SEWAGE TREATMENT

CHAPTER FOUR : (PART ONE )

SECONDARY/BIOLOGICAL
AND TERTIARY WASTEWATER
TREATMENT
BY ROMAN
A.
Objectives of the chapter
 To understand what biological treatment entails, as well as its
goals and principles.
 To Know Microorganisms 'Role in Wastewater Treatment.
 To identify the different types of biological waste water treatment
processes and their designs.
Introduction
 The colloidal organic matter, which passes the primary
clarifiers
further
,without treatment
settling there,
of sewage
has to collected
remove bysecondary
further treatment
or biological
.This
treatment.
 Secondary treatment is designed to substantially degrade
the
biological content of the sewage which are derived from human waste,
food waste, soaps and detergent.it contains large amount of organic
matter and microbes which are pathogenic and cannot be discharge
into the natural water bodies.
 In this method bacteria and protozoa convert the biodegradable
organic contaminant into floc.
 Secondary or biological treatment is carried out by changing the
character of the organic matter ,and thus converting into stable forms
(like nitrate ,sulphates) by oxidation or nitrification.
Objective of Biological Treatment Plant
 To remove most of the fine suspended and dissolved degradable
organic matter that remains after primary treatment, so that the
effluent may be rendered suitable for discharge.
 Conventional secondary treatment can reduce the BOD's to below
20mg/l and Suspended Solids to below 30mg/l which is acceptable
in many cases.
 The reduction of ammonia toxicity and nitrification oxygen demand
in the stream. This is achieved by oxidation of most of the ammonia
to nitrate during treatment (nitrification).
 To stabilize the dissolved organic matter(normally carbonaceous
BOD) that remain present in the effluent from primary treatment.
The Role of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment
 Micro-organisms play an important role in the natural cycling of

materials and particularly in the decomposition of organic wastes and

also important in the treatment of wastewater.

 Micro-organisms are always present in the environment and given the

right conditions of food availability, temperature and other

environmental factors, they grow and multiply.

CONT.

Generalized representation of growth of micro-organisms

CONT.
 In the treatment of wastewater three types of overall processes are
distinguished to represent the conversion of organic wastes by micro-
organisms.
(i). Conversion under aerobic conditions (in the presence of oxygen)
 Under aerobic conditions ammonia is further oxidized to nitrate.
Phosphorus and sulphur contained in the organic substances are
oxidized to phosphate and sulphate. These can be further utilized
by the micro-organisms for synthesis.
(ii) . Conversion under anaerobic conditions (in the absence of
oxygen)
 Methane (CH4) is a useful gaseous by-product of anaerobic
conversion, because it can be combusted to produce heat/energy.
 Alternatively, if it is released to the atmosphere without being
combusted, it contributes to the greenhouse gas effect.
CONT.
CONT.
(iii) . Conversion under photosynthetic conditions:

 Photosynthetic organisms use carbon dioxide as a carbon source,

inorganic nutrients as sources of phosphate and nitrogen and utilize
light energy to drive the conversion process.
 The growth yield is the weight of micro-organisms produced per
unit weight of organic substances consumed by the micro-
organisms. The growth yield depends on the type of substrate
and environmental conditions.
 The smaller the value of the growth yield the better it is for waste
treatment, because less sludge is produced which requires
disposal.
 Its value is usually between 0.2 and 0.5 for aerobic conversion,
while the corresponding value for anaerobic conversion is
Microbial Growth Kinetics
 Microbial growth kinetics :relationships between the specific growth
rate of microbes and its substrate concentration.
 Prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria organisms reproduce mainly
by binary fission(i.e., each cell gives two daughter cells).
 It can grow as batch cultures or as continuous cultures .
1. Batch Cultures(closed systems)
 After inoculation the growth rate of the cells gradually increases.
 The cells grow at a constant, maximum, rate and this period is
known as the log or exponential, phase’.
 The microorganisms are cultivated in liquid medium ,they usually
are grown in a Batch Cultures(closed systems)
 The growth of microorganism can be plotted as the logarithm of the
number of viable cells versus the incubation time .the resulting
curve has distinct phases.
CONT.
a). Lag Phase
 Bacteria are first introduced into
an environment or media culture.
 Bacteria are trying to adapt to
nutrients (adaption period )
 No increase cell number but
increase cell mass .
 The duration of the lag phase
depends on the cells prior history.
CONT.
b) Log (Exponential) Phase
 Cell mass and number increase exponentially.
 The growth follows a geometric progression

 Population number of cells undergoing binary fission doubles at a

constant interval called Generation time .
 Varies with the type of microorganism and growth conditions or
Continue as long as cells have adequate nutrients & good
CONT.
c) Stationary Phase
 The cell population reaches the stationary phase because
microorganisms cannot grow indefinitely, mainly because of :
- Substrate limitation: (nutrient limitation ,Limited
oxygen availability etc.. )
- Produce toxic :(acid ,antibiotics etc..)
 In this stage microbial death is equal to microbial growth e-
g Death=growth.
d) Death Phase
 Death; loss of ability to reproduce.
 Cell death may be accompanied by cell lysis.
 Decline in the number of viable cells.
 cells dying, usually at exponential rate.
CONT.
2. Continuous Culture
Continuous culture is to keep a culture growing indefinitely. This can be
done if:
 Fresh nutrients are continually supplied.
 Accumulated cells and waste products are removed at the same rate.
 The most commonly used device is the chemostat. which is
essentially a complete mix bioreactor without recycle.
 Conditions such as temperature , pH the flow rate of growth-limiting
substrate, environmental parameters such as oxygen level are kept
at their optimum values.
 A chemostat has a fixed volume and flow rate, and thus a
fixed dilution rate.
 In addition to the features shown, the culture vessel would
probably be fitted with temperature and pH probes for monitoring
growth conditions.
CONT.  Nutrient limited self balanced culture
 Growth rate less than dilution rate
– washout
 Decrease cell number –increase
limited nutrient
 Steady state: cell density and substrate
concentration do not change over the
time.
 Low yield at low dilution rate.
 The higher the dilution rate, the faster
the organisms are allowed to grow.
Above a given dilution rate the cells will
Figure . Chemostat for not be able to grow any faster and the
continuous culture of culture will be washed out of the reactor.
microorganisms.
CONT.
 The dilution rate D, the reciprocal of the hydraulic retention time t,
is given by:
D=𝑸𝑽=𝟏 𝒕
Where D - dilution rate (time-1)
V - reactor volume (L)
Q - flow rate of substrate S (L/time),
and t – time
In continuous flow reactors, microbial growth
is described
𝑑𝑋
by
𝑑𝑡
= μX − DX = X(μ − D)

