Wastewater Characteristics and
Treatment
Dr. Uttam Singh
Assistant Professor
Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur
Rajasthan, India
City Network for Wastewater
Lateral Sewer
Branch Sewer
Main Sewer Pump station
Outlines
• History
• Collection
• Characteristics
• Effluent Standards
• Treatment
History
Downloaded from [Link]
Source: unknown
History
History
History
Toilets at Heating chamber for hot water
Amer Fort, Jaipur Amer Fort, Jaipur
History
• Initially
• City residents placed ‘night soil’ in
buckets along the street and
workers emptied the waste into
‘honeywagon’ tanks.
• Waste transported to rural areas for
spreading on to agricultural land
➢ 1st modern sewerage system built in 1842 by engineer named
Lindley in Hamburg, Germany employing principles, still in use
Wastewater (WW) Characteristics
• Water collected in municipal WW systems
• Comes from different sources
• A wide variety of contaminants
• Composition may change slightly seasonally, reflecting water uses.
• Most significant components
• Suspended Solids
• Biodegradable organics
• Pathogens
Wastewater (WW) Characteristics
➢Can be further classified into:
• Carbohydrates (25-50%) – sugar, starch
• Protein (40-60%) – amino acids
• Lipids (5-30%) – fats, oils and grease
➢All of these contain carbon
• Converted to CO2, thus exerting an Oxygen demand
➢However, Protein produces Ammonia (NH3)
• Oxidation of NH3 produces NO2- and ultimately NO3-
• Most significant components
Wastewater (WW) Characteristics
➢Pathogens
➢All forms of pathogens – bacteria, virus, protozoa and
helminths
➢Discharged into the WW system by a sick person
➢Additional WW treatment processes
• To reduce nutrients
• Refractory organics, heavy metals, inorganic dissolved
solids
Wastewater (WW) Characteristics
Municipal WW quality
Component Low Med. High
Strength Strength Strength
TSS, Total suspended solids
120 210 400
(mg/L)
BOD, 5-day biochemical oxygen
110 190 350
demand (mg/L)
Total nitrogen (mg/L as N) 20 40 70
Total phosphorus (mg/L) 4 7 12
Oil and grease (mg/L) 50 90 100
Total coliform bacteria 6 8 7 9 7 10
10 –10 10 –10 10 –10
(number/100 ml)
Faecal sludge Characteristics
Characteristics Public Toilet or Bucket latrine Faecal Sludge
sludge
General Highly concentrated, mostly fresh FS of low concentration; usually
FS; stored for days or weeks only stored for several years; more
stabilized than Type “A”
COD (mg/l) 20,000 to 50,000 <15,000
COD/BOD 5:1 to 10:1 5:1 to 10:1
NH4-N (mg/l) 2,000 to 5,000 < 1000
TS (%) >3.5% < 3%
SS (mg/l) >30,000 7,000
Helminth Eggs 20,000 - 60,000 4,000
Quality Standards
Wastewater discharge
Parameter Inland surface Public Land for Marine Coastal Areas
water Sewers irrigation
BOD 20 (Metro and 350 100 100
state capital)
30 (Rest of India)
TSS 50 (Metro and 600 200 For process wastewater -100;
state capital) For cooling water effluent,
< 100 (Rest of 10% above total suspended
India) matter of influent.
pH 6.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0
Standards are aslo there for Nitrogen, Phosphorous etc.
Wastewater Treatment
Terminology
➢Unit operations – contaminant removal by physical forces
➢Unit processes – involving biological and/or chemical
reactions
➢Reactor – vessel or containment structure, along with all of
its appurtenances in which the unit operation/processes take
place
Terminology
➢Wastewater-treatment System
✓Composed of a combination of unit operations and
processes designed to reduce contaminant to an
acceptable level
➢Primary – removing solid particles from WW
✓Combines preliminary and primary sometimes
Terminology
• Wastewater-treatment System
• Secondary – biological conversion of dissolved and colloidal organics
into biomass that can be removed by settling.
• Suspending or attaching the biomass
• Producing excess biomass, bio-degradable through endogenous catabolism
and by other microbes.
• Sludge treatment- effluent sent back to plant; solids by land application,
incineration, or landfilling
• Waste Stabilization Pond – combined primary & secondary
Terminology
• Wastewater-treatment System
• Tertiary – further removal of suspended solids
• Removal of nutrients
• Filtration followed by chemical or biological methods
• Nitrification – De-nitrification – Phosphorous removal – Activated carbon –
Chlorination
WW Treatment Scheme
Source: MIT Openware
WW Treatment Scheme
ASP – Suspended culture
TF – Attached culture
Source: MIT Openware
WW Treatment Scheme
TF – Attached culture
Municipal STPs in India
• CPCB study (CPCB, 2015)
✓Sewage generation (urban areas) -
✓No. of STPS – 816
✓Total capacity: 23277MLD
✓Most commonly used technology: ASP based
Sewage Generation in India
[Link]
[Link]
Municipal STPs in India
• CPCB study (CPCB, 2015)
• No. of STPS – 816
• Total capacity: 23277MLD
• Most commonly used technology: ASP based
Sl. No. Status Nos. Of STPs Capacity (MLD)
1 Operational 522 18883.2
2 Non-operational 79 1237.16
3 Under Construction 145 2528.36
4 Proposed 70 628.64
5 Total 816 23277.36
Municipal STPs in India
Pi-chart show distribution of Number of STPs
(CPCB, 2015)
Municipal STPs in India
Pi-chart show distribution of capacity of STPs
(CPCB, 2015)
Schemes run by Indian govt to tackle
Water pollution
✓National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
✓Namami Gange Programme
✓National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
✓National Wetland Conservation Program (NWCP)
✓National Water Mission
National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
• Objectives:
• To prevent and control the pollution of rivers in
the country.
