
The sewage treatment process
- Taking the wastewater away. Whenever you flush the toilet or empty the sink, the wastewater goes down the drain and into a pipe, which takes it to a larger ...
- Screening the wastewater. First, we remove large objects that may block or damage equipment or pollute our rivers. ...
- Carrying out primary treatment. ...
- Secondary treatment. ...
Full Answer
What are the main steps in sewage treatment?
Jan 16, 2020 · The separate sewer system divides the media. Dirty water is fed into one sewer, surface water into another. Because of the low dirt load, the collected surface water is usually discharged into neighbouring waters (lakes or rivers). The wastewater and the combined sewer both end up at the treatment plant.
What are the primary stages of sewage treatment?
Primary Treatment As sewage enters a plant for treatment, it flows through a screen, which removes large floating objects such as rags and sticks that might clog pipes or damage equipment. After sewage has been screened, it passes into a grit chamber, where cinders, sand, and small stones settle to the bottom.
Where does your sewage go and how is it treated?
Jan 24, 2018 · Using bacteria to treat wastewater. A sewage treatment plant is a treatment system that uses naturally occurring bacteria to treat wastewater. The proves can be broken down into 4 key areas, all of which occur in an underground tank: 1. Settlement. When wastewater first arrives at the treatment plant it enters an initial settlement zone.
How expensive is sewage treatment?
The sewage treatment process 1. Taking the wastewater away. Whenever you flush the toilet or empty the sink, the wastewater goes down the drain and... 2. Screening the wastewater. First, we remove large objects that may block or damage equipment …

How does sewage treatment work?
Primary Treatment As sewage enters a plant for treatment, it flows through a screen, which removes large floating objects such as rags and sticks that might clog pipes or damage equipment. After sewage has been screened, it passes into a grit chamber, where cinders, sand, and small stones settle to the bottom.
What are the 3 stages of sewage treatment?
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process, aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment.Dec 6, 2018
What are the 4 steps of sewage treatment?
Treatment StepsStep 1: Screening and Pumping. ... Step 2: Grit Removal. ... Step 3: Primary Settling. ... Step 4: Aeration / Activated Sludge. ... Step 5: Secondary Settling. ... Step 8: Oxygen Uptake. ... Sludge Treatment.
What is the main treatment of sewage?
Primary treatment of sewage basically involves the physical removal of large and small particles, through filtration and sedimentation. This is done in many stages. Initially, floating debris is removed by sequential filtration and then the grit i.e. soil and small pebbles, is removed by sedimentation.
Why is chlorine used in sewage treatment?
Nearly every wastewater treatment facility uses chlorination to disinfect wastewater before the water is sent back out into the environment. The primary goal of chlorination is to disinfect the wastewater and remove any harmful pathogens that are present in the water.Jul 26, 2021
Why is wastewater treated with chlorine or UV light?
This includes new plants as well as existing ones that have converted from chlorine. UV is the most effective, safe and environmentally friendly way to disinfect wastewater. Unlike chemical approaches to water disinfection, UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process.Sep 1, 2020
What are the 7 steps in wastewater treatment?
The Wastewater Treatment ProcessStage One — Bar Screening. ... Stage Two — Screening. ... Stage Three — Primary Clarifier. ... Stage Four — Aeration. ... Stage Five — Secondary Clarifier. ... Stage Six — Chlorination (Disinfection) ... Stage Seven — Water Analysis & Testing. ... Stage Eight — Effluent Disposal.Mar 5, 2021
What happens in screening and grit removal?
The wastewater passes through a screen to remove rags and large debris. The screening system washes and dewaters the debris before discharging it into a garbage can.
Which bacteria is used in aeration tank?
With a normal influent load of pollutants, the dissolved oxygen content in the aerated section of most plants should be kept between 3 and 5 MG/L. Anaerobic bacteria are normally used in an anaerobic digester to reduce the volume of sludge to be disposed of and to produce methane gas.Jun 14, 2012
What is the last step of the sewage treatment process?
The last step of primary treatment involves sedimentation, which causes the physical settling of matter. Sedimentation often uses chemicals like flocculants and coagulants.Sep 30, 2014
Why is sewage treatment necessary?
So, when sewage is discharged untreated into rivers or seas, it becomes dangerous for aquatic plants and animals. Therefore, it is necessary to treat sewage before disposing it off in a water body as it can cause harm to human and aquatic life.Mar 1, 2019
What are the 3 stages of sewage treatment PDF?
Wastewater is treated in 3 phases: primary (solid removal), secondary (bacterial decomposition), and tertiary (extra filtration).Jan 3, 2021
What is sewage treatment plant?