𝑥 𝑡 =𝑥 𝑜 𝑒 (𝜇 − 𝐷 )𝑡
 During chemostat cultivation, equilibrium is established (steady
state) at which the growth rate of the cells equals the dilution
3. Other Kinetic
 Three important parameters in microbial growth kinetics:
Parameters
a) yield (Y),
b) specific growth rate (μ), and
c) specific substrate uptake rate (q).
 A more simplified equation showing the relationship between
the three parameters is the following:
μ = Yq
Where μ - specific growth rate (time-1),
Y - growth yield (mg cells formed per mg of substrate removed),
and
q – specific substrate uptake rate (mg/L/day).
CONT.
1. Growth Yield
 It reflects the efficiency of conversion of substrate to cell material.
 The yield coefficient Y is obtained as;
𝑿−𝑿𝑶
Y=
𝑺𝑶−𝑺
Where So and S -initial and final substrate concentrations,
respectively (mg/L or mol/L),
Xo and X - initial and final microbial concentrations,
respectively Factors influence the growth yield:
 type of microorganisms, growth medium, substrate
concentration, terminal electron acceptor, pH, and incubation
temperature.
 Yield coefficients for several bacterial species are within the range
0.4 – 0.6.
 For a pure microbial culture growing on a single substrate,
CONT.
 The growth yield Y must be corrected for the amount of cell
decay occurring during the declining phase of growth. This
correction will give the true growth yield coefficient, which is
lower than the measured yield.
μ = Yq − kd
Where kd is the endogenous decay coefficient (day-1)
ii. Specific Substrate Uptake Rate (q)
 Where q (time-1) is given by the Monod’s equation
[𝑠
q=𝑞 ]
𝑚 𝑎 𝑥 𝑘 [𝑠]
𝑠−
CONT.
iii. Specific Growth Rate μ
Where μ (day-1) is given by Monod’s equation:
[𝒔]
μ=𝝁
𝒎𝒂𝒙 𝒌
𝒔−[𝒔]
 The in situ specific growth rate of bacteria in wastewater was
measured using the labeled thymidine growth assay.
 In an aerobic tank, the specific growth rate μ was 0.5 d-1
(doubling time td = 1.4d) whereas in an anaerobic tank μ was
equal to 0.2 d-1 (td = 3.9d) .
 In waste treatment, the reciprocal of μ is the biological solid
retention time θc, that is
μ= 𝟏 Thus, 𝟏 =𝒀
θc θc 𝒒−𝑲𝒅
4. Physical and Chemical Factors Affecting Microbial
Growth
i. Substrate Concentration
 The relationship between the specific growth rate μ and
substrate concentration S is given by the Monod’s equation.
[𝑠]
μ=𝜇
𝑚 𝑎 𝑥 𝑘 [𝑠]
𝑠−

Where μmax - maximum specific growth rate (h-1)

S - substrate concentration (mg/L),
Ks - half-saturation constant (mg/L).
Ks is the substrate concentration at which the
specific growth rate is
equal to 𝜇 𝑚 𝑎 𝑥 /2.
Ks represents the affinity of the microorganism for the substrate. 𝜇 𝑚 𝑎 𝑥
and Ks are influenced by temperature, type of carbon source, and
other factors. Monod’s equation can be linearized using the Line
CONT.
𝟏
𝟏 𝒌𝒔 +
μ =𝝁 𝒔
𝝁𝒎𝒂𝒙
𝒎𝒂𝒙
 Ks values for individual chemicals found in wastewater are between
0.1 and 1.0 mg/L

Figure: Relationship between the

specific growth rate μ and substrate
concentration S
(A) Monod’s saturation curve;
(B) (B) Lineweaver–Burke plot
CONT.
ii. Temperature
 Its important factors affecting microbial growth and survival.
 Microbial growth can occur at temperatures varying from
below freezing to more than 100°c.
 Based on the optimum temperature for growth, microorganisms are
classified as mesophiles, psychrophiles,thermophiles, or extreme
thermophiles.
 Microbial growth rate is related to temperature by the
Arrhenius equation:

μ = 𝐴𝑒 −𝐸/𝑅𝑇

Where A - constant,
E - activation energy (kcal/mole),
R - gas constant, and T - absolute temperature (K)
 CONT
i.ii. pH
 Biological treatment of wastewater occurs generally at neutral pH.
 Fungi prefer acidic environments with a pH of 5 or lower.
Cyanobacteria grow optimally at pH higher than 7.
 pH affects the activity of microbial enzymes. It affects the ionization
of chemicals and thus plays a role in the transport of nutrients and
toxic chemicals into the cell.
iv. Oxygen Level
 Microorganisms can grow in the presence or in the absence of
oxygen.
 There are divided into strict aerobes, facultative anaerobes, and
strict
anaerobes.
 Aerobic microorganisms use oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor
in respiration. Anaerobic counterparts use other electron acceptors
such as sulfate, nitrate, or CO2. micro-aerophilic and require low
Biological Wastewater Treatment
Purpose:
 In other words, the purpose of biological treatment is BOD reduction.
Principle:
 The wastewater exiting the system is then much clearer than
it entered.
 A key factor is the operation of any biological system is an adequate
supply of oxygen. Indeed, cells need not only organic material as food
but also oxygen to breath, just like humans.
 Without an adequate supply of oxygen, the biological degradation of
the waste is slowed down, there by requiring a longer residency time
of the wastewater in the system.
 For a given flow rate of wastewater to be treated, this translates into a
system with a larger volume and thus taking more space.
Types of Biological Process for Wastewater Treatment
The common methods of biological wastewater treatment are:
a)Aerobic processes such as trickling filters, Rotating Biological
Contactors, Activated Sludge Process, Oxidation Ponds and
Lagoons, Oxidation Ditches,
b) Anaerobic Processes Such As Anaerobic Digestion, and
C) Anoxic Processes Such As Denitrification.
Trickling Filters
 Also known as percolating filters or sprinkling filters.
 It is the most common attached growth process.
 Consist of tanks of coarser filtering media, over which the sewage is
allowed to sprinkle or trickle down, by means of spray nozzles or
rotary distributors.
 The trickling filter is like a circular well having depth up to2- 3meter
filled with granular media like stone, plastic sheets and redwood,
slag, slate.
 The percolating sewage is collected at the bottom of the tank
through a well designed under-drainage system.
 The effluent obtained from the filter must be taken to the secondary
sedimentation tank for settling out the organic matter oxidized
while passing down the filter.
CONT
.

Figure :Photographic view of

rotary distributors.
CONT
.
Construction and Operation of Trickling
Filters
Construction: It consist of mainly four
parts: 1.water tight holding tank.
2.Distribution system.
3.Filter media.
4.Underdrainage
system.

