Preliminary Treatment

WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PROCESSES

Preliminary Treatment
Primary Treatment
Secondary (Biological) Treatment
Tertiary Treatment
Disinfection
Solids Handling

PRELIMINARY TREATMENT

Used to protect equipment and downstream

processes.
Preliminary treatment can consist of:

Screening
Shredding
Grit removal

SCREENING

Screening removes such items as metal,

wood, plastic objects, string, cloth, and paper
products.
These items could cause pipes to plug,
damage or plug pumps, or jam sludge
collector mechanisms.

BAR SCREENS AND RACKS

Screening devices usually consist of parallel

bars set at an angle in the wastewater
channel.
When the spacing between the bars is
between 3 to 4 inches it is generally
considered to be a rack.
When the spacing between the bars is about
3/ inch to 2 inches it is considered to be a
8
bar screen.

BAR SCREENS

Bar screens are used to screen the influent

flow on a continuous basis.
Bar screens may be manually or mechanically
cleaned.
Racks are usually found in bypass channels
where flows are diverted when bar screens
are being serviced or repaired.

BAR SCREENS - CLEANING

Screenings should be removed from bar

screens before they visibly hinder the
wastewater flow.
Screenings are usually dewatered and
disposed of by landfilling.
When wastewater is allowed to back up in the
influent line, organic waste will settle out and
can cause septic conditions which produce
hydrogen sulfide

BAR SCREENS - CLEANING

The sudden rush of wastewater which can

occur when a screen is cleaned infrequently
can:

carry grit into the clarifiers;

carry additional solids over the clarifier weirs; and
reduce the efficiency of the clarifiers and
secondary treatment units.

SHREDDING

Can can be used in addition to or in place of

bar screens.
Most common shredding devices are
comminutors and barminutors.
Comminutors and barminutors act both as a
cutter and a screen. Their purpose is to
shred the solids and leave them in the
wastewater.

SHREDDING

Advantages of shredding:

No screenings to dispose of; and

No flies or odors.

Disadvantages of shredding:

Plastics, woods and plastics are rejected and have

to be removed manually; and
Shreddings can reform.

GRIT REMOVAL

Grit is the heavier inorganic matter found in

wastewater which will not decompose or
break down.
Will generally have a settling velocity greater
than that of organic material in the
wastewater.
Grit can consist of sand, cinders, rocks, coffee
grounds, cigarette butts, etc.

GRIT REMOVAL

Grit removal protects equipment by;

Reducing clogging in pipes;

Protecting moving mechanical equipment and
pumps from abrasion; and
Preventing accumulations of materials in aeration
tanks and sludge digesters

GRIT REMOVAL

Grit may be removed by settling in:

Hand-cleaned channels;
Mechanically cleaned channels; and
Aerated channels.

Grit may be removed by centrifugal force

with:

Cyclone degritters.

GRIT CHANNELS

Channels allow the wastewater velocity to be

reduced to around 1.0 foot per second.
The objective is to keep the lighter organic
material in suspension and flowing to the
next treatment unit while allowing the grit to
settle.

GRIT CHANNELS

Velocity can be controlled by:

Multiple channels;
Proportional weirs; and
Shape of the grit channels.

GRIT CHANNELS

Grit may be removed from channels

manually or mechanically.
The advantages of hand-cleaned
channels are:

Cheaper to build and operate

No moving parts.

GRIT CHANNELS

The disadvantages of hand-cleaned channels

are:

Must be manually cleaned (Its hard work!)

Safety concerns (back strain, slipping, fumes,
etc.).

AERATED GRIT CHAMBERS

Are generally rectangular chambers that are

wider, deeper, and shorter than grit channels.
Air is injected along the wall of the tank. The
mixture of air and water has a lower specific
gravity than water so the grit settles out better.
The rolling action of the water in the tank moves
the grit along the bottom to a grit hopper.

CYCLONE DEGRITTER

Cyclone degritters use centrifugal force in a

cone-shaped unit to separate grit from the
wastewater.
Wastewater enters the cyclone near the top
and to the side. This causes a spinning action
and creates a centrifugal force that causes
heavier particles to be forced outward and
downward, where they are passed out of the
cyclone.

GRIT- WASHING & DISPOSAL

Grit may be washed before final disposal to

remove the organic matter that settled out
with the grit.
Grit is usually disposed of by landfilling.

GRIT REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES

Inflow and infiltration (I/I) may cause

reduced grit removal efficiency due to:

High flow rates through the chambers; and

Excessive amounts of grit washed into the plant.

ADDITIONAL PRELIMINARY
CONSIDERATIONS

Flow Equalization

Odor Control

to prevent odor at and around the plant

Septage Management

reduces flow fluctuation into the plant

to control the discharge of wastes from septic

tanks, grease traps, and other sources

Flow Measurement

to measure the influent flow and provide for flow

proportional sampling

Questions?