Treatment FAQ

if you have high loadings coming into a treatment plant what do you expect to see

by Cristina Beahan PhD Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

What are the influent sources for flow and loading determination?

Treatment plants are complicated facilities, which makes defining the capacity of a treatment plant complicated. Generally speaking, capacity is defined as the amount of wastewater the treatment plant can safely and reliably treat. However, there is no one value that can adequately represent plant capacity. Many factors, such as the following ...

How can I avoid clogging up of my sewage treatment plant?

 · Under these peak flow conditions, in order to prevent damage to the wastewater treatment plant and maintain future effective operations, some plant operators divert a portion of the flow around biological or advanced treatment units. The diverted flow is then either recombined with flows from the biological treatment units or discharged ...

What should I do if I am away from my plant?

Try to use cleaning products little and often so your treatment plant is not overloaded. Use liquids (not powders) in washing machines and dishwashers. Powders re-coagulate into clumps and can cause blockages. Try to spread your clothes washing throughout the week. Stick to the same washing, dishwasher and other cleaning products as the ...

Can engineering options address wet weather blending at POTWs?

Table 11. 2010 Industrial Per-Employee Loading Factors for Treatment Plants ..... 21 Table 12. 2010 Residential and Commercial Per Capita Loading Factors for Treatment Plants 22 Table …

What is loading in water treatment?

In a wastewater treatment process unit, hydraulic loading is known as the volume of wastewater applied to the surface of the processing unit per time period. Wastewater treatment systems often take loading rates to determine if the system may or may not clog.

What does loading mean in wastewater?

Mass loading means the total mass of one or more organic or inorganic effluent constituents delivered to the wastewater system over a specified period. It is computed by multiplying the total volume of flow during the specified period by the flow-weighted average constituent concentration in the same period.

What is bulking in wastewater treatment?

Abstract. Sludge bulking is the most common solids settling problem in wastewater treatment plants, which is caused by the excessive growth of filamentous bacteria extending outside the flocs, resulting in decreasing the wastewater treatment efficiency and deteriorating the water quality in the effluent.

What is shock loading in wastewater treatment?

A type of flow or pollutant concentration received at a water or wastewater treatment plant in sufficient quantity or strength to momentarily exceed the normal loading ranges. This shock causes problems in treatment processes and requires adjustments to normal operational procedures.

How do you calculate mass loading?

Multiply the mass of the object by the gravitational acceleration of the earth (9.8 m/sec2), and the height in meters. This equation is the object at rest's potential energy. Potential energy is measured in joules; this is the load force.

What causes foaming in wastewater treatment plants?

Foaming is the distribution of gas bubbles in the liquid. The gas bubbles are necessary to establish the foam. Air in the aeration unit, nitrogen gas that is produced during denitrification in anaerobic conditions, methane and carbon dioxide that is produced in anaerobic digesters may cause foaming in units (Hug 2006).

Which of the following are reasons of sludge bulking?

The main cause of sludge bulking is the growth of filamentous bacteria. Filamentous microorganisms grow in long strands that have much greater volume and surface area than conventional floc and are very slow to settle. Under certain growing conditions, filamentous organisms predominate.

How do I reduce bulking sludge?

Control of low F/M bulking is by reducing the aeration basin MLSS concentration and increasing the F/M (manipulating the "M" component). Lowering the MLSS concentration may not be suitable for many plants as this may cause the loss of nitrification and increase waste sludge production.

How is wastewater loading calculated?

Hydraulic Loading = ( GPM x 1,440 min/day ) Rate, GPD/Sq. Ft. ( Surface Area, sq. ft. )

What is BOD loading rate?

The organic loading rate is expressed as a certain amount of BOD applied to a certain volume of media. In other words, the organic loading is defined as the pounds of BOD or chemical oxygen demand (COD) applied per day per 1000 cubic feet of media — a measure of the amount of food being applied to the filter slime.

What is COD and Tod?

The most popular sum parameter in waste water analysis are the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), TOD (total oxygen demand) and TOC (total organic carbon). The TOC reflects the organic pollution on the basis of a direct carbon determination.

What is COD and TOC?

