CEE 3510: Environmental Quality Engineering

Prof. Len Lion, Spring 2017

PROBLEM SET NO. 4

Problem 1.
A river with a uniform cross-section and a velocity of 10 km/day flows between Stations 1 and
2 which are 40 km apart. At Station 1, a waste discharge brings the total ammonia nitrogen
concentration in the river up to 10 mg/L. The nitrite and organic nitrogen concentrations at this
station are negligible.
At the temperature of the waste-river mixture, the parameters for ammonia oxidation at Station
1 are estimated to be:
kN1 = 2.25 day-1
KS1 = 2.10 mg/L
MoN1 = 0.25 mg/L

It is also found that the nitrite oxidation parameters are such that all nitrite is converted directly
and rapidly to nitrate (i.e. dCN2/dt = 0).

a) Calculate, by trial and error, the ammonia nitrogen concentration at Station 2.

b) Calculate the rate of dissolved oxygen utilization due to nitrification at Stations 1 and 2.
dCox mg O2
Partial answer to part b  13.3 @ station 2.
dt Ld

Problem 2.
A completely mixed pond of volume V has an influent steady-state flow Q entering with a
BODL concentration of Lo and a dissolved oxygen (D.O.) concentration of Co (see the illustration
below). Assume a first-order BOD decay constant, k1, and a first-order reaeration coefficient of k2
as indicated:
Q = 2 x 106 L/day k2 = 0.24 day-1
V = 2 x 108 liters Co = 4 mg/L D.O.
k1 = 0.22 day-1 C* =10 mg/L D.O. (saturation level of D.O.)

Lo , Co Q Q L, C
V,C,L

a) What would be the allowable maximum influent BODL concentration (Lo) in order to
maintain the steady-state dissolved oxygen concentration in the pond (C) above 2 mg/L D.O.?
b) If the initial BODL concentration in the pond (at time = 0) is 15 mg/L what will the BODL
concentration be four days after the waste input has begun (with Lo equal to the amount you arrive
at in part (a))? Ans. (a) Lo = 202.9 mg/L; (b) L = 11.28 mg/L

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CEE 3510: Environmental Quality Engineering
Prof. Len Lion, Spring 2017

Problem 3.
The stream shown below has a flow of 30,000 m3/day and a cross-sectional area of 30 m2. The
stream is saturated with dissolved oxygen (C* = 10 mg/L) and its BODL concentration is 0.5 mg/L.
At point (A) 13 km upstream from the stream's confluence with another much larger river, a food
processing industry is continuously discharging 2,500 m3/day of wastewater with an average
organic composition of CH2O (which is 85% degradable). The wastewater has a dissolved oxygen
concentration of 2 mg/L. A stream sample taken just before the confluence of stream and river has
o
a BOD520 C of 6.0 mg/L (klab 1 = 0.25/day for BOD assimilation in the lab).

a) Calculate the concentration of the wastewater (in units of mg CH2O/L) before it is mixed in
the stream. Relevant constants are given below.
b) Determine whether the D.O. level in the stream remains above 5 mg/L between point A
and confluence of the stream with the larger river. You may assume the following:
i) plug flow
ii) instantaneous mixing of stream and wastewater
iii) stream and wastewater temperatures are 15oC and the applicable 15oC rate constants
are: kr1 = 0.17/day for BOD assimilation in the river
k3 = 0.02/day for BOD sedimentation in the river
k2 = 0.22/day for reaeration
iv) C* for the stream = 10.0 mg/L
c) If the wastewater D.O. is raised to the saturation value of 10 mg/L what degree of waste
treatment (% removal), if any, would be needed to keep the D.O. above 5 mg/L in the
stream?

river
13 km

Wastewater Q = 2,500 m3/day Sample

0
Input Corganic = ?? mg CH2O /L BOD20
5
C
= 6 mg/L
D.O. = 2.0 mg/L

Ans. (a) 1,172 mg CH2O/L; (c) 80.5% removal needed

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CEE 3510: Environmental Quality Engineering
Prof. Len Lion, Spring 2017

Problem 4. (Adapted from Introduction to Environmental Engineering by Davis and Cornwell).

The Pitts Canning Company is considering opening a new plant at one of two possible
locations: along the Green River or its twin, the White River. Among the decisions to be made are
what effect the plant discharge will have on each river and which river would be impacted less.
Effluent data from the Pitts A plant and the Pitts B plant are considered to be representative of the
potential discharge characteristics. In addition, measurements from each river at summer low-flow
conditions are available as shown in the table below.
There are four options to consider A or B plant discharge to the Green or White River. Prepare
a plot of the oxygen sag curve (dissolved oxygen conc. vs. travel time) for each option. For each of
the four cases, give the travel time to the critical point and maximum deficit. Note that the only
difference in the combinations is the change in k1 and k2 values. Because the calculation process is
repetitive, use of a spread sheet is recommended. The range for the x-axis on your plots should be
0 to 26 days. Use 0.4 day time increments in your spread sheet calculations. You may assume  for
k1 in the river is 1.056 and that  for k2 in the river is 1.024. Assume there is zero salinity in the
river and that the river temperature remains at 15 oC after mixing with the wastewater. Values for
the saturation level of D.O. can be obtained from Appendix F of your recommended text, Water
Quality (a scan of the appendix was placed on the course web site along with Problem set #3).
Values for k2 can be estimated from the quasi-empirical formula developed by O’Connor &
Dobbins and discussed in lecture. [Note that rounding of the 20oC k2 value before correcting for
temperature can influence the position and magnitude of the critical point.] Partial answer. For
A plant to Green River, tC = 3.11 days, and DC = 5.65 mg/L
Effluent parameter A Treatment Plant B Treatment Plant
3
Flow, m /sec 0.06 0.06
BODL at 25 oC, mg/L 80 80
D.O., mg/L 1.0 1.0
Temperature, oC 25 25
o -1
k1 at 20 C, d 0.15 0.11

River parameter Green River White River

3
Flow, m /sec 0.55 0.55
o
BODL at 25 C, mg/L 10 10
D.O., mg/L 6 6
o
Temperature, C 15 15
Speed, m/s 0.2 0.3
Average depth, m 3.5 3.5
Comment on: (a) the influence of increasing the reaeration rate and stream velocity, while holding
all else constant, on the magnitude of the deficit and location of the critical point. (b) the influence
of increasing k1, while holding all else constant on the magnitude of the deficit and location of the
critical point.

Problem 5.
Do STELLA Exercise #3. Please remember to turn in the STELLA part of your homework
separately with a separate transmittal letter.

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