INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT

TREATMENT
Wastewater treatment is a series of steps.

The major categories of treatment steps are :
Preliminary treatment - Removes materials that could
damage plant equipment or would occupy treatment
capacity without being treated.

Primary treatment - Removes settleable and floatable solids
( may not be present in all treatment plants).

Secondary treatment - Removes BOD, dissolved and
suspended organic matter by biological action.


PRELIMINARY TREATMENT

It is the initial stage in the wastewater treatment
process.

The purpose of preliminary treatment is to protect
plant equipment by removing those materials that
could cause clogs, jams, or excessive wear to plant
machinery .

Preliminary treatment may include many different
processes
Screening
The purpose of screening is to remove large solids,
such as cans , rocks etc., from the flow before the flow
moves on to downstream processes .

Shredding
shredding can be used to reduce solids to a size that can
enter the plant without causing mechanical problems or
clogging.




Grit Removal
The purpose of grit removal is to remove the heavy
inorganic solids that cause excessive mechanical wear.

accomplished in grit chambers or by the centrifugal
separation of sludge .

Pre-aeration
wastewater is aerated to achieve and maintain: aerobic state

PRIMARY TREATMENT

The purpose of primary treatment is to remove settleable
organic and floatable solids .

Primary treatment reduces the organic load on downstream
treatment processes by removing a large amount of
settleable, suspended, and floatable materials .

In this treatment, speed of the wastewater through a
clarifier is reduced approximately 1 to 2 ft /min , so that
settling and floatation can take place.

Slowing the flow, enhances removal of suspended solids in
wastewater
SECONDARY TREATMENT

The main purpose of secondary treatment/biological
treatment is to provide BOD removal beyond what is
achievable by primary treatment .

There are two commonly used approaches

the trickling filter

the activated sludge Process
Trickling Filter
Tank is filled with solid media
Rocks
Plastic
Bacteria allowed grow on surface of media
Wastewater is trickled over media, at top of the tank
As water trickles through media, bacteria degrade BOD
Bacteria eventually die, fall off of media surface
Filter is open to atmosphere, air flows naturally through
media
Treated water leaves bottom of the tank, flows into
secondary clarifier
Bacterial cells settle, removed from clarifier as sludge
Some water is recycled to the filter, to maintain moist
conditions

Trickling Filter System
Trickling Filter Process

Bacteria Removal

Activated Sludge
Wastewater is aerated in a tank ( Adequate oxygen is fed)
Bacteria are encouraged to grow by providing
Oxygen
Food (BOD)
Nutrients
Correct temperature
Time

As bacteria consume BOD, they grow and multiply ( flocculate)
Treated wastewater flows into secondary clarifier
Flocculated cells are readily settle, removed from clarifier as
sludge
Part of sludge is recycled back to activated sludge tank, to
maintain bacteria population
Remainder of sludge is wasted
Treated water is discharged in to the environment or further
processed for disinfection