Waste Water Treatment system

Content of the Presentation

• What is polluted Water?
• Why Treat?
• Configuration of the WWTP
• Equipments
– Type of Equipments
– Purpose
• Biological Treatment of the Polluted Water
• Operational Problems
• Solutions
• Analysis
• Question
Why water treatment?
What is the problem:
• The industrial development has created a situation where natural balance is
disturbed
• The goal of waste water treatment is to reduce the amount of pollution to a level
where nature can deal with it

Companies are purifying there effluent due to:

• Government legislations
• Lower the discharge costs
• Reuse of water
What is polluted Water?
Water with pollution:
Water with pollution is a mix of organic and inorganic matter.

Principals Parameters of Pollution:

- COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
- Nitrogen (Nkj, NO2 y NO3)
- Phosphor (P)
- SS (Suspended Solids)
- TDS (Total Solids Dissolved)
- Color
- pH
- Temperature
Pollution and treatment
Configuration of a WWTP
Configuration of the WWTP
Filter:
Goal:
- Initial removing of solids.
- Prevent pumps and pipes damage/block.
- Prevent solids in the flotation unit (DAF).

Type of filter being used:

- Curved screen
 Equalization Basin
• Reduce the fluctuations of flow and pollution to increase
process stability
• To prevent the equalization tank from becoming
anaerobic aeration is installed
 Flotation Unit (Dissolved Air Flotation)
Goal:
- Remove solids, fat, chemical locks and activated sludge.

Principle DAF’s
Pressurizing recirculation water till a pressure of around 6 bar. Dissolve
compressed air and ad the recirculation water to the influent. The 6 bar pressure
is released till atmospheric pressure and microscopic air bubbles are formed.
Dissolved Air Flotation process

Direction of
Buoyancy
movement

Direction of
movement
Flow resistance

Direction of
movement
Particle Air bubble
Selector

Tailer made design for each

waste water treatment plant

Prevent formation of filamentous

bacteria
Biological Waste Water Treatment
Goal:
- Removal of COD, nitrogen and phosphorus by means of activated sludge

Types:
- Continuous including clarifier
- Continuous including activated sludge flotation
- Discontinuous SBR (Sequence Batch Reactor)
- MBR (Membrane Bioreactor)
Aeration systems, surface aeration

constant water level variable water level

High speed surface aerator (principle)

Very easy to install

Easy operation
Almost no maintenance
Low running cost
Very low noise level
Oxygen consumption
BOD
Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Pollution

The more pollution

the more bacteria and Oxygen

oxygen is required Bacteria

Air by blower or
surface aerator
electricity
Theory Biological Treatment
The Objective of Biological waste water treatment Plant is to force the Plant’s
organism to biodegrade all of the raw sewage organic pollutant content prior
to its discharge as treated effluent . Raw sewage represents an excellent
medium in which to grow bacteria and microbes . It has high biodegradable
organic content and also rich with nutrients. If oxygen is added to the system,
all of the conditions needed to grow bacteria are present.

Bacterial Growth

High rate : Rapid growth, F/M >.5, young sludge, 2-4 MCRT, Much food for few
microbe
Conventional : Slow /declining growth, F/M .2- .5, 4-12MCRT, Balance food,
moderate sludge

Extended : Starvation endogenous, F/M<.2, Old sludge, 12 -30 days MCRT, many
microbes and less food
Activated sludge Biological Treatment
Goal is develop and maintain large population of microbes under aeration in a
four part treatment process

Four Major process components

• Aeration Basin

• Final Clarifier

• A return sludge pump

• A waste sludge pump

Operational Problems
-The Most common problem in the operation of Activated sludge as
Bulking Sludge, rising sludge and Foaming

 Bulking Sludge

Poor settability and compatibility

Bulking sludge caused by Filamentous organism ( can grow

filamentous form under adverse condition )

Operational causes of Bulking sludge

Low dissolved oxygen, Insufficient nutrients, warying organic loading,

Low F/M
Operational Problems
-Rising Sludge

-Sludge that has good settling chracterstics will be observed to rise or

float to the surface.