 Under drainage system ensuring satisfactory ventilation and

aeration of the filter bed.
CONT.
 Trickling filter tanks are generally constructed above the ground.
 They may either be rectangular or more generally circular.
 Rectangular filters are provided with a network of pipes having
fixed nozzles which spray the incoming sewage in to the air which
then falls over the bed of the filter, under gravity.
 The circular filter tanks on the other hand, are provided with
rotary distributors having a number of distributing arms
(generally four arms are used.
 These distributors rotate around a central support either by an
electric motor, or more generally by the force of reaction on
the sprays.
 The rate of revolutions varies from 2RPM for small
distributors to
less than 1/2 RPM for large distributors.
CONT.
 The distributing arms should remain about 15 to 20cm above
the top surface of the filtering media in the tank.
Figure :Typical section of a
conventional circular trickling
filter

Figure :Photographic view of a

conventional circular trickling
filter with rotary distributors
CONT.
 There is an important difference between the action of rotary
distributors and that of spray nozzles.
• With a rotary distributor, the application of sewage to the filter is
practically continuous;
• whereas with spray nozzles, the filter is dosed for 3 to 5
minutes,
and then rested for 5 to 10 minutes before the next application.
 The size of the material used may vary between 25 to 75mm.
 The quality of the stone used should be such as not to be easily
affected by acidic sewage, and should be sufficiently hard.
 The depth of the filtering media may vary between 2 to 3
meters.
 The filtering material may be placed in layers; with coarsest
stone
used near the bottom, and finer material towards the top.
CONT.
 Sometimes, forced ventilation, by forcing the air vertically upwards
through the filter by the use of fans or other mechanical
equipment, may be used; but it has not been found to increase the
capacity of well-constructed trickling filters.
 The flow in this channel has characteristics similar to the flow in a
wash-water trough of a rapid sand filter used in water supplies. The
slope of the channel should be sufficient to ensure a flow velocity
of about 0.9 m/sec.
Types of Trickling Filters
Trickling filters can be broadly classified into:
(1)Conventional trickling filters or standard rate or low rate trickling
filters
(2) High rate filters or High rate trickling filters
Design of Trickling Filters
 The design of the trickling filter primarily involves the design of
the diameter of the circular filter tank and its depth.
 The design of the rotary distributors and under-drainage
system is also involved in the filter design.
This loading on a filter can be expressed in two ways:
1. Hydraulic-loading Rate
 Expressed in million liters per hectare per day or
 By the quantity of sewage applied per unit of surface area of the
filter
per day.
The value of hydraulic loading
 For conventional filters may vary between 22 and 44(normally
28) M.L/ha/day
 For high rate trickling filters 110 to 330 (normally 220)
CONT.
2. Organic Loading Rate
 Expressed By the mass of BOD per unit volume of the filtering media
per day or in kg of BOD5 per hectare meter of the filter media per
day.
The value of organic loading
 For conventional filters may vary between 900 to 2200 kg of
BOD5 per ha-m.
 High rate trickling filters 6000 - 18000 kg of BOD5 per ha-m A

Conventional Filters and Their efficiencies

 The effluent obtained from a conventional trickling filter plant
is highly nitrified and stabilized.
 The BOD is reduced to about 80 to 90% of the original value.
 The BOD left in the effluent is generally less than 20ppm or so.
 The sludge obtained in the secondary clarifier is thick, with
moisture content of about 92%. It is heavy and easily digestible.
CONT.
 Very useful to medium towns and industrial cities requiring full
treatment of sewage.
 The efficiency of such a conventional filter plant can be
expressed by the equation evolved by National Research Council
of U.S.A., and given by:
𝟏𝟎𝟎
η=
𝟏+𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 𝒖
Where, η = Efficiency of the filter and its secondary clarifier,
in terms of percentage of applied BOD removed
u = Organic loading in kg/ha-m/day applied to the filter (called
unit organic loading)
 This equation shows that the BOD removed by the filter plant
depends upon the organic loading adopted.
Recirculation of Treated Sewage
 An essential and important feature of high rate filters.
 Consists in returning a portion of the treated or partly
treated sewage to the treatment process.

Figure: Single Stage commonly adopted Recirculation

Process
CONT.
 To obtain better efficiency, two stage recirculation processes may be
adopted.

Figure: Two stage commonly adopted recirculation process

CONT
.Recirculation results improves the operating of filters, because of
the following reasons:
 Recirculation allows continuous dosing of the filters, irrespective
of the fluctuations in flow.
 Recirculation equalizes and reduces loading, thereby increasing the
efficiency of the filter.
 Recirculation provides longer contact of the applied sewage with
the bacterial film on the contact media, thereby seeding it with
bacteria, and accelerating the biological oxidation process.
 The influent remains fresh all the time and also helps in
reducing odors. The fly nuisance is also comparatively less.
 CONT.
Efficiency of High Rate Filters
 Depend upon the volume of the re-circulated flow and also upon the
organic loading.
𝑹
 Recirculation ratio=
𝑰
where (R) =volume of sewage re-circulated
(I)=the volume of raw sewage
 The recirculation ratio is connected to another term
called recirculation factor (F) by the relation:
𝟏+𝑹𝑰
F= 𝑹
(𝟏+𝟎.𝟏+ 𝑰 )²
 The recirculation factor (F) also represents the number of
effective passages through the filter.
 Thus, when there is no recirculation and 𝑅𝐼 is zero, F is unity.
CONT.
 The efficiency of the single stage high rate trickling filter can
then be worked out by using the equation,
𝟏𝟎𝟎
η=
𝒀
𝟏+𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 𝑽∗𝑭

 Where, Y - the total organic loading in kg/day applied to the

filter, 𝑌
i.e. the total BOD in kg. The is also called unit organic
𝑉∗
term loading on filter, i.e., u 𝐹

