1. Wastewater treatment processes (I) ENV H 440/ENV H 541 John Scott Meschke Office: Suite 2249, 4225 Roosevelt Phone: 206-221-5470 Email: jmeschke@u.washington.edu Gwy-Am Shin Office: Suite 2339, 4225 Roosevelt Phone: 206-543-9026 Email: gwyam@u.washington.edu

2. Key points Purpose of the individual unit processes The typical operating conditions The outcome of the processes Microbial reduction of the processes

3. How much wastewater do we produce each day? Wastewater Characteristics These values are rough estimates only and vary greatly by locale.

4. Wastewater treatment systems Decentralized –Septic tank –Waste stabilization ponds Facultative lagoon Maturation lagoon –Land treatment –Constructed wetland Centralized

5. Sewer systems

6. Typical composition of untreated domestic wastewater

7. Microorganism concentrations in untreated wastewater

8. (Minimum) Goals of wastewater treatment plants <30 mg/L BOD 5 <30 mg/L of suspended solids <200 CFU/100mL fecal coliforms

9. Conventional Community (Centralized) Sewage Treatment Pathogen Reductions Vary from: low ( 99.99+%) Secondary Treatment Using Activated Sludge Process Sludge drying bed or mechanical dewatering process

10. Typical Municipal Wastewater Treatment System Preliminary or Pre- Treatment Primary Treatment Secondary Treatment Disinfection Sludge Treatment & Disposal

11. Preliminary Wastewater Treatment System Preliminary or Pre- Treatment Solids to Landfill

12. Preliminary Treatment Facilities Preliminary Treatment - Bar Racks Bar Racks: are used to remove large objects that could potentially damage downstream treatment/pumping facilities. Ref: Metcalf & Eddy, 1991

13. Preliminary Treatment - Grit chamber Grit chamber: used to remove small to medium sized, dense objects such as sand, broken glass, bone fragments, pebbles, etc.

14. Primary Wastewater Treatment Primary Treatment

15. Primary sedimentation To remove settleable solids from wastewater

16. Primary Clarification Primary Sludge Primary Effluent Influent from Preliminary Treatment Section through a Circular Primary Clarifier Primary Treatment Scum: Oil, Grease, Floatable Solids

17. Primary sedimentation To remove settleable solids from wastewater Maximum flow: 30 - 40 m 3 per day Retention period: 1.5 - 2.0 hours (at maximum flow) 50 - 70 % removal of suspended solids 25 - 35 % removal of BOD 5 ~20 % removal of phosphate ~50 % removal of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa 90 % removal of helminth ova

18. Secondary Wastewater Treatment Secondary Treatment

19. Secondary treatment processes To remove suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphate 90 % removal of SS and BOD 5 Various technologies –Activated sludge process –Tricking filter –Stabilization ponds

20. Secondary Treatment Using Activated Sludge Process Secondary Treatment Sludge drying bed or mechanical dewatering process

21. The Activated Sludge Process Aerobic microbes utilities carbon and other nutrients to form a healthy activated sludge (AS) biomass (floc) The biomass floc is allowed to settle out in the next reactor; some of the AS is recycled Secondary Treatment Simplified Activated Sludge Description

22. General Microbial Growth Carbon Source:Dissolved organic matter Energy Source:Dissolved organic matter Terminal Electron Acceptor: Oxygen Nutrients:Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Trace Metals Microorganisms:Indigenous in wastewater, recycled from secondary clarifier Secondary Treatment

23. Activated Sludge Aeration Basins Empty basin, air diffusers on bottom Same basin, in operation Secondary Treatment

24. The Oxidation Ditch Ref: Reynolds & Richards,1996, Unit Operations and Processes in Environmental Engineering Secondary Treatment

25. The Oxidation Ditch Ref: Reynolds & Richards,1996, Unit Operations and Processes in Environmental Engineering Secondary Treatment

26. Circular Secondary Clarifier Secondary Effluent Influent from Activated Sludge Aeration Basin or Trickling Filter Section through a Circular Secondary Clarifier Return (Secondary) Sludge Line Secondary Treatment

27. Activated Sludge Floc Ref: Brock, Madigan, et al, Biology of Microorganisms This is a picture of the biological flocs formed in the activated sludge aeration basin. These flocs must settle out and be removed in the secondary clarifier. Secondary Treatment

28. Activated Sludge - Problem Microorganisms Ref: Brock, Madigan, et al, Biology of Microorganisms The growth of filamentous micro-organisms in activated sludge systems is common. These microorganisms make the biological flocs extremely hard to settle and can cause foaming in the aeration basin. Filamentous organisms are strict aerobes and cannot compete for substrate except under aerobic conditions. By creating anaerobic or anoxic conditions at the influent end of the aeration basin, filamentous organisms are effectively “starved” and do not proliferate. This is called using ‘biological selectors’ in the treatment process. Secondary Treatment

29. Activated sludge process To remove suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphate 90 % removal of BOD 5 Food to microorganism ratio (F:M ratio): 0.25 kg BOD 5 per kg MLSS (mixed liquor suspended solids) per day at 10 o C or 0.4 kg BOD 5 per kg MLSS per day at 20 o C Residence time: 2 days for high F:M ratio, 10 days or more for low F:M ratio Optimum nutrient ratio: BOD 5 :N:P =>100:5:1 ~20 % removal of phosphate > 90 % removal of viruses and protozoa and 45 - 95 % removal of bacteria

30. Secondary Treatment Using Trickling Filter Process Secondary Treatment Trickling Filter

31. http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/FUNDAMNT/streem/trickfil.jpg Primary effluent drips onto rock or man-made media Rotating arm to distribute water evenly over filter Rock-bed with slimy (biofilm) bacterial growth Primary effluent pumped in Treated waste to secondary clarifier