• To improve the water quality of rivers by
reducing the pollution load.
• To conserve and restore the ecological health
of rivers.
• To promote public awareness
• about the importance of river conservation and
water pollution control.
Credit:[Link]
National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)…
• Activities:
• Setting up of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and effluent treatment plants (ETPs)
• to treat domestic and industrial wastewater before discharging it into the rivers.
• Strengthening of existing STPs and ETPs
• to increase their capacity and efficiency.
• Construction of low-cost sanitation facilities in villages along the riverbanks
• to prevent open defecation and reduce the pollution load in the rivers.
• Identification and demarcation of river stretches
• that require immediate attention for pollution control measures.
National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
• Activities:
• Installation of monitoring stations
• to monitor the water quality of rivers at regular intervals.
• Awareness campaigns and capacity building activities
• for various stakeholders, including local communities, industries, and government
agencies.
• Setting up of River Front Development projects
• to promote river tourism and ecological restoration of riverbanks.
• Removal of encroachments and restoration of the natural flow of rivers.
Namami Gange Programme
• Objectives:
• To reduce the pollution load and
improve the water quality of the
river Ganga and its tributaries.
• To restore and maintain the
ecological health of the river basin.
• To promote sustainable water use
practices and ensure water security
in the river basin.
• To create public awareness and
promote public participation
• in the cleaning and conservation of
the river.
Namami Gange Programme
• Activities:
• Construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent
treatment plants (CETPs)
• to treat domestic and industrial wastewater before discharging it into the
river.
• Upgradation and modernization of existing STPs and CETPs
• to increase their efficiency and capacity.
• Setting up of decentralized wastewater treatment plants (DWTPs)
• in small towns and villages along the riverbank.
Credit: [Link]
Namami Gange Programme
• Activities:
• Construction of crematoria and ghats with facilities
• for the safe disposal of human and animal waste.
• Conservation and restoration of wetlands, floodplains, and riparian
vegetation
• to improve the ecological health of the river basin.
• Promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and better land use
management in the river basin
• to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run-off into the river.
Credit: [Link]
Namami Gange Programme
• Activities:
• Installation of real-time water quality monitoring systems
• to track the pollution levels in the river at regular intervals.
• Promotion of public awareness campaigns and community participation in
the conservation and cleaning of the river.
• Establishment of a river-centric planning and management framework for the
sustainable development of the river basin.
Credit: [Link]
National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
• Objectives:
• To improve the water quality of the lakes
and wetlands
• by reducing the pollution load and improving
the drainage system.
• To conserve and enhance the biodiversity
of the lakes and wetlands
• by promoting the conservation of natural
habitats and species.
• To promote the sustainable use of water
resources
• by encouraging the use of eco-friendly
practices and technologies.
Credit: [Link]
Conservation-of-Aquatic-Eco-systems_0.pdf
National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) …
• Activities:
• Identification and prioritization of lakes and wetlands
• for conservation and restoration based on their ecological significance and the level
of pollution.
• Development and implementation of lake-specific conservation and
management plans,
• including measures for the reduction of pollution load, improvement of drainage
systems, and restoration of natural habitats.
• Construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent
treatment plants (CETPs)
• to treat domestic and industrial wastewater before discharging it into the lakes.
Credit: [Link]
Conservation-of-Aquatic-Eco-systems_0.pdf
National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) …
• Activities:
• Construction of artificial wetlands and natural treatment systems
• for the treatment of wastewater and improvement of water quality.
• Restoration of natural habitats, including the creation of shallow water zones,
riparian vegetation, and wetlands
• to promote biodiversity conservation.
• Promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and better land use
management in the lake catchment areas
• to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run-off into the lakes.
Credit: [Link]
Conservation-of-Aquatic-Eco-systems_0.pdf
National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) …
• Activities:
• Promotion of eco-friendly tourism and recreational activities
• to promote the sustainable use of water resources.
• Installation of real-time water quality monitoring systems
• to track the pollution levels in the lakes at regular intervals.
• Promotion of public awareness campaigns and community participation in
the conservation and cleaning of the lakes and wetlands.
Credit: [Link]
Conservation-of-Aquatic-Eco-systems_0.pdf
National Wetland Conservation Program (NWCP)
• Objectives:
• To conserve and restore wetlands in the country