V - Filter volume in hectare

meters F - Recirculation factor
CONT.
 In a two stage filter, the efficiency achieved in the first stage will be
obtained by the previous equation; and in the second stage, it is
obtained as:
Final efficiency in the two stage filter
𝟏𝟎𝟎
η´=
𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 𝒀
𝟏+ 𝟏−η 𝑽´∗𝑭´
´
Where, Y' - Total BOD in effluent from first stage in kg/day
V' - Volume of second stage filter in ha-m
F' - Recirculation factor for the second stage filter
η´ - Final efficiency obtained after two stage filtration
These equations are very important, as they form the basis of designing
high rate filters.
Example's
1. Determine the size of high rate trickling filter for the following data:
I. Sewage flow = 4.5Mld
II. Recirculation ratio =1.5 ;
III. BOD of raw sewage =250mg/l
IV. BOD remove in primary tank =30%
V. Final effluent BOD desired =30mg/l
Solution
Quantity of sewage flowing into the filter per day
= 4.5 ∗ 106 𝑙/𝑑𝑎𝑦
BOD concentration in raw sewage = 250mg/l
Total BOD present in raw sewage
= 4.5 ∗ 106 ∗
250mg/l = 1125kg
CONT.
BOD removed in primary tank = 30%
BOD left in the sewage entering per day in the filter unit
= 1125 ∗ 0.7 = 787.5kg
BOD concentration desired in final effluent = 30mg/l
Total BOD left in the effluent per day
= 4.5 ∗ 30 kg
= 135 kg
BOD removed by the filter
= 787.5 − 135 = 652.5kg
Efficiency of the
BODfilter
removed ∗ 100 = 652.5∗ 100 = 82.85%
= 787.5
Total BOD
Using equation ,

100
(%) =
𝑌
1 + 0.0044
𝑉∗𝐹
CONT.
Where, = 82.85%
Y = Total BOD in kg = 787.5kg

1+R
F= I 2
R
1 + 0.1 ∗ I
Here,RI = 1.5 (given)

1+R 1 + 1.5
= 𝟏. 𝟖𝟗
F= I 2=
R 1 + 0.1 ∗ 1.5 2

1 + 0.1 ∗ I
100
82.85 =
787.5
1 + 0.0044 𝑉 ∗ 1.89
𝐕 = 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟎𝐦³
CONT.
Assuming the depth of the filter as 1.5m,
The surface area required
2000
= = 1333.3m2
1.5
Diameter of the circular filter
required
4
= 1333.3 = 41.2 m
π
∗
Hence, use a high rate trickling filter with 41.2m diameter, 1.5m deep
filter media, and with recirculation (single stage) ratio of 1.5.
CONT.
2. A single stage filter is to treat a flow of 3.79*106 l/d of raw sewage with
BOD of240mg/l. It is to be designed for a loading of 11086kg of BOD in raw
sewage per hectare meter, and the recirculation ratio is to be 1. What will be
the strength of the effluent, according to the recommendations of the National
Research Council of USA.
Solution
Total BOD present in raw sewage
= 3.79 ∗ 106l ∗ 240mg/l = 909.6kg
Filter volume required
Total BOD in raw sewage in kg 909.6
= = 0.082 ha − m
Given BOD loading rate of 11,086 kg/ha − m 11,086
Assuming that 35% of BOD is removed in primary clarifier,
The amount of BOD applied to the filter
= 0.65 ∗ 909.6kg = 591.24kg
CONT.
Using equation ,

100
=
𝑌
1 + 0.0044
𝑉∗𝐹
where Y = Total BOD applied to the filter in kg = 591.24kg
V = Vol. of the filter in ha-m = 0.082ha-m

1+R
F= I 2
R
1 + 0.1 ∗ I
Where, RI = 1

1+R 1+1
= 1.65
F= I 2 =
R 1 + 0.1 ∗ 1 2

1 + 0.1 ∗ I
CONT.

100
= = 77.45%
591.24
1 +
0.082 ∗ 1.65
0.0044
The amount of BOD left in the effluent
= 591.24 ∗ (1 − 0.7745]kg
= 133.32kg
BOD concentration in the effluent
Total BOD 133.32 ∗
106 mg/l = 35.18mg/l
=
=
Sewage flow
3.79 ∗ 106
CONT.
3. ( a).Design suitable dimensions of circular trickling filter units
for treating 5 million liters of sewage per day. The BOD of sewage
is 150mg/l.
(b). Also design suitable dimensions for its rotary distribution
system, as well as the underdrainage system.
CONT.
▶ Check for Hydraulic loading
The surface area of the filter bed required can also be worked out by assuming the value of
hydraulic loading, say as, 25 million liters per hectare per day (between 22 to
44ML/ha/day)
Exercise
1. Determine the size of high rate trickling filter for the following data:
I. Sewage flow = 4.5Mld
II. Recirculation ratio =1.4 ;
III. BOD of raw sewage =250mg/l
IV. BOD remove in primary, tank =25%
V. Final effluent BOD desired =50mg/l
2.The sewage is flowing @ 4.5Million liters per day from a primary
clarifier to a standard rate trickling filter. The 5-day BOD of the influent
is 160mg/l. The value of the adopted organic loading is to be 160
gm/m3/day, and surface loading 2000 l/m2/day. Determine the volume of
the filter and its depth. Also calculate the efficiency of this filter unit.
3. Read Other Miscellaneous Type of Filters.
 Secondary Sedimentation
 Does remove only a very small percentage of the finely
divided suspended organic matter present in sewage.
 The effluent of the filter is, therefore, passed through a
sedimentation tank, called Secondary clarifier or Secondary
settling tank or Humus tank.
 A secondary clarifier used for settling the effluents from the filters
is similar to a primary settling tank, with a detention period of 1.5
to 2 hours, and over-flow rate ranging between 40,000 to 70,000
liters per sq. m. of plan area per day.
 They are circular tanks with deep conical hoppers, with diameter
as well as height ranging between 7.5 to 9m.
Example
1. Design percolating filters with conical humus tanks for treating 7 million
liters of sewage per day.
Solution
 We will design
conventional
trickling filters, with
a hydraulic
7
loading,
= 28 ha = 2500m
▶ 28Ml/ha/day [i.e. 222
to 44 ▶
▶ Surface Area of the
Using two equal sized circular tanks, we have the diameter of each tank
filter bed required
2500 4
▶ = 2
∗ π = 39.9m ≈ 40m

▶ Hence, use two trickling filters, each of 40m diameter. A third extra unit as
stand-by unit may also be provided. The depth of the filter provided may be
kept 2m or so.
 CONT.
Design of Conical Humus Tank
 Assuming the detention period as 1.5 hours, the capacity of the tank required
7
= ∗ 1.5 ∗ 106 l = 0.437106 l = 437cu.
m 24
 The volume of each conical tank, such as shown in Fig. .
9.26, is given by
1 𝜋𝑑 2
𝑉= ∗ ∗ 𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ
3 4
Using 4 Nos. with 7.5m depth of each tank, we have the total surface area required for all 4
tanks 437
= = 58.27m2
7.5
Diameter of' each tank (d) is given by
1 𝜋𝑑 2 58.27
∗ 4 4
3
d = 7.46m ≈ 7.5 m
▶ Hence, use 4 tanks with diameter 7.5m and height also as 7.5m. One additional tank as
stand- by unit may also be provided; thus, using 5 tanks in all.
Activated Sludge Process
 An excellent method of treating either raw sewage or the
settled sewage.
 It is the most common Suspended Growth process.
 BOD removal is up to 80 - 95 percent and bacteria removal is
up to 90
- 95 percent.

