage effluents, without itself is getting potentially polluted or becoming less useful.

There are two general methods of disposing of the sewage effluents:

(a) Dilution i.e. disposal in water; and

(b) Effluent Irrigation or Broad Irrigation or Sewage Farming, i.e. disposal on land

5.1 Land Disposal and Treatment

1. Disposal of Sewage Effluents on Land for Irrigation.

In this method, the sewage effluent (treated or diluted) is generally disposed of by applying it on land.
The percolating water may either join the water-table, or is collected below by a system of under drains,
this method can then be used for irrigating crops.

This method, in addition to disposing of the sewage, may help in increasing crop yields (by 33% or so) as
the sewage generally contains a lot of fertilizing minerals and other elements. However, the sewage
effluent before being used as irrigation water must be made safe. In order to lay down the limiting
standards for sewage effluents, and the degree of treatment required, it is necessary to study as to what
happens when sewage is applied on to the land as irrigation water.

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. Such aeration and aerobic
conditions will more likely prevail, if the soil is sufficiently porous and permeable (such as sands and
porous loams). However, if the land is made up of heavy, sticky and fine grained materials (such as clay,
rock, etc.), the void spaces will soon get choked up, and thus resulting in non-aeration of these voids.

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This will lead to the developing of non-aerobic decomposition of organic matter, and evolution of foul
gases. Moreover, excessive clogging may also result in ugly ponding of sewage over the farm land, where
mosquitoes may breed in large number, causing further nuisance.

Application of too strong or too heavy load of sewage will also similarly result in the quick formation of
anaerobic conditions. The greater is the sewage load, more likely it will be for the soil to get clogged.
Hence, if the sewage load is reduced either by diluting it or by pre-treating it, it may be possible to avoid
the clogging of the soil pores. The degree of treatment required will, however, considerably depend upon
the type of the soil of the land. If this soil, to be irrigated, is sandy and porous, the sewage effluents may
contain more solids and other wastes, and thus requiring lesser treatment, as compared to the case where
the soil is less porous and sticky. The pretreatment process may be adopted by larger cities which can
afford to conduct treatment of sewage; whereas the dilution technique may be adopted by smaller cities.
When sewage is diluted with water for disposal for irrigation, too large volumes of dilution water are
generally not needed, so as not to require too large areas for disposal.

5.2 Disposal by Dilution

The disposal by dilution is the process whereby the treated sewage or the effluent from the treatment plant
is discharged into a river stream, or large body of water, such as lake or sea. The discharge sewage; in due
course of time is purified by what is known as self-purification process of natural waters. The degree and
amount of treatment given to raw sewage before disposing it off into the river-stream in question will
definitely depend not only upon the self-purification capacity of the river stream and the intended use of
its water.

Condition favoring disposal by dilution

The dilution method for disposing of the sewage can favorably be adopted under the following
conditions;

 When sewage is comparatively fresh ( 4 to 5 hour old ) and free from floating and settle able
solids ( or are easily removed by primary treatment)
 When the diluting water (i.e. the source of disposal) has high dissolved oxygen (DO) content.
 Where diluting waters are not used for the purpose of navigation or water supply for at least some
reasonable distance on the downstream point of sewage disposal.

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  Where the flow currents of the diluting waters are favourable, causing no deposition nuisance or
destruction of aquatic life. It means that swift forward currents are helpful as they unlimited
dilution. On the other hand, slow back currents tend to cause sedimentation, resulting in large
sludge deposits.
 When the outfall sewer of the city or the treatment plant is situated near some natural waters
having large volumes.

Dilution in Rivers and Self Purification of Natural Streams

When sewage is discharged into a natural body of water, the receiving water gets polluted due to waste
products, present in sewage effluents. But the conditions do not remain so for ever, because the natural
forces of purification, such as dilution, 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.
However, if the self-purification is not achieved successfully either due to too much of pollution
discharged into it or due to other causes, the river water itself will get polluted, which, in turn, may also
pollute the sea where the river outfalls.

The various natural forces of purification are:

1. Physical forces are:

(i) Dilution and dispersion,

(ii) Sedimentation,

(iii) Sunlight (acts through bio-chemical reactions).

2. Chemical forces aided by biological forces (called bio chemical forces) are:

(iv) Oxidation

(v) Reduction.

Zone of pollution

A polluted stream undergoing self-purification can be divided into the following four zones;

o Zone of degradation
o Zone of active decomposition

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 o Zone of recovery; and
o Zone of clear water

Zone of degradation; this is found just below the discharging point and it is characterize by water
becoming dark and turbid with formation of sludge deposits at the bottom. The D.O. is reduced to about
40% of the saturation. Here there is an increase in carbon dioxide content; re-oxygenation (i.e. re-
aeration) occurs but is slower than de-oxygenation.

Zone of active decomposition; this zone is marked by heavy pollution. It is characterized by water
becoming greyish and darker than in the previous zone. D.O. concentration falls down to zero, and
anaerobic conditions may set in with the evolution of gases like methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen
sulphide etc, bubbling to the surface with masses of sludge forming an ugly scum layer at the surface. As
the organic decomposition slackens due to stabilisation of organic matter, the re-aeration sets in and D.O.
again rises to the original level (i.e. about 40%).

Zone of recovery; in this zone, the river-stream tries to recover from its degraded condition to its former
appearance. The water becomes clearer, and so the algae reappears while fungi decreases BOD falls down
and DO content rises above 40% of the saturation value; Protozoa, Rotifers, Crustaceans and Large plants
like Sponges, Bryozoans, etc also appears. The organic material will be mineralised to form nitrates,
sulphates, phosphates, carbonates, etc.

Zone of cleaner water; in this zone, the river attains its original conditions with DO; rising up to the
saturation value. Water becomes attractive in appearance and Game fish (which require at least 4 to 5
mg/l of DO) and usual aquatic life prevails. Same pathogenic organisms may still, however, survive and
remain present, which confirms the fact that “when once river water has been polluted, it will not be safe
to drink it unless it is properly treated”.

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