The COD effectively is a measure effort the amounts of electrons available in the organic carbon for reduction of oxygen to water. TOC is the total amount of carbon. The ratio is therefore a measure for the degree of reduction of the carbon compounds.

What is peak flow in sewage treatment?

Peak Flows at Sewage Treatment Plants. Many sewage treatment processes may be used for complying with Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements. Most municipalities use a series of unit processes to treat wastewater prior to discharge including the following: primary clarification (or preliminary sedimentation) to remove floating and settleable solids,

What is primary clarification?

primary clarification (or preliminary sedimentation) to remove floating and settleable solids, biological treatment (also referred to as secondary treatment) to remove biodegradable organic pollutants and suspended solids, and. disinfection to deactivate pathogens.

Why do wastewater plants divert?

Under these peak flow conditions, in order to prevent damage to the wastewater treatment plant and maintain future effective operations, some plant operators divert a portion of the flow around biological or advanced treatment units. The diverted flow is then either recombined with flows from the biological treatment units or discharged directly into waterways.

How to contact KEE for sewer service?

Request a quote for a maintenance contract or call KEE on: 01296 634500. Book a Visit / Service. Call now.

Can you use chlorine in a plant?

Don’t allow rainwater, groundwater or large volumes of water ( such as those from a swimming pool or Jacuzzi) into the plant . Chlorine kills the bacteria and the excessive water will increase the flow rate through the plant, not allowing sufficient treatment time.

Can you leave a plant on while away?

Leave your plant switched on while you are away or on holiday. Switching off your plant can cause damage to the motor and moving parts as well as kill the biomass.

How does a wastewater treatment plant work?

Wastewater treatment plants are designed to handle a design load and a design flow . These conditions seldom appear in reality, especially not in the timeframe of a few hours. It is well known that the plant must operate under dynamic conditions, which is the reason that control is needed. Due to physical limitations some problems always persist even with optimal control. For instance, the negative effect of higher flow rates may only partially be counteracted if all wastewater is to be treated, which is the case in a plant without flow equalization volumes and where the influent flow rate is uncontrollable. Considerable higher flow rates than the daily average are usually the result of rain. During these events the load to the plant is lower, with exception for a brief initial period known as the first flush. The lower load and higher flow rate result in partial washout of the organisms and it will take the plant some time to recover. In extreme cases the plant capacity is severely reduced during the recovery period as new bacteria are grown.

Why are sewers designed to have a high flow rate during dry weather?

Sewers are designed to have a high enough flow rate during dry weather to prevent sediments from accumulating on the bottom of the sewer pipe. There will always be some deposit but frequent peaks in the influent flow rate as result of rainy weather may result in a beneficial washout of these sediments before they accumulate to levels that inhibit the performance of the sewer system. Sewer sediments restrict the flow in the sewer and bind pollutants but the removal of obstacles, such as tree roots in a sewer pipe, will lead to a reduced rate of deposition (Fraser et al., 2002). Bound pollutants may at high flow rates travel with the sediments and either temporarily overload the treatment plant or in case of sewer overflow result in an overflow with high pollutant load. With the insertion of detention basins into the sewer net the peak flow rates are intentionally reduced and thus the risk for downstream sediment build-up increases. There may also be problems with sediment build-ups in the detention basin if it is poorly managed or subjected to unfavourable influent loads. Sediments in sewers lead to many problems including increased abrasion of pump impellers and increased risk for unwanted anaerobic foul-smelling reactions (Ashley et al., 2002). On the other hand, sediment settling may be a desired process, as it allows for the removal of harmful sediments, which can be subjected to special treatment (Huebner and Geiger, 1996).

How does hydraulic retention work in wet weather?

During wet weather the hydraulic retention time becomes lower and while the removal of particulate pollutants such as suspended solids and phosphorus can be increased by flocculants the removal of nitrogen and ammonium requires enough biomass, enough oxygen and enough time. It is impossible to increase the biomass to a sufficient level in the short time scale associated with wet weather flows and the physical limit of the maximum concentration dissolved oxygen may not be high enough should it even be practically possible to reach it. It is possible, however, that with control of the present system making best use of the volumes and biomass present. Sludge can be redistributed and the effective area for sedimentation temporarily increased to solve the problem of sludge loss at the cost of elevated nitrogen levels. Even if the applied control actions do not lower the effluent pollutant load they may be able to shift the effluent peak load in time and possibly lower the resulting maximum pollutant concentration in the recipient.