 An aeration tank where the micro-organisms and the sewage are

intimately mixed together with a large quantity of air for about 4 to
8 hours.
 The settled sludge containing micro organisms called activated
 CONT
 .AS is then recycled to the head of the aeration tank to be
mixed again with the sewage being treated(return sludge) .
Under these conditions:
 The moving organisms will oxidize the organic matter and The
suspended and colloidal matter tends to coagulate and form a
precipitate which settles down readily in the secondary settling
tank.
 The sewage effluent from primary sedimentation tank, which is, thus
normally utilized in this process is mixed with 20 to 30 percent of
own volume of activated sludge which contains a large
concentration of highly active aerobic micro-organisms.
 The mixture of wastewater and activated sludge in the aeration
basis is called mixed liquor. The microbiological suspension
(biomass) in the aeration tank of an activated sludge biological
waste water treatment plant in the mixed liquor is called the mixed
liquor suspended solids (MLSS) or mixed liquor volatile suspended
solids (MLVSS).
 CONT.
The MLSS consists : -
 microorganisms,
 non-biodegradable suspended organic matter, and
 other inert suspended matter.
 The microorganisms in MLSS are composed of 70 to 90
percent organic and 10 to 30 percent inorganic matter.
For the Determination of MLSS materials used:
Procedures for The Determination of MLSS&MLVSS
1. Set temperature of incubator 105°c
2. Weight the blank filter paper (w1)
3. Filter 100ml of sample (v)in ml
4. Take filter paper after filter the sample &put in the incubator 105°c
for 1hr
5. Let the dried filter for 15 at dessicator
6. Weight the filter+ solid residue paper after cooling (w2)
𝑊2−𝑊1
MLSS=
𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒

7. W2 further ignited in muffle furnace 600°c for 15 min

8.Taken out from muffle furnace put at dessicator for cooling
and weight (W3)
MLFSS=W𝑆 𝑎 𝑚𝑊3−𝑊1
𝑝𝑙𝑒 ,MLVSS=MLSS-MLFSS
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
CONT.
CONT
.In this process, a rather close degree of control is necessary in
operation
to ensure that:
 An ample supply of oxygen is present.
 There is intimate and continuous mixing of the sewage and the
activated sludge.
 The ratio of the volume of activated sludge added to the volume
of sewage being treated is kept practically constant.
Various Operations and Units of an Activated Sludge Plant
1. Primary Treatment
 The pre removal of settleable solids is helpful in
preventing deposition on aeration devices and thereby not
reducing their efficiencies .
 Moreover such material ,if not pre removed ,may settle down in
the aeration tank and by decomposition interface with the
treatment process.
 Accordingly ,grit removal ,screening, and primary sedimentation
are
considered necessarily for a conventional activated sludge .
CONT.
 2. Aeration Tanks of an Activated Sludge Plant
 Normally rectangular tanks 3 to 4.5m deep and about 4 to 6m wide.
 The length may range between 20 to 200m and the detention period
between 4 to 8 hours for municipal sewages.
 Air is continuously introduced into these tanks.
Methods of Aeration: There are two basic methods of introducing air
into the aeration tanks,
(1) Diffused air aeration or Air diffusion
(2) Mechanical aeration
Sometimes, a combination of both may also be used which may then be
called as combined aeration.
(1) Diffused air aeration or Air diffusion
 Compressed air under a pressure of 35 to 70kN/m2 (0.35 to
0.7kg/cm2) is introduced into the aeration chamber through diffusion
plates or other devices are called diffusers.
CONT
 The main criteria for selection of a particular diffuser are that it
. should be capable of diffusing air in small bubbles, so as to provide
the greatest possible efficiency of aeration.
 Porous plates and porous tubes made of quartz or crystalline alumina.
Plates are generally square in shape with dimensions of 30cm x

30cm and they are usually 25mm thick.

 These plates are fixed at the bottom of aeration tanks.
 Tube diffusers are generally 60cm long with internal diameter of
75mm and thickness of wall equal to 15mm.
 These tubes are suspended in the aeration tank, and can be taken
out for cleaning, without emptying the tank. The effective areas for
the above standard plate and tube diffusers work out to 780cm2 and
1160cm2, respectively.
 On an average, it may be assumed that about 4000 to 8000m3 of
free
air will be required per million liters of sewage being treated.
Types of aeration tanks
Two types of aeration tanks are generally used.
1. Ridges and Furrows
 Air is forced upward through diffuser plates placed at the bottom of
the furrows.
 CONT.
2. Spiral Flow
 The compressed air, in such a tank, can be supplied either through a
plate diffuser or a tube diffuser,
 Tube diffusers are most widely used.
 This type of tank requires small quantity of compressed air at
low pressure.
 Spiral motion set up by the compressed air, released through the
tube diffusers, causes the required aeration
Volume of returned activated sludge
 The volume of returned activated sludge from secondary clarifier to
the aeration tank mainly depends upon the extent of BOD desired
to be removed.
 It is usually expressed as percentage of flow of sewage as
VRS = 𝑄𝑄𝑅 where QR is the returned sludge rate in m3/d and Q is
the
sewage inflow rate in m3/d.
Extent of BOD removal Quantity of returned sludge as
desired in ppm percentage of sewage flow

150 25

250 30

400 35

300 40

500 48

600 53

variation with the extent of BOD removal

CONT.
(2) Mechanical Aeration/surface aerators
 The sewage is stirred up by means of mechanical devices, like
paddles, etc.
 Mechanical devices used to introduce air into it from the atmosphere
by continuously changing the surface of sewage by the circulation of
sewage from bottom to top.
 The only important requirement in this method is to have thorough
agitation of sewage, so as to bring it in intimate contact with the
atmosphere.
 The aeration period 6 to 8 hours depends on the mechanical process
adopted for agitation.
 volume of returned activated sludge 25 to 30 percent of the flow of
sewage.
CONT
. (3) Combined Aeration/'Dorroco aerator
 The diffused-air aeration as well as the mechanical aeration
is combined together in a single unit.
 The aeration of sewage is achieved by diffusing air through
bottom
diffuser plates, as well as by rotating paddles @ 10 to 12rpm
 Detention period is smaller (3 to 4 hours), and requires less
amount of compressed air as compared to the diffused-air
aeration.
3. Secondary Sedimentation Tank of an Activated Sludge Plant
Good design should provide a,
 weir overflow rate, not, exceeding 150m3/day per lineal meter of weir.
 The solids loading rate based on mixed liquor flow to the settling tanks, may
be kept at about 100-150 kg/m2 per day at average flow, and should not
exceed 250 kg/m2 per day at peak flows.
 The surface area for activated sludge settling tanks should be designed for
both overflow rate and solids loading rate, and larger value adopted.
1
 The detention period for such a sedimentation tank 1 2 − 2 hours, as
the
same is usually found to give optimum results.
 The depth may be kept in the range of 3.5 to 4.5m.
 The length to depth ratio of these tanks (5 for circular, & 7 for rectangular )
 Since final settling is always required in an activated sludge plant, so
as to provide the return activated sludge, duplicate secondary settling
tanks are generally considered necessary.
4. Sludge Thickener and Sludge Digestion Tank of an Activated Sludge Plant.

