PRIMARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Presenter name:
KRISHNA T
Physical processes that remove non-homogenize solids and
Homogenize the remaining effluent.
The purpose of wastewater treatment is to remove the
contaminates from wastewater to that treated water can meet the
Acceptable quality standards.
• The quality standards usually depend upon whether water will be
reused or discharged into a receiving stream.
• These types of processes can be classified as
Physical
Chemical
Biological
• The primary treatment of wastewater involves two essential steps:
Pretreatment and sedimentation.
• Pretreatment is a crucial phase where large suspended and
floating solids are removed from the wastewater.
• Flow measurement and prechlorination are sometimes included in
the pretreatment process to prevent odors.
• Sedimentation follows the pretreatment and aids in further
separation of particles from the wastewater.• Efficient pretreatment ensures smooth operation in the
subsequent treatment processes.
• The removal of suspended solids during pretreatment prevents
interference with later treatment stages.
• Prechlorination is applied as part of pretreatment to avoid any
potential odors in the following processes.
Pretreatment in Wastewater Treatment
•Pretreatment involves two key steps: screening and grit
removal.
•Screens come in various sizes and shapes, tailored to the
characteristics of the solids to be removed.
•Cleaning methods include manual and mechanical
approaches.
Screening Process
• Fixed bar screens are commonly used in domestic
wastewater treatment facilities.
• Fixed bar screens consist of parallel metal bars.
•Apertures range from 20-60 mm for coarse screens, and
10-20 mm for medium and fine screens.
Coarse Screens
•Coarse screens eliminate large solids before fine screening.
• Helps prevent clogging issues in downstream processes.
•Ensures effective functioning of the fine screen.
Enhanced Efficiency with Fine Screens
• Fine screens remove smaller particles from wastewater.
•Apertures range from 10-20 mm, targeting finer solids.
•Preceded by coarse screens for optimal performance.
Grit Removal:
•Grit removal is a crucial aspect of pretreatment.
•Involves eliminating heavy particles like sand and gravel.
•Ensures protection of downstream equipment from
abrasion.
Sedimentation Process in Waste Treatment:
Sedimentation removes settleable solids from water using
gravitational settling.
• Key goal: separate sludge from clear liquid for effective waste
treatment.
Tank Designs:
Three main tank designs: rectangular horizontal flow, circular
radial flow, and vertical flow basins.
• Each design has unique mechanisms for sludge removal and
effluent clarification.
Rectangular Horizontal Flow Tanks:
Feed is introduced at one end, and overflow is collected at the surface.
• Floating material scraped into a screen, and settled solids into a
sludge hopper.
•
•Endless conveyor mechanism aids in the process.
Circular Radial Flow Tanks:
Feed enters through the center well, and clarified effluent is collected
at the periphery.
•Rotary sludge scraper forces settled sludge into a central
hopper.
•Surface skimming board removes scum efficiently.
Vertical Flow Tanks:
Suitable for small treatment plants.
• Feed applied at tank bottom, effluent rises through
suspension.
•Sludge blanket maintained at the bottom, acts as a filter for small
particles.
•Careful control of sludge withdrawal and bleeding is necessary to
avoid losing the blanket.
Importance of Sludge Blanket:
•Sludge blanket vital for effective particle filtration.
• Maintains suspended particles, and acts as a filter layer.
• Control measures needed to prevent blanket loss.
Sedimentation:
• Crucial process in water treatment and quality
management.
• Utilizes sedimentation basins or clarifiers.
• Remove suspended particles and solids from water.
• It results in improved water clarity and quality.
• Clarifies water by allowing particles to settle.
Flotation:
Particles of density very close to that of water are very
difficult to settle in normal sedimentation tanks and take a
long time to separate.
•In such cases, the separation can be specced up by
a crating of the effluent whereby air bubbles are attached to
the suspended matter.
•The two types of flotation used commonly are a) dispersed-air flotation and b) dissolved-air flotation.
Dispersed-Air Flotation:
Air is introduced directly into the liquid.
• Done through a revolving impeller or diffuser.
• Generates 1 mm diameter air bubbles.
• Turbulence from bubbles can break up fragile
floc particles.
• Less favored for municipal wastewater
treatment due to turbulence.
• Limited use in treating industrial wastes with oil,
grease, and fine powders.
Dissolved-Air Flotation:
Air brought into contact with wastewater at high
pressure.
• Pressure reduced to release micron-sized
bubbles.
• Micron-sized bubbles carry suspended solids
and oil to the tank surface.
• Pressure systems can degrade flocculent
suspensions or oil emulsions.
• Recirculation of clear effluent prevents
degradation.
Dissolved-Air Flotation:
Compressed air is introduced into the recycle pump
discharge for contact.
•Recycled flow mixed with influent for flotation.
•Pressurization flow based on the required air-to-solids ratio.
•Effective ratios range from 0.01 to 0.05, with design
value often 0.02.
•Residence time in the flotation tank is about 30
minutes.
REFERENCES:
Environmental Pollution and Control, 4th ed. by J. Jeffrey
Peirce, P. Aarne Vesilind, Ruth F. Weiner
•Environmental Pollution and Control,5th ed. by C S Rao
•https://www.keeservices.com/dispersed-air-flotation-syst
ems/