cmutsvangwa:, Wastewater Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Water Eng.

, NUST 10/16/2006 1-1

COURSE OUTLINE, SYNOPSIS AND RECOMMENDED

LITERATURE

1 Synopsis
Environmental pollution and control. Wastewater characterisation.
Wastewater flows and organic loadings. Wastewater treatment processes.
On-site sanitation. Sludge treatment and disposal. Treatment of wastewater
in natural systems.

2 Aims and objectives of the course

At the end of this course the students should be able:

• To appreciate the need for wastewater and sludge treatment

• To characterise wastewater flows
• To estimate the wastewater inflows to water treatment plant
• To be able to carry-out laboratory tests for some wastewater parameters
• To understand the various wastewater treatment processes
• To be able to design a wastewater treatment plant (sizing and hydraulic
calculations).

3 Course content
3.1 Environmental pollution and control. Sources of pollutants and impacts.
Eutrophication. Objectives of wastewater treatment. Wastewater
characteristics and flows. Domestic and industrial flow. Dry weather flow
(DWF). BOD kinetics. BOD and COD test. Design criteria, design flows and
forecasting.

3.2 Preliminary treatment: Screening and design. Grit removal. Types of grit
chambers and design, e.g. aerated and constant velocity channels.

3.3 Primary treatment

Sedimentation: definitions and purpose. Types of sedimentation basins e.g.
circular and rectangular tanks. Design principles of sedimentation basins.
Terminal settling velocities and application in design of sedimentation tanks.
Stokes and Newton’s laws.

4 Secondary treatment
4.1 Attached growth biological processes
Percolating filters. Treatment process. Role of microorganisms. Nitrification
and denitrification in filters. Factors affecting nitrification in filters. Operation
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Chapter 1: Course synopsis and recommended literature

cmutsvangwa:, Wastewater Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST 10/16/2006 1-2

and control of filters. Models and Design of filters e.g. NRC, Eckenfelder and
Schultz-Germain models etc.

4.2 Wastewater stabilisation ponds

Treatment process. Sitting and pond sizes. Types of ponds: - Anaerobic,
facultative and maturation. Design models e.g. volumetric loading, Mara’s
approach, Hermann and Gloyna, McGarry and Pescod. Aspects of
construction: geotechnical considerations, seepage, inlet and outlets.
Operation and maintenance:-commissioning, routine maintenance,
desludging and disposal of sludge.

4.3 Activated sludge treatment

Definition and process. Methods of aeration. Parameters of design and
operation. Reaction tanks and configuration: - plug flow, complete mix.
Process design: microbiology, batch reactors, continuous culture reactors
and process design and derivation of the design equations. Control of
nutrients in activated sludge treatment and reactor configurations e.g.
Integrated approach, Separate approach, Modified--Ludzack- Ettinger-
nitrification-denitrification activated sludge process (MLE), Wurrmann-
nitrification-denitrification activated sludge process and Bardenpho Process.

5 Sludge treatment and disposal

Characteristics and properties of sludge.

5.1 Primary treatment

Sludge grinding, degritting, storage and blending.

5.1 Secondary treatment

Sludge thickening: Gravity, Centrifugal, dissolved air flotation. Sludge
stabilisation. Anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion. Process design of
sludge digesters

6 On-site sanitation
Definition and advantages of on-site sanitation. Applicability of technology.
Septic tanks: - process and design aspects. Soak ways. Desludging.
Disposal of effluent:-e.g. upflow filters, evaporation beds Pit latrines and
types e.g. VIP, vacuum, bucket, vaults, aqua-privies, ecosan or dry
sanitation. Design tree for selection of on sanitation types.

7 Treatment of wastewater in natural systems

Definitions of wetlands. Advantages. Slow rate irrigation systems, rapid
infiltration systems, overland flow. Wetlands:-surface and subsurface. Public
health issues.

8 Course assessment
Coursework 25%
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Chapter 1: Course synopsis and recommended literature

cmutsvangwa:, Wastewater Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Water Eng., NUST 10/16/2006 1-3

Examination 75%

8.1 Form of coursework assessment

Tests, assignments and practicals. Emphasis is put on references both in
the text and at the end. Refer to the guidelines on references.

Recommended literature

1. Casey T. J, Unit treatment processes in water and wastewater engineering

2. Droste R., (1997), Theory and Practice of Water and Wastewater Treatment,
John Wiley, UK
3. Hammer M. J., (1986), Water and wastewater technology, Prentice Hall, USA
4. Mara D, D, Sewage treatment in hot climates
5. Metcalf and Eddy, (1995), Wastewater engineering, treatment, disposal and
reuse, McGraw Hill, New York, USA
6. Schroeder E.D., (1971), Water and wastewater treatment, McGraw Hill, New
York, USA
7. Sincero A. G., (1996), Environmental Engineering: A design approach,
Prentice Hall, New Delhi
8. Peavy H. S., Rowe D. R., and Tchobanoglous G., (1985), Environmental
Engineering, McGraw Hill, New York, USA
9. Tchobanoglous and Schroeder Water Quality
10. Terrence McGhee Water supply
11. Vesilind P., (1975), Environmental pollution and control, Ann Arbor, USA
12. Gray N., (1992), Biology of Wastewater, Oxford Science, UK
13. IWPC, (1972), Manual for Small Works, UK
14. Mara D., (1976), Sewage Treatment in Hot Climates, John Wiley, UK
15. Mara D., (1997), Design of Waste Stabilisation Ponds in India, Lagoon
Technology, UK

Chapter 1: Course synopsis and recommended literature