CHAPTER-5
SEWAGE EFFLUENT DISPOSAL TECHNIQUES
Amanuel B
amanuelbiset@[Link]
SEWAGE EFFLUENT DISPOSAL TECHNIQUES
SEWAGE EFFLUENT DISPOSAL TECHNIQUES
Disposal by Dilution
The effluent from the sewage treatment plant is discharged into a river
stream, or a large body of water, such as a lake or sea.
The discharged sewage, in due course of time, is purified by what is known
as self purification process of natural waters.
Disposal by Dilution method is favorable:
(i) When sewage is comparatively fresh (4 to 5hr old), and free
from floating and settleable solids,
(ii) When the diluting water has high dissolved oxygen content.
(iii) Where diluting waters are not used for the purpose of
navigation or water supply,
(iv) Where the flow currents of the diluting waters are favorable,
causing no deposition, nuisance or destruction of aquatic life.
Self Purification of Natural Streams
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The receiving water gets polluted due to waste products, present
in sewage effluents.
But the condition do not remain so forever, because the natural
forces of purification, such as dilution & dispersion, sedimentation,
oxidation-reduction in sun-light, etc., go on acting upon the
pollution elements and bring back the water into its original
condition.
This automatic purification of polluted water, in due course, is
called the self-purification phenomenon.
i. Dilution and Dispersion
When sewage of concentration Cs flows at a rate Qs in to a river
stream with concentration CR flowing at a rate QR, the concentration
C of the resulting mixture is given by:
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Cont...
C Q +C Q = C(Q +Q )
C Q +C Q
C =
Q +Q
Sedimentation
The settle-able solids, if present in sewage effluents, will settle down
into the bed of the river, near the outfall of sewage, thus, helping in the
self purification process.
Sunlight
The sun light has a bleaching and stabilizing effect of bacteria.
It also helps certain micro-organisms to derive energy from it.
Oxygen Sag Curve
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The Oxygen Deficit of a Polluted River-Stream.
The oxygen deficit D at any time in a polluted river-stream is the
difference b/n the actual DO content of water at that time and the
saturation DO content.
Oxygen deficit D = Saturation DO − Actual DO
In order to maintain clean conditions in a river-stream, the D must be
nil, and this can be found out by knowing the rates of de-
oxygenation and re-oxygenation.
Rate de-oxygenation
Is due to the amount of organic matter remaining to be oxidized at
the given time (i.e. Lt).
Cont..
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Figure of De-oxygenation curve (rate of oxygen consumption in river)
Cont..
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Rate of Re-oxygenation
Due to atmosphere supplies of oxygen to the water
Oxygen Deficit Curve
o In a running polluted stream exposed to the atmosphere, the de-
oxygenation as well as the re-oxygenation go hand in hand.
o If de-oxygenation is more rapid than the re-oxygenation, an
oxygen deficit will result.
o The amount of resultant oxygen deficit can be obtained by
algebraically adding the de-oxygenation and re-oxygenation
curves (see curve III-Figure above).
o The resultant curve so obtained is called the oxygen sag curve or
the oxygen deficit curve.
Cont..
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It can also be seen that when the de-oxygenation rate exceeds the re-
oxygenation rate, the oxygen sag curve shows increasing deficit of
oxygen;
but when both the rates become equal, the critical point is reached, and
then finally when the rate of de-oxygenation falls below that of re-
oxygenation, the oxygen deficit goes on decreasing till becoming zero.
The entire analysis of super-imposing the rates of de-oxygenation and re-
oxygenation have been carried out mathematically, and the obtained
results expressed in the form of famous Streeter-Phelps equation; i.e.,
K ∗ L
D = ∗ [ 10)&'( ∗. − 10 &'* ∗ + D+ ∗ 10 &'* ∗ … 5.2
K −K
Cont.…
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Where, Dt = the DO deficit in mg/l after t days.
L = Ultimate first stage BOD of the mix at the point of waste discharge
Do = Initial oxygen deficit of the mix at the mixing point in mg/l.