Why are detention basins used in sewers?

Detention basins are commonly used as a part of the sewer net to attenuate the problems associated with periods of high peak flows that typically occur during storms. It is the limited capacity of the sewer network that causes these problems due to the relationship between flow rate and water level in gravitational sewer pipes. Sewers are classified as gravitational or pressurised systems or a combination of the two, with respect to the method of transportation. In a gravitational sewer the flow rate and water level depend on pipe characteristics (slope and internal resistance) and on gravity. For a certain flow rate the water level is higher in pipes with less slope, with smaller diameter or with more resistance. In pressurised sections of a sewer the flow rate is achieved with pumps and such sections normally have no problem with delivering the necessary flow rate. In gravitational sewers the water level theoretically limits the maximum flow rate since it must not be allowed to rise over the point where the water instead of flowing down the pipe flows up into basements. In order to provide sufficient flow rates under the constraint of a maximum allowable water level the slope is increased by dividing the net into smaller parts with greater slope joint with pump stations that lift the water from one part to the other. It is usually the capacity of the pumping stations that limits the capacity in gravitational sewer networks. Further prevention of basement flooding is achieved by inserting points into the sewer net where it is allowed to overflow untreated into the surrounding environment.

How does gain scheduling work?

Gain scheduling and adaptive control are methods that improve control when an absolute change in the controlled variable requires different absolute control outputs depending on the operating conditions. In aeration control the control response could be determined by the current concentration of dissolved oxygen using gain scheduling. At high concentrations the controller needs a higher gain to compensate for the lower driving force, which is a physical limitation. The gain as a function of oxygen concentration is fixed and does not take into account other process variations. In adaptive control, measurements and control responses are used to update internal controller parameters or parameters used in the process model.

What are disturbances in wastewater treatment?

Typical disturbances in the wastewater treatment process are variations in the influent flow rate, composition or load. These variations depend on the amount and type of connected sources and if the sewer system is combined, which means transportation of both domestic wastewater and stormwater, or separate. The variations of domestic origin are usually diurnal with morning and afternoon peaks and a low night flow. Variations of industrial origin show also a weekly periodicity. The variation in composition is usually in phase with the variation in flow, with the exception of other disturbances such as rain. There are certain compositional changes that are important to detect since they may have a substantial impact on the treatment process. Such changes may be the result of a toxic substance in the influent wastewater, which still may be very difficult to detect with analytical methods due to low concentrations and long test times, or a sudden or cyclic point source of a wastewater with a composition very different from the rest. It is common that the influent wastewater contains substances that inhibit the nitrification process.

Why is control of the influent important?

One reason for this is that there are a number of things that cannot be achieved with plant-focused control. For instance it is hard to avoid sludge loss as a result of poor settling or reducing a too high influent flow rate by in-plant control actions. It is also difficult to reduce the effects of a toxin in the influent, if the entire influent is to be biologically treated. Optimisation of the various parts of the collection system, with respect to locally defined objectives, may be counter-productive as it may increase the effluent loads when taking the whole system into account. This is typically the case as optimisation of the control of the sewer net with respect to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) leads to an increased flow to the WWTP. Equalization basins are used to control the flow rate or the load in the sewer net as well as at the WWTPs. The focus has recently been shifted from only reducing the amount of CSOs to reduce the effluent load from the sewer and the WWTP. To minimize the total load from the system the methods previously used to optimise the individual sub-systems must be used together and information from various parts of the system should be available system wide.

How many engineering site visits does the EPA do?

EPA conducted 14 engineering site visits to drinking water treatment plants (WTPs) and a technology vendor research and manufacturing plant to gather information about industry operations, sources of residuals, residuals management practices, and residuals treatment technologies. EPA used information collected from literature searches and contact with trade association members to identify representative WTPs for site visits. In general, EPA considered the following when selecting WTPs to visit:

What is the purpose of the EPA review?