32. Trickling Filter http://www.eng.uc.edu/friendsalumni/research/labsresearch/biofilmreslab/Tricklingfilter_big.jpg

33. Tricking filter process To remove suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphate 90 % removal of BOD 5 Organic loading (BOD 5 X flow/volume of filter): 0.1 kg BOD 5 per m 3 per day Hydraulic loading: 0.4 m 3 per day per m 3 of plan area ~20 % removal of phosphate Variable removal levels of viruses, 20-80 % removal of bacteria and > 90 % removal of protozoa

34. Stabilization Ponds The oldest wastewater treatment systems – Requires a minimum of technology – Relatively low in cost – Popular in developing countries and small communities in the US (90 % communities with population <10,000) Used for raw sewage as well as primary ‑ or secondary ‑ treated effluents. Facultative ponds and aerated lagoons Ponds and Lagoons

35. Facultative Pond Ponds and Lagoons

36. Facultative ponds Facultative ponds: upper photic (aerobic) zone, facultative (aerobic and anaerobic) zone and lower anaerobic zone. –Upper aerobic zone: algae use CO 2, sunlight and inorganic nutrients (photosynthesis) to produce oxygen and algal biomass. –Facultative zone: bacteria and other heterotrophs convert organic matter to carbon dioxide, inorganic nutrients, water and microbial biomass. –Lower anaerobic zone: anaerobic bacteria degrade the biomass from upper zones Influence by many factors –Sunlight –Temperature –pH –Biological activities –Characteristics of wastewater Ponds and Lagoons

37. Facultative ponds To remove suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphate, and pathogens Operating water depth: 1-2.5 meters (maximum) BOD loading: 2.2-5.6 g/m 3 /day Retention time: 3-6 months >90 % BOD removal (warm and sunny climates) Microbe removal may be quite variable depending upon pond design, operating conditions and climate. –90-99% removal of indicator and pathogenic bacteria –99 % removal of PV1 –99.9 reduction of Giardia and Cryptosporidium

38. Aerated Lagoons http://www.lagoonsonline.com/marshill.htm Ponds and Lagoons Stabilization Lagoon Aerated Lagoons

39. Aerated lagoons Biological activity is provided by mainly aerobic bacteria Influence by many factors –Aeration time –Temperature –pH –Biological activity –Characteristics of wastewater

40. Aerated lagoons To remove suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphate, and pathogens Operating water depth: 1-2 meters Retention time: <10 days 85% BOD removal (at 20 o C and an aeration period of 5 days) 65% BOD removal (at 10 o C and an aeration period of 5 days) Microbe removal may be quite variable depending upon pond design, operating conditions and climate

41. Wastewater Disinfection Disinfection

42. Typical Municipal Wastewater Treatment System Preliminary or Pre- Treatment Primary Treatment Secondary Treatment Disinfection Sludge Treatment & Disposal

43. Sludge processing Thickening Digestion Dewatering Disposal

44. Sludge thickening To reduce the volume of sludge –to increase sludge solids at least 4 % Gravity thickening and mechanical thickening Gravity thickening –loading rate: 30-60 kg/m 2 per day Mechanical thickening –dissolved air flotation, gravity belt thickeners, and centrifuge thickening – loading rate: 10-20 kg/m 2 per day (dissolved air flotation), 400- 1000 L/m (gravity belt thickeners), 1500-2300 L/m (centrifuge thickening) The concentration of pathogens increased during this process

45. Regulatory requirement for disposal of sewage sludge Class B biosolids –< 2 milion MPN/g of fecal coliforms –Seven samples over 2-wweks period – ~2 log removal Class A biosolids –< 1000 MPN/g of fecal coliforms –< 3 MPN/4g of Salmonella sp. –< 1 PFU/4g of enteric viruses –< 1/4g of Helminth ova –~ 5 log removal

46. Processses to significantly reduce pathogens (PSRP) for a Class B biosolids Aerobic digestion Anaerobic digestion Air drying Composting Lime stabilization

47. Digestion To stabilize organic matter, control orders, and destroy pathogens Aerobic digestion and anaerobic digestion Aerobic digestion –loading rate (maximum): 640 g/m 2 per day –Temperature and retention time: 68 o F for 40 days or 58 o F for 60 days –Solids and BOD reduction: 30-50 % –< 2.5 % solids

48. Anaerobic digestion Operation conditions (optimum) –Temperature: 85-99 o F (98 o F) –pH: 6.7-7.4 (7.0-7.1) –Alkalinity: 2000-3500 mg/L –Solid loading: 0.02-0.05 lb/ft 3 /day –Retention time: 30-90 days Treatment outcome –Solid reduction: 50-70 % –Gas production: methane and carbon dioxide –Significant reduction of most pathogens

49. Processses to further reduce pathogens (PFRP) for a Class A biosolids Heat drying Thermophilc aerobic digestion –132-149 o F for 4-20 hours Pasturization –158 o F for 30 minutes Beta- or gamma ray irradiation –> 1.0 Mrad at room temperature

50. Dewatering To concentrate sludge by removing water Pressure filtration, centrifugation, and screw press Pressure filtration (belt filter press and plate- and-frame filter) –Usually with polymer floccuration –Loading rate: 40-60 gpm/m (hydroulic) and 500-1000 lb/m/h (solid) –Feed solid: 1-6 % –Cake solids: 15-30 %

51. Disposal Land application Landfill Incineration Ocean dumping (no longer allowed in US)