Chapter 3

PRE-TREATMENT
 General overview of plant components

Raw Wastewater Influent

PRELIMINARY
Preliminary Residuals PRIMARY
A (i.e., grit, rags, etc.)
Clarifier
SECONDARY
Biological (e.g., Fixed-film,
B Primary Sludge Treatment
Usually to Landfill Suspended-Growth,
System Constructed Wetland, etc.)

Wastewater
Clarifier
Clarifier
Treatment
Residuals
DISINFECTION
C Secondary Sludge
Biosolids
Processing
and Disposal Clean Wastewater Effluent
Discharge to Receiving Waters
Objective

 Removal of wastewater constituent

that may cause maintenance or
operational problems with the
treatment operations, processes
and ancillary system
Unit Operation

Unit operations and processes which

commonly found in this system are :
•Screening
•Equalization
•Neutralization
 SCREENING

Why screening processes is

necessary ?
Removing large debris or large object
Prevent blocking or damage of pumps,

valves, pipes, mixers etc.

 Type of Screen

Screening

Coarse Screens Microscreens Fine Screens

6 to 150 mm <0.5 um <6 mm

Hand Mechanically Static Drum Step

Cleaned Cleaned Wedgewire

Chain Reciprocating Catenary Continuous

Driven Rake Belt
 Two types of screens, coarse
screens or fine screens are
commonly used in pretreatment
treatment of wastewater
Coarse Screens

 Also known as bar racks / bar

screen
 Are used to protect pumps,
valves, pipelines from damage or
clogging by rags and large
objects
 May be manually or mechanically
cleaned
 Bar Screen

Mechanically cleaned
 Bar Racks

Manually cleaned
 Headloss Through Coarse Screens
 Function of approach velocity and
velocity through the bars

hL = 1 V2-v2
C 2g
Where:
hL = headloss, m
C = empirical coefficient to account for eddy and turbulence
losses, typically 0.7 for clean screens and 0.6 for clogged screens
V = velocity of flow through he openings of the bar screen, m/s
v = approach velocity in upstream channel, m/s
g = acceleration due to gravity, 9.81 m/s2
Fine Screens

 Some applications that fine screens

are used for include:
 As a substitute for primary treatment
(although does not remove as much
TSS and BOD)
 As a pretreatment for membrane
reactors
 EQUALIZATION
Objectives :
• To dampen the flowrate variations to achieve
a constant or nearly constant flowrate
• To dampen the concentration of wastewater
loading and provide a more uniform
concentration of organics, nutrients, and other
suspended and dissolved solid constituents
• To reduce the size and cost of downstream
treatment facilities
 Type of arrangement

In-line equalization
Grit Equalization Primary Secondary Final
removal basin treatment treatment effluent
Controlled-flow
pumping station Flow meter and
Off-line equalization control devices
Grit Primary Secondary Final
removal treatment treatment effluent

Equalization
basin
Controlled-flow
pumping station
Design consideration
 Where in the treatment process flowsheet
should equalization facilities be located ?
 What type of arrangement should be
used ?
 What is the required basin volume ?
 What are the features that should be
incorporated into design ?
 How can deposition of solids and
potentials odors be controlled ?
Volume of basin

Required data :
• Average flowrate during time period
• Cumulative volume flow at the end
of time period
 Volume Requirement
Cumulative inflow volume, ft3 Flowrate Pattern A Flowrate Pattern B

Inflow mass Inflow mass

diagram diagram

Average daily
flowrate Average daily
flowrate

Required
equalization Required
volume equalization
volume

M N M N M
Time of day
Design volume = 1.1~1.2  Theoretical volume
 Basin Construction
 Construction materials: earthen, concrete, or steel

 Basin geometry: a complete-mix reactor

 Operational appurtenances: facilities for flushing
any solids and grease, emergency overflow in case
of pump failure, a high water takeoff for the
removal of floating materials and foam, and water
sprayer
NEUTRALIZATION

• Objective :
To neutralize acidic or basic
wastewater
• If downstream treatment is
biological process, the wastewater
should have pH : 6.5 – 8.5
 Methods
 Mixing of acidic and basic waste
 Neutralization of acidic waste :
 using lime stone bed
 using slaked lime ( lime slurry )
 Neutralization of basic ( alkaline waste ) :
 using strong acid : H2SO4 or HCl
 using CO2