The purpose of this report is to summarize the data collected during this review (principally covered in Sections 2, 3, 9, 10, and 11) and to serve as a technical resource to permit writers (primarily covered in Sections 4 through 8 and Sections 12 and 13).

What is the first part of the EPA survey?

The first part of the survey (question 1) requested system information (system name, address, and contact information) and asked questions to determine if the system was included in the scope of the questionnaire. A system was considered in scope if it was classified as a community water system and if one or more of the WTPs operated by the CWS met two criteria: 1) generated residuals in 2006; and 2) served a population greater than 10,000 people. Because the CWS could operate more than one WTP, EPA only wanted to collect data on the larger WTPs that generated residuals. If the respondent answered “no” to any of the questions, the respondent was not required to proceed with completion of the survey. This part also asked whether the system conducted or participated in any monitoring or other studies to assess potential impacts from discharges of residuals.

What percentage of WTPs are discharged to surface water?

The generated waste streams are treatment residuals. EPA estimates that approximately 31 percent of the 2,151 WTPs directly discharge to surface water. An additional 7 percent discharge both directly to surface water and indirectly by transferring residuals to POTWs. The discharge of treatment residuals is the issue of interest in this industry review.

Does the Clean Water Act require water treatment plants to be regulated?

This report on the drinking water treatment industry does not set forth any regulatory requirements under the Clean Water Act. It is intended solely as a presentation of information of which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently aware concerning the generation, treatment, and disposal of wastewater and solid residuals at water treatment plants (WTPs). Thus, it does not impose any requirements on any party, including EPA, states, permitting authorities, publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs), or the regulated community. This report was prepared using information from the following sources: review of selected literature, reports, and other materials; meetings with several interested parties; site visits at WTPs; an industry survey; and other information solicited from stakeholders.

Is the EPA continuing to rule on DWT?

EPA selected the drinking water treatment (DWT) industry for a rulemaking as part of its 2004 Biennial Effluent Limitations and Guidelines Program planning process. EPA is not at this time continuing its effluent guidelines rulemaking for the DWT industry.

What is the most important thing to consider when planning a new wastewater treatment facility?

Determination of design flow and loadings is one of the most important items when planning a new or expanded wastewater treatment facility. Sound engineering judgement along with these minimum guidelines will determine the hydraulic and pollutant load capacity required by the proposed facility to meet all permitted limits.

What influent sources must be accounted for when completing design flow and loading determination?

All influent sources must be accounted for when completing design flow and loading determination including residential, seasonal, institutional, commercial, industrial, inflow, infiltration, any recycle streams, and any other unique aspect of flow and pollutant contributions. During the treatment facility design process, possible impacts of design flows and loadings on each upstream and downstream unit process should be considered.

How long should a measured flow be plotted?

The measured flow should be plotted for a twenty-four hour period when

How many gallons per capita per day should be used for design flow?

Actual flow data should be used to determine design flow when possible. At a minimum, 100 gallons per capita per day should be used. Include the following information with design flow calculations.

What is peak instantaneous flow?

flow is the peak instantaneous flow during the day at a time when the ground water is high and a twenty-five year one-hour storm event is occurring. To determine the twenty-five year one- hour storm event for a specific location, please refer to Map Number 2.

What is peak month flow?

or peak month flow is the daily average flow for the wettest 30 consecutive days for mechanical plants or for the wettest 180 consecutive days for controlled discharge pond systems. The 180 consecutive days for pond systems should be based on either the storage period from approximately November 15 through May 15 or the storage period from approximately May 15 through November 15.

What is flow data used for?

Existing flow data for critical low and peak wet weather events are used to estimate the following flow conditions critical to the design of wastewater treatment plants.

How does wastewater leave the WWTP?

wastewater to leave the WWTP through reclamation or river discharge. Effluent capacity is

What is the appendix G of the WWTP?

Table 4-1 summarizes the capacity of the existing WWTP. Appendix G contains technical memoranda that detail the capacity analysis

What is unflooded capacity?

unflooded. Capacity with all units in service and IPS

Is step feed included in existing capacity?

step-feed operation was included in the existing capacity. The capacity analysis did not consider

Do influent and effluent have different capacities during summer and winter?

Since both influent and effluent have different capacities during summer and winter, the analyses

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