 The sludge obtained in a sludge digestion plant contains too much of

moisture (98% to 99%), and is therefore very bulky.
 To reduced its moisture content by first sending it to a
sludge
thickner unit, also called a sludge concentrator unit.
The thickening of sludge can be carried out in three types of thickening
units:
(i) Gravity Thickners
(ii) Floatation Thickners Read the difference between
them.
(iii)Centrifugal Thickners
CONT.
using a sludge thickner before the digestion tank,
 helps in reducing the capacity of the digestion tank and by
proper control of digestion conditions,
 lower detention periods are used,
 which further reduce their capacities, and
 the rate of digestion is also made high.
 Such a digestion, which is used in modern large sized plants, is called
high rate digestion.

 It may also be pointed out that in an activated sludge treatment

plant, special provision must be made for removing the activated
sludge quickly from the secondary settling tank (and for resending
it to the head of the aerator), so as to prevent it from becoming
Design considerations involved in an activated sludge plant
1. Aeration Tank Loadings
The important terms which define the loading rates of an activated
sludge plant, include:
(i) Aeration Period (i.e. Hydraulic Retention Time - HRT)
(ii) BOD loading per unit volume of aeration tank (i.e. volumetric
loading)
(iii) Food to Micro-organism Ratio (F/M Ratio)
(iv) Sludge age
(i) The Aeration Period or HRT
 The aeration period (t) empirically decides the loading rate at
which the sewage is applied to the aeration tank.
Volume of the tank
Detention period =
Rate of sewage flow in the tank

𝑽 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝟑 𝐕
𝑡= 𝐭= ∗ 𝟐𝟒 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫
𝒎𝟑 𝐐
𝑸 𝒊𝒏
CONT.
CONT
.Where, t = aeration period in hours
V = Volume of aeration tank
Q = Quantity of wastewater flow into the aeration tank, excluding the
quantity of recycled sludge.
ii. Volumetric BOD Loading/ organic loading
 Which is defined as the BOD51oad applied per unit volume
of
aeration tank..
Volumetric BOD loading or Organic loading
=
Mass of BOD applied perVolume
day toof the
the aeration
aeration tank
tank in m3 influent sewage in gm
through

Q ∗ Yo (gm)
=
V (m3)
CONT
.Where, Q = Sewage flow into the aeration tank in m3
Yo = BOD5 in mg/l (or gm/m3) of the influent sewage
V = Aeration tank volume in m3
This loading is quite similar to the BOD loading rate per cum of filter volume,
as used and adopted in biological filtration.
iii. Food (F) to Micro-organisms (M) Ratio
 F/M ratio is an important rational organic loading rate, adopted for an
activated sludge process. It is a manner of expressing BOD loading with
regard to the microbial mass in the system. The BOD load applied to the
system in kg or gm is represented as food (F), and the total microbial
suspended solid in the mixed liquor of the aeration tank is represented by M.

Daily BOD load applied to the aerator system in gm

F/M ratio =
Total microbial mass in the system in gm
CONT
. IfYo (mg/l) represents the 5 day BOD of the influent sewage flow
of Q m3/day, then eventually,
 The BOD applied to the Aeration system = Yo mg/l or gm/m3

Therefore, BOD load applied to the aeration system

= F = Q ∗ Yo gm/day (i)
The total microbial mass in the aeration system (M) is computed by multiplying
the average concentration of solids in the mixed liquor of the aeration tank,
called Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS), with the volume of the
aeration tank (V).
M = MLSS ∗ V
= X t ∗ V (ii)
Where, Xt is MLSS in mg/l
Dividing (i) by (ii), we get
F F
▶ ratio = =Q
∗ Yo M M V Xt
CONT
. F/M ratio for an activated sludge plant is the main factor controlling
BOD removal.
 Lower the F/M value the higher will be the BOD removal in the plant.
The F/M ratio can be varied by varying the MLSS concentration in the
aeration tank.
Iv . Sludge Age
 An operation parameter related to the F/M ratio.
 It may be defined as the average time for which particles of suspended
solids remain under aeration.
 Indicates the residence time of biological solids in the system.
 May be as short as 3 to 30 hours , the residence time of biological
solids in the system is much greater, and is measured in days.
CONT.
 The resultant biological growths and the extracted waste organics
(solids) are repeatedly recycled from the secondary clarifier back to
the aeration tank, thereby increasing the retention time of solids. This
time is called Solids Retention Time (SRT) or Mean Cell Residence
Time (MCRT) or Sludge Age.
 The most common method of expressing sludge age,
Sludge age (c)

Mass of suspended solids (MLSS) in the system (M)

=
Mass of solids leaving the system per day
 For a conventional activated sludge plant, with the flow
(Q), concentrations of solids (Xt), and BOD5 (Y),
CONT
. e can easily write:
W
(a) Mass of solids in the reactor
= M = V ∗ (MLSS)
= V ∗ Xt
Where, Xt is MLSS in the aeration tank (in mg/l).
(b) mass of solids removed with the wasted sludge per day
= Q w ∗ XR . . . (i)
(ii) Mass of solids removed with the effluent per day
= Q − Qw ∗ XE . . .
(ii)
Therefore, (b) Total solid removed from the system per day
=a+b
= Q w ∗ XR + Q −
V ∗ Xt
Q
Sludge age w= θc = ∗ XE
Q w ∗ XR + Q − Qw ∗ XE
Now, Eq. can thus be represented as:
CONT
W
. here, Xr = Concentration of solids in the influent of the Aeration tank,
called the MLSS,
i.e. Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids, in mg/l.
V = Volume of Aerator
Qw = Volume of wasted sludge per day.
XR = Concentration of solids in the returned sludge or in the wasted
sludge (both being equal) in mg/l
Q = Sewage inflow per day
XE = Concentration of solids in the effluent in mg/l
When the value of XE (suspended solids concentration in the effluent of
activated sludge plant) is very small, then the term Q − Q w ∗ X E . In
previous equation can be ignored, leading to:
V ∗ Xt
𝜃𝐜 =
Q w ∗ XR
CONT
 another rational loading parameter which has found wider acceptance
.
is the specific substrate utilization rate (U) per day, and is defined as:

Yo − YE
U=Q∗( )
V ∗ Xt
 Under steady state operation, the mass of wasted activated sludge is
further given by :
Q w ∗ X R = α y ∗ Q Yo − YE − K e ∗ X t ∗ V
Where,αy = maximum yield coefficient
microbial mass synthesized
=
mass of substrate utilized
Ke = Endogenous respiration rate constant (per day)
CONT
.The values of αy and Ke are found to be constant for municipal waste
waters, their typical values being:
αy = 1.0 w.r.t TSS (i.e. MLSS);and
= 0.6 w.r.t VSS (i.e. MLVSS)
Ke = 0.06 (per day)
From the above equations, we can also work out as:
= 1 = αy U − K e
θc
Since both αyand Keare constants for a given
wastewater, it becomes
necessary to define either c or U.
2. Sludge Volume Index (SVI)
 used to indicate the physical state of the sludge produced in
a biological aeration system.
 It represents the degree of concentration of the sludge in the
system,
 SVI is defined as the volume of sludge occupied in ml by one gm. of
solids in the mixed liquor after settling for 30 minutes, and is
determined experimentally.
 The standard test which is performed in the laboratory to compute
SVI of an aeration system
1. Collection of one liter sample of mixed liquor from the aeration
tank from near its discharge end in a graduated cylinder.
2. This 1 liter sample of mixed liquor is allowed to settle for30
minutes and the settled sludge volume (Vob) in ml is recorded as to
represent sludge volume. This volume Vob in ml per liter of mixed
liquor will represent the quantity of sludge in the liquor in ml/l.
CONT
. The above sample of mixed liquor after remixing the settled solids is

further tested in the laboratory for MLSS by the standard procedure
adopted for measuring the suspended solids in sewage. Let this
concentration of suspended solids in the mixed liquor in mg/l be Xob.
 Then SVI is given by the equation
Vob Vob
= ml/mg
ml/l X ob
SVI = Vob
Xob
SVI = ∗ 1000ml/g
mg/lX ob
 The usual adopted range of SVI is between 50 - 150 ml/gm and
such a
value indicates good settling sludge.
CONT
. Note: When the given SVI value in ml/gm is divided by 103 * 103 (i.e.
106), we will get SVI value in l/mg. SVI value in l/mg will therefore
SV I 6
be
10
. SVI value in mg/l will, thus, be given by
.
106
SVI
Sludge Recycle and Rate of Return
 The MLSS concentration in the aeration tank is controlled by the
Sludge
sludge recirculation rate and the sludge settleability and thickening
in the secondary sedimentation tank.
 The relationship between sludge recirculation ratio QR/Q with Xt
(MLSS in tank) and XR (MLSS in returned or wasted sludge) is given
as:

 The settleability of sludge is determined by sludge volume

index (SVI), which is determined in the laboratory.
 If it is assumed that the sedimentation of suspended solids in the
laboratory is similar to that in the sedimentation tank, then
Wasting of Excess Sludge (Qw)
 Qw will be about 0.50 - 0.75kg per kg BOD removed for the
conventional sludge plants (having F/M ratio varying between
0.4 and 0.3).
 Excess sludge may be wasted either from the sludge return line
or directly from the aeration tank as mixed liquor.
Size and Volume of the Aeration Tank

αy ∗ Q(Yo − YE)θc
V ∗ Xt =
1 + K c ∗ θc
 It can be seen that economy in reactor volume can be achieved by
assuming a higher value of Xt. However, it is seldom taken to be
more than 5000 g/m3 (i.e. mg/L). A common range is between
1000 to 4000 g/m3 .
CONT.
Considerations which govern the upper limit are:
(i)initial and running cost of sludge recirculation system to maintain a
high value of MLSS;
(ii)limitations of oxygen transfer equipment to supply oxygen at
required rate in a small reactor volume;
(iii)increased solids loading on secondary clarifier which may
necessitate a larger surface area to meet limiting solid flux;
(iv)design criteria for the tank and minimum HRT (t) for the aeration
tank for stable operation under hydraulic surges.
 The width and depth of aeration channel for conventional
plants depend upon the type of aeration equipment used.
 The depth controls the aeration efficiency and usually ranges from
3 to 4.5m. The higher value of depth of 4.5m is found to be more
economical for plants of more than 50MLD capacity. Beyond 70
MLD, duplicate units are preferred
CONT
. The width controls the mixing and is usually kept between 5 to 10 m.
Width-depth ratio should be adjusted between 1.2 and 2.2. The
length should not be less than 30m and not ordinarily longer than
100m in a single section length before doubling back. The horizontal
velocity should be around 1.5 m/min. Excessive width may lead to
settlement of solids in the tank.
 The free-board in the tank is generally kept between 0.3- 0.5m.
 The inlet and outlet channels should be designed to maintain a
minimum velocity of 0.2m/s to avoid deposition of solids.
CONT
. xygen Requirement of the Aeration Tanks
O
Oxygen is required in the activated sludge process in the aeration tank
for oxidation of part of the influent organic matter, and also for
endogenous respiration of the micro-organisms in the system.
The total oxygen requirement may be computed by using the equation

O2 = Q(Yo − YE) − 1.42Q w ∗ XR gm/day

f
Where,
BOD 5 5 day BOD
f = = ≅ 𝟎.
BODu Ultimate BOD
𝟔𝟖
1.42 = oxygen demand of biomass in gm/gm
 The extra requirement of oxygen for nitrification is theoretically
found to be 4.56kg O2/kg NH3-N oxidized to NO3-N.
CONT
. The oxygen transfer capacity (N) under field conditions can be calculated
from the standard oxygen transfer capacity) (Ns) by the formula:

Ns ∗ Ds − DL 1.024 T− 20°c ∗
N =
α 9.17
Where, N = Oxygen transferred under field conditions in kg O2/kWh
Ns = Oxygen transfer capacity under standard conditions in kg O2/kWh
Ds = Dissolved oxygen-saturation value for sewage at operating
temperature
DL = Operation DO level in aeration tank, usually 1 to 2 mg/L
T = Temperature in degree c.
α = Correction factor for oxygen transfer for
sewage, usually 0.8 to
0.85
 The oxygen transfer capacities of surface aerators, and fine and coarse
CONT
. Tank Dimensions: Adopt aeration tank of depth 3m and width 4.5m.

 Rate of Air Supply Required: Assuming the air requirement of the
aeration tank to be 100m3 of air per kg of BOD removed, Air required
 Design of Secondary sedimentation Tank: Adopting a surface
loading rate of 20m3/day/m2 at average flow of 6300m3/day,
 Design of Sludge Drying Beds: In order to design sludge drying
beds, the quantity of excess wasted sludge will be calculated by using
the equation)as:
V ∗ Xt
θc =
Q w ∗ XR
Note: This secondary sludge volume of 280m3/d shall be taken to sludge
drying beds, along with the primary sludge.
Reading assignment
 Advantages and Disadvantages of an Activated Sludge Plant
 Activated Sludge Process Vs Trickling Filter Process and the
Choice of One
 Rotating biological contractors (Aerobic Attached Culture)

 A rotating biological contractor CRBC) is a cylindrical media

made of closely mounted thin flat circular plastic sheets or discs of
3 to 3.5m in diameter, 10mm thick, and placed at 30 to 40mm
spacing mounted on a common shaft.
 RBC is aerobic biological wastewater treatment system.
 The primary function of these bio-reactors is the reduction organic
matter.
CONT
.
 The RBC's are usually made in up to 8m length, and may be
placed in series or parallel in a specially constructed
tank(s), through which the wastewater is allowed to pass.
 The RBC's are kept immersed in wastewater by about 40%
of their
diameter.
 The RBC's are rotated around their central horizontal shaft, at a
speed of 1- 2rpm by means of power supplied to the shaft.
 Approximately 95% of the surface area is thus
alternately
immersed in the wastewater and then exposed to the atmosphere
Read performance
above the liquid. of RBC and how to know performance
of RBC ?
CONT.
RBC serves the following purposes:
(i) They provide media for buildup of attached microbial growth.
(ii) They bring the growth of microbes in contact with the wastewater.
(iii)They aerate the wastewater and the suspended microbial growth in
the wastewater tank.
 The sludge produced in the process contains about 95-98% moisture
and may amount to about 0.4kg per kg ofBOD5 applied
 The hydraulic loading rates may vary between 0.04 - 0.06m/day, and
organic loading rates between 0.05-0.06 kg BOD/m2 per day, based
upon the disc surface area.
 The solids settle well and clarifier surface overflow rates of about
33m3/m2 per day are reported to be satisfactory.
Example
1. An average operating data for conventional activated sludge treatment plant
is as follows:
(1) Wastewater flow = 35000m3/d
(2) Volume of aeration tank =10900m3
(3) Influent BOD= 250mg/l
(4) Effluent BOD= 20 mg/l
(5) Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) = 2500mg/l
(6) Effluent suspended solids =30 mg/l
(7) Waste sludge suspended solids= 9700mg/l
(8) Quantity of waste sludge = 220m3/d
Based on the information above data, determine:
(a) Aeration period (hrs)
(b) Food to microorganism ratio (F/M) (kg BOD per day/kg MLSS)
(c) Percentage efficiency of BOD removal
(d) Sludge age (days)
CONT
.Solution
Given values are symbolized as:
Q = 35000m3/d V = 10900m3
Yo = 250mg/l YE = 20 mg/l
Xt = 2500mg/l XE = 30 mg/l
XR = 9700mg/l Qw = 220m3/d
These values are now used to calculate the desired factors, as below:
(a) Aeration period (t) in hr is given by Eq. (9.41) as
V 10,900 Q
t = ∗ 24 = ∗ 24 = 7.47 h ≈ 7.5 h
35,000
CONT.

(a) F/M ratio F = Mass of BOD removed

35000 x 250
= Q ∗ Yo = 35000 ∗ 250 gm/day kg/day
1000
=

= 8750 kg/day
M = Mass 10900 ∗ 2500
= V ∗of
Xt MLSS
= 10900m3 ∗ 2500 gm/m3 = 1000 kg
= 27,
250kg
8750
F/M ratio = = 0.32 kg BOD per day/kg of MLSS
27,250
CONT
.
(a) Percentage efficiency of BOD removal
Incoming BOD – Outgoing BOD 250 − 20
= = ∗ 100% = 92%
Incoming BOD 250
(a) Sludge age in days (c) is given by Eq. (9.48) as:

V ∗ Xt
θc =
Q w ∗ XR + Q − Q w ∗ XE
27250 kg
=
m3
mg m3 m3 ∗ 30mg/l
220 d ∗ 9700 l + 35000 d − 220 d
= 𝟖. 𝟓𝟖
𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬
Exercise
2. Design a conventional activated sludge plant to treat
domestic sewage, given the following data :
Population=40,000
Average sewage flow=180 lpcd
BOD of sewage = 240mg/lit
BOD removed in primary clarifier = 25%
Overall BOD reduction = 80%
Based on the information above,
determine
a) Volume of aeration tank.
b) Aeration period or H.R.T.
c) Sludge Retention Time
d) Tank dimensions
CONT
.Solution
 Daily sewage flow (Q)= population * average sewage flow
=40000*180
=7200m3/day
 BOD of sewage coming to aeration
Yo=75% of BOD of sewage
=0.75*240
=180mg/l
 BOD left in effluent (YE)=(100-80)* BOD of sewage
= 20/100*240mg/l
=48mg/l
 BOD removal in ASP
=(180-48)=132mg/l
132
 Efficiency of ASP (η)=180 *100=74%
CONT
.From the table for efficiency 85-92% we use F/M ratio =0.4-
0.3&MLSS1500-3000for conventional plant .since efficiency required is
lowered side we can used moderate value for F/M and MLSS.
Therefore ,so let us adopt F/M=0.33,MLSS(Xt)=2000 mg/l
𝐹 𝑄 ∗𝑦 𝑜 7200∗180
= =0.33=
𝑀 𝑉∗𝑋𝑡 𝑉∗2000
V=1963.63m3
 HRT(t)
t=𝑉*24h=1963.63*24=6.54hr
𝑄 7200
 Sludge retention time (θc)
V ∗ Xt = α y ∗Q(Y o −Y E )θ c 1∗7200 180−48 ∗θ c
1+K c ∗θ c =1963.63*2000= 1+0.006∗θ c
1∗7200∗132
1+0.06θ c=( 1963.63∗2000
)θ c
1+0.06θc=0.242θc
θc=5.5 day (5-8day)
CONT
. Tank dimension ,adopting tank depth 3.5& width 4.5m.the total length

of the aeration channel required .
 V=L*W*D
1963.63=L*4.5*3.5
L=126M
 Provide a conventional channel with 3 aeration chamber of each of
42 m length .Total width of unit ,including 2 baffle each 0.25
thickness .
 Number of unit * width+ Number of baffle *thickness of baffles
= 3*4.5+2*0.25
=14m
 Provide 0.5m free board
Total depth =3.5+0.5=4m
 Providing 3 tank with overall dimension of aeration tank will be ,