Waste Water Treatment

Advanced Water Treatment

Reference Book : Wastewater Engineering : Treatment and Reuse

Author : Metcalf & Eddy (Chapter 11, 12)

Advanced/Tertiary Water Treatment

Additional Treatment needed to remove suspended, colloidal and dissolved constituents
remaining after conventional secondary treatment

To remove organic matter and TSS beyond what can be accomplished by

conventional secondary treatment process to meet more stringent
discharge and reuse requirement.
To remove residual suspended solids to condition the treated waste water
for more effective disinfection.
To remove nutrients beyond what can be accomplished by conventional
secondary treatment process to limit eutrophication.

To remove specific inorganic and organic constituents to meet more

stringent discharge and reuse requirement for both surface water and
land based effluent, for indirect potable reuse application and for
industrial reuse.

Advanced Treatment Technologies

Advanced Treatment
Categorization on the basis of individual
Constituents present in effluent

Residual
Organic/Inorganic
colloidal and suspended
solids

Filtration
Depth Filtration
Surface Filtration
Membrane Filtration

Dissolved Organic
Constituents

Dissolved
Inorganic
Constituents

Carbon Adsorption
Reverse Osmosis
Chemical Precipitation
Chemical Oxidation
Advanced Oxidation
Electrodialysis
Distillation

Chemical Precipitation
Ion Exchange
Ultrafiltration
Reverse Osmosis
Electrodialysis
Distillation

Biological
Constituents

Ultra filtration
Reverse Osmosis
Electrodialysis

Membrane Filtration
Particle/Constituent Size : 0.0001 to 1 microns

Classification on the basis of :

Rate of flux

Membrane Material :
Organic/Inorganic
1) Polypropylene
2) Cellulose acetate
3) Aromatic Polyamides
4) Thin Film composites

Selection of membrane material:

On the basis of membrane
clogging and deterioration

1)
2)
3)
Concentrate
4)

Type of membrane material

Nature of the driving force
Separation mechanism
Nominal size of the separation

Classification of Membrane Process

Comparison of membrane processes on the

basis of size of the constituents

Membrane Configuration

Tubular Module
Hollow Fibre Module

High TSS,
Solids with Plugging Potential

Spiral Bound Module

Reverse Osmosis

Membrane Fouling
Buildup of solid particles on membrane surface
Pore Plugging
Pore Narrowing
Gel/Cake Formation

Formation of chemical precipitates due to chemistry of feedwater

Damage to the membrane

Chemical substances that can react with the membrane

Biological agents that can colonize the membrane

Pore Narrowing

Pore Plugging

Gel Formation

Electrodialysis

Dissolved Solids removal depends upon :

1) Waste water temperature
2) Amount of electric current
3) Type and amount of ions
4) Perm-selectivity of the membrane
5) Fouling and scaling potential of waste water
6) Wastewater flow rates
7) Number and configuration of stages

Tertiary Treatment - Disinfection

Partial Destruction of Disease Causing Organisms

Major Human Enteric Organisms :

Bacteria
Protozoans oocysts/cysts
Helminths
Viruses

Types of Disinfection
Chlorine Disinfection
Ozone Disinfection
UV Radiation Disinfection

Ideal Disinfectant
Characteristic

Properties/Response

Availability

Should be available in large quantitites and reasonably priced

Deodorizing Ability

Should deodorize while disinfecting

Homogeneity

Solution must be uniform in composition

Interaction with extroneous material

Should not be absorbed by organic matter other than

bacterial cells

Non-corrosive and Non-staining

Should not disfigure metals or stain clothing

Nontoxic to higher forms of life

Should be toxic to M.O. and non-toxic to human and other

animals

Penetration

Should have the capacity to penetrate through surfaces

Safety

Should be safe to transport, store, handle, and use

Solubility

Must be soluble in water or cell tissue

Stability

Should have low loss of germicidal action with time on

standing

Toxcitiy to M.O.

Should be effective at high dilutions

Toxicity at ambient temperature

Should be effective in ambient temp. range

Disinfection Methods

Chemical
Physical
Mechanical
Radiation

Mechanism of Disinfectants

Damage to the cell wall (Eg. Penicillin)

Alteration of cell permeability (phenolic compounds and detergents)
Alteration of the colloidal nature of the protoplasm (Heat, Radiation, High acid/alkaline
agents)

Alteration of the organism DNA/RNA (UV radiation)

Inhibition of enzyme activity (Chlorine)

Factors Influencing the effect of Disinfectant

Contact Time
Chicks Law :

= ; =

dNt/dt = rate of change in the concentration of organism

with time
k = inactivation rate constant (time-1)
Nt = number of organisms at time t
N0 = number of organisms at time t = 0

Concentration of the Disinfectant

Watsons Law : k = kCn

=
1
1
1

= +

n =1 , both the concentration and time are equally

important.
n >1 , concentration is more important than time
n <1, time is more important than concentration.

Intensity and nature of physical

agent/means
Temperature
Vont Hoff Arrhenius Relationship

2 =
1

(2 1 )
1 2

Types of organism
Nature of suspending liquid