A sewage treatment plant is designed for treating the wastewater which is generated from Houses, Commercial Building, Colony, Apartments, or Industries. The major focus of treatment is on to removes contaminants that are harmful to the environment.
What is the process of removing solids from wastewater?
In the initial process which is also known as preliminary treatment method , the most of the solid from the wastewater is removed. Process includes large filtering screens by which solid objects are removed.
What happens to clarified water?
In the end, the clarified water is returned to the natural water cycle, usually lakes or streams. Very modern sewage treatment plants have additional treatment stages for further phosphorus elimination or the killing of pathogens.
How does a separate sewer system work?
The separate sewer system divides the media. Dirty water is fed into one sewer, surface water into another. Because of the low dirt load, the collected surface water is usually discharged into neighbouring waters (lakes or rivers). The wastewater and the combined sewer both end up at the treatment plant. Of course, in the case of combined sewer ...
Where does wastewater end up in a combined sewer system?
The wastewater and the combined sewer both end up at the treatment plant. Of course, in the case of combined sewer systems, the sewage treatment plant has more work to do, as all the surface water has to be cleaned as well.
What is a rake in wastewater?
Rakes filter everything that is not permeable as solid matter in the wastewater. This can be toilet paper, wet wipes, but also a toothbrush or other things that do not belong in a toilet. This process is called pretreatment. After rakes comes a sand filter basin throug flow equalization.
How much water does a person use?
Each person uses an average of 120 litres of water per day. This is used for a wide variety of purposes (body cleansing, cooking, flushing toilets, etc.).
What is the function of a primary clarifier?
The primary clarifier then has the function of filtering further components from the waste water. Suspended solids, which are lighter than water, such as plastic parts but also oils and fats, float up and are removed at the surface. Due to the very low speed in the basin, further heavier particles sink to the bottom.
How is wastewater drained?
Waste water is drained through pipe systems and thus enters the public sewerage system . Here we differentiate between two types of drainage. In the combined sewer system, domestic and commercial wastewater is fed into a sewer together with rainwater that accumulates on sealed surfaces (e.g. streets and roofs).
Why is large surface area important?
The large surface area is important as it allows lots of room for bacteria to colonise. An Example this style of treatment is the Tricel NOVA. With this style of sewage treatment, water flows through the filter material, therefore the “food” comes to the bacteria.
What is a sewage treatment plant?
A sewage treatment plant is designed to take wastewater from a building (wastewater is defined as water from showers, baths, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers and sinks) and treat it to take out contaminants that are harmful to the environment.
Do bacteria need food?
Bacteria also need food, this comes from the waste in the sewage water. If the environment is right (i.e., lots of oxygen and food) the microscopic bacteria will thrive and feed upon the contaminants.Bacteria can live freely in the water or grow on filter material; this is why you see some systems that have filter material, and some without. 3.
What is active sludge?
Active sludge. Active sludge (or activated sludge) treatment plants do not have filter material, instead, bacteria is encouraged to grow freely in the water. Waste (food) is introduced to the chamber and gets mixed with the bacteria. The bacteria bind to the food and begin feeding upon it.
Do active sludge systems work?
However, active sludge systems have less of an ability to block if items such as wet wipes get through the system, and there is some suggestion that bacteria can last slightly longer with no food when growing on filter material.
What happens to water after settlement?
Following the settlement stage, cleaned water is then free from solids and has undergone a massive reduction in Ammonia and contaminants and can be discharged into a stream or river.
Why do we treat sludge?
We treat the sludge we collect at the start of the process so that we can put it to good use. We recycle most of it to agricultural land for farmers to use as fertiliser, but we also use it to generate energy. We do this in several different ways:
What is the purpose of screening wastewater?
Screening the wastewater. First, we remove large objects that may block or damage equipment or pollute our rivers. This includes items that should never have been put down the drain in the first place, such as nappies, wet wipes, sanitary items and cotton buds, and sometimes even things like bricks, bottles and rags.
How does a toilet flush work?
1. Taking the wastewater away. Whenever you flush the toilet or empty the sink, the wastewater goes down the drain and into a pipe, which takes it to a larger sewer pipe under the road. The sewer then joins our network of other sewers and takes the wastewater to a sewage treatment works. At the sewage works, we pass the wastewater ...
Why is it important to put clean water back into the river?
Putting clean water back into the river is very important, as it helps to keep water flowing and wildlife thriving. The Environment Agency strictly regulates the quality of the cleaned wastewater, and we test it to make sure that it meets their high-quality standards.
How to make biogas from sludge?
1. Combined heat and power: We treat the sludge using a process called ‘anaerobic digestion’. This heats the sludge up to high temperatures, encouraging the bacteria inside to break down the waste. This creates biogas that we can then burn to create heat, which in turn creates electricity. 2.