KD= De-oxygenation coefficient (BOD rate constant ) for the WW,
determined in the laboratory. KDvaries with temperature as:
K (/) = K (0+) ∗ 1 .047 /&0+°
KR = Re-oxygenation coefficient for the stream, varies with temperature
as per the equation:
/&0+°
K (/) = K (0+) ∗ (1 .016)
t = x/u, x=distance at which Dt occur, u=velocity of river
The oxygen deficit curve can be plotted easily with the help of Eq. (5.2),
by using different values of t in days:
Cont.…
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The critical time (tc) at which the minimum dissolved oxygen occurs can
be found by differentiating Eq. (5.2) and equating it to zero; which on
solving gives
1 K ∗ L – K ∗ Do + K ∗ D+ K
t5 = log ∗ … … 5.3
K –K K ∗L K
and the critical or maximum oxygen deficit is given by
K ∗L &'( ∗ 8
D5 = 10 … … … 5.4
K
The constant 9: /9< is sometimes represented by f, called self-
purification constant
? AG
Then equation 5.3 become, => = CDE ? − F − ? ∗ ∗ F … I. I
@A (B – ?) H
K
AJ = ?G &@A∗=J … … … … … I. L
F
Cont.…
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Taking logarithm of equation 5.6, we get
L
log D5 = log − K ∗ t 5 … … 5.7
f
Substituting the value of tc from Eq. (5.5) in Eq. (5.7), we get
L K D+
log D5 = log − log 1 − f − 1 ∗ ∗f
f K (f – 1) L
L 1 D+
log D5 = log − log 1 − f − 1 ∗ ∗f
f (f – 1) L
L D+
f – 1 log − log D5 = log 1 − f − 1 ∗ ∗f
f L
L M–N
f D+
log = log 1 − f − 1 ∗ ∗f
D5 L
B–?
K AG
= F∗ ?− F−? ∗
AJ ∗ F H
Example:
• A city discharges 100 cumecs of sewage into a
river, which is fully saturated with oxygen and
flowing at a rate of 1500 cumecs during its lean
days with a velocity of 0.1m/s. The 5-days BOD of
sewage at the given temperature is 280mg/l. Find
when and where the critical DO deficit will occur in
the downstream portion of the river, and what is its
amount. Assume coefficient of purification of the
stream(f) as 4, and coefficient of de-oxygenation
(KD) as 0.1.
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Disposal on Land and treatment for Irrigation
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In this method, the sewage effluent is generally disposed of by
applying it on land.
This method can then be used for irrigating crops.
It help in increasing crop yields (by 33% or so) (fig below).
When raw or partly treated sewage is applied on to the land, a
part of it evaporates, and the remaining portion percolates through
the ground soil.
While percolating through the soil, the suspended particles present
in the sewage are caught in the soil voids.
If proper aeration of these voids is maintained, the organic sewage
solids caught in these voids get oxidized by aerobic process.
Land Disposal and Treatment
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Fig. of WWT effluent for irrigation
Cont...
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Application of too strong or too heavy load of sewage will also similarly
result in the quick formation of anaerobic conditions.
soil to get clogged
Hence, the sewage load should be reduced by diluting it or by pre-
treating it.
Table of Recommended Doses for Sewage Farming
Doses of sewage in cubic meters per hectare per day
Types of soil
Raw sewage Settled sewage
Sandy 120 – 150 220 – 280
Sandy loam 90 – 100 170 – 220
loam 60 – 80 110 – 170
Clayey loam 40 – 50 60 – 110
clayey 30 – 45 30 - 60
Sewage sickness
When sewage is applied continuously on a piece of land, the soil pores
or voids may get filled up and clogged with sewage matter retained in
them.
The time taken for such clogging will depend upon the type and the
load present on sewage.
When these voids are clogged, free circulation of air will be prevented
and anaerobic condition will develop within the pores.
The organic matter will be decomposed with the evolution of foul
gases like H2S, CO2 and CH4.
Cont..
This phenomena of soil getting clogged known as sewage
sickness of land.
In order to prevent the sewage sickness of a land, the following
preventive measures should be adopted
(i) Primary treatment of sewage
(ii) Choice of land
The piece of land used for sewage disposal should be sandy or
loamy. Clayey lands should be avoided
(iii) Under drainage of soil
(iv) Giving rest to the land
(v) Rotation of crops
(vi) Applying shallow depths
Assuming that 80% of this water appears as sewage,
The quantity of sewage produced per day
= 0.8 ∗ 5200 = 4160PQ /R.
Therefore, area of land required for disposing sewage
4160 PQ ⁄R
= Q
= 52 hectares
80 P ⁄TU. R
Providing 50% extra land for rest and rotation,
The total land area required
= 1.5 ∗ 52 = 78 hectares
Cost of land involved
= 25,000 ∗ 78 = $1,950,000
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