-The cause of this phenomena is the denitrification

-Nitrogen gas is formed in the sludge layer, much of it is traped in

sludge mass and sludge rise to Float

-Rising Sludge probelm may be overcome by

-Increase return activated sludge withdral rate

-Increase sludge wasting rate
Operational Problems
- Foam
-A viscous Brown Foam that covers the aeration basin and secondary
clarifier
-Foam is associated with slow flamentous organism usually nocardia
-Causes
-Low F/M in aeration tank
-High MLSS due to insufficient sludge wasting
-Sludge reaeration
-Excessive Oil and Grease
-Summer season favorable for nocardia above 18C
-Measures
-Increase sludge wasting rate
-Reducing Air flow rate for lowering the depth of Foam
-Very difficult to eliminate, need removal form surface
Sludge Age
Sludge age: is defined as the evarage time in days the suspended solids remain
in the entire system

Seasonal impact: winter and summer

A low sludge: age tends to produce a light, fulffy, a bouyant type sludge
commonly refferd as straggler floc, which settles slowly in clarifier. These fulffy
sludge particles removed from clarifier by manual, where as effluent water
clear

A high sludge: age or too many solids in the system tends to produce darker,
more granular type sludge commonly called pin Floc , which settles too fast. Pin
floc is observed as many fine tiny floc particles coming over the final clarifier
leaving a very turbid effluent
Theory Biological Treatment
Parameters to control the performance of the system:
Influent
– COD, TKN, Flow, pH and Temperature
Aeration Tank
– F/M (Food/Mass)
– Food = CODinfluent * Daily Flow = mg/l * m3/day
– Mass = Amount of bacteria in the AT
– pH, Temperature
– Oxygen Concentration > 0,5 mg/l
– Nutrients
F/M ratio
- Determines the effluent quality.
- Safe Operation Range : 0,15 < F/M < 0,5
- Is a parameter which in combination with the SVI tells you if your sludge is in
good condition.
Theory Biological Treatment
Influence of F/M on effluent quality:
- If F/M > 0,5 risk of overloading the system
- If F/M < 0,1 system is under loaded, risk of formation of filamentous
bacteria

SVI:
SVI = Sludge Volume after settling 30 min / MLSS = [ml/g]
- If SVI > 150, system probably overloaded, formation of filamentous bacteria
- If SVI < 50, indication of large inert fraction in the system

pH:
- pH in aeration tank 6 – 8
- if pH < 5 many bacteria die, this causes large inert fraction in sludge
Active sludge flocs

It’s like a big zoo

 Bacteria
 Protozoan
 Metazoan
 worms, bears
 higher organisms
Theory Biological Treatment
The key factors influencing biological nitrogen removal
are...
Adjustment of biological treatment
 Nitrification
Phase in treatment process in the aeration basin in that BOD is converted
by the bacteria and oxygen to water & ammonia and with more oxygen
ammonia NH4 is converted to nitrate NO3. Nitrification gives decrease
of pH.
 Denitrification
Phase in treatment process in the aeration basin that in the absence of
oxygen (< 0,5 PPM or mg/ltr) nitrate is converted to nitrogen gas (N2)
which will escape into the air. Denitrification gives increase of pH.

The ph level in the aeration basin is very important and must be between
6,5 – 8. Optimum is between 6,8 and 7. A pH higher thAn 7 increases
the sludge production.
Biological waste water treatment
Calculation example F/M:
Pollution load going into the aeration tank:
COD = 1200 mg/l
CODload= (4000 * 1200)/1000 = 4800 kg/day
Flow = 4000 m3/day

Amount of bacteria in the aeration tank:

Total surface aeration tank = 48 * 24 = 1152 m2
Water level = 5 m
MLSS = 3 g/l Total amount of bacteria = 1152 * 5 * 3= 17280 kg

F/M = 4800 / 17280 = 0,27 kg COD / kg MLSS day

Biological waste water treatment
Case 1:

Flow : 4000 m3/day

Water Level : 5,5 m, area: 1152 m2
MLSS : 3 g/l
Chosen F/M ratio : 0,20 kg COD/kg MLSS day

What may the maximum COD concentration be for a good

performance?
Biological waste water treatment
Answer case 1:

Determine the amount of mass:

5,5 [m] * 1152 [m2] * 3[g/l] = 19008 kg

F / 19008 = 0,20  F = 3801,6 kg/day

F = Flow * CODconcentration
3801,6 = 4000 * CODconcentration
 CODconcentration= 3801,6/4000 * 1000 = 950,4 mg/l
Biological waste water treatment
Case 2:

Flow : 4000 m3/day

COD : 2400 mg/l
WL : 5 m, area: 1152 m2
MLSS : 3 g/l

Is it possible to treat the water properly?

Biological waste water treatment
Answer case 2:

Effluent quality is depending on F/M ratio, to answer this question you have to
determine the F/M ratio.

F = 4000 [m3/day] * 2400 [mg/l] / 1000 = 9600 [kg/day]

M = 5 [m] * 1152 [m2] * 3 [g/l] = 17280 [kg]

F/M = 9600/17280 = 0,56 [kg COD/kg MLSS day]

The answer is no, the F/M ratio is to high, the system is over loaded.
over loading can cause filamentous bacteria, these cause bad settlement
Biological waste water treatment
Case 3:

Flow : 4000 m3/día

COD : 1500 mg/l
Water Level : 5 m, área: 1152 m2
MLSS : 3 g/l

Is it possible to treat the water properly?

Biological waste water treatment
Answer case 3:

Effluent quality is depending on F/M ratio, to answer this question you have to
determine the F/M ratio.

F = 4000 [m3/day] * 1500 [mg/l] / 1000 = 6000 [kg/day]

M = 5 [m] * 1152 [m2] * 3 [g/l] = 17280 [kg]

F/M = 6000/17280 = 0,34 [kg COD/kg MLSS day]

The answer is yes, the F/M ratio is on the range of work.

Bioclar
Sludge separation by clarifier, Bio-clar
SV = ml/l
continuous after 1/2 hour
dry solids surplus
sludge ±1%

Bioclar
Sludge contents ±3
g/l

Aeration basin
clarifier
Separate sludge out of the clean water
 Sludge definitions
• RAS & WAS
– Recirculated Activated Sludge
• To be reused by the process. (Recirculation)
– Waste Activated Sludge
• To be removed from the system. Too much bacteria can cause
troubles in the Aeration Tank and Clarifier.
– Concentration of Sludge = MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids)
• Systems with Clarifier: MLSS of 3 g/l
• Systems with Flotation Unit: MLSS of 6 g/l
Analysis (Nutrients)
• The nutrients are necessary to the grow up of bacteria, without these
THERE IS NOT grow up of bacteria.
• Nutrients in the waste water are : nitrogen and phosphorus.
• For a good grow up of the bacteria, nutrients are must be present at the
polluted water in a proportion of:
• COD : N-tot : P-tot
• 100 : 2,5 : 0,5

Urea contains 46,6% de Nitrogen on its total weight.

100kg de Urea contain aprox. 46 Kg de N.

Phosphoric Acid (H3PO4) at 70% contain aprox. 0,35 kg P/l.

Analysis (Nutrients)
• Example 1:
• COD after the pre – treatment is: 1660 mg/l
• Minimum concentration of N-tot: 1660 /100 * 2,5 = 41,5 mg/l
• Minimum concentration of P-tot: 1660 /100 * 0,5 = 8,3 mg/l
• If concentration of N-tot or P-tot is too low, nutrients will be necessary
daily to the good development of bacteria.
• Calculation of the quantity of nutrients.
Nitrogen:
• N-total after the pre – treatment = 25,5 mg/l
41,5 – 25,5 = 16 mg/l will be necessary to add.
• Flow is: 4000 m3/day : 4000 *16/1000 = 64 kg N required.
• Urea at 46% 64 / 0.46 = 139,1 kg/day
required 139 Kg/day
Analysis (Nutrients)

• Phosphorous:
• PO4-P after the pre - treatment = 5,5 mg/l
8,3– 5,5 = 2,8 mg/l will be necessary to add.
• Flow is: 4000 m3/day: 4000 * 2,8 / 1000 = 11,2 kg P /day
• H3PO4 70% @ 0,35 kg P/l 11,2/0,35 = 32 l/d
Requirement: 32 l/day
Analysis
Sample Points
Analysis
Troubleshooting
• High SVI
• Low oxygen
• High effluent COD
• Solids in effluent
• carry over from sludge

What can be the cause?

What can you do?

Troubleshooting
High SVI

Probable causes and actions:

- Under loading, formation of filamentous bacteria (check
F/M) if underloading lower you’re MLSS

- Overloading, resulting in low oxygen (check oxygen level)

and F/M if overloaded check where it’s coming from in
production.

- Shortage of nutrients resulting in a bad sludge quality

(check nitrogen and phosphor in influent) ratio should be at least
C:N:P 200:5:1, if not dose nutrients.
Troubleshooting

Low oxygen

Probable causes and actions:

- Overloading, resulting in low oxygen (check oxygen level) if

overloaded check where it’s coming from in production.
Troubleshooting

High effluent COD/Solids in effluent

Probable causes and actions:

- Overloading (check F/M)

- Low oxygen in aeration tank, check F/M

 What if?
Aeration tank:
MLSS > 2.5-3.5 g/l  remove excess sludge
F/M > 0,5 kg COD/kg MLSS.d  rise sludge level till max 3 g/l
F/M < 0,1 kg COD/kg MLSS.d  remove excess sludge
pH < 6,5  dose caustic
pH > 8  dose acid
SVI >150 ml/g  increase F/M
SVI < 50 ml/g  check MVLSS (organic fraction at least 70% of MLSS)

Final effluent:
COD > 150 mg/l  check F/M, check MVLSS
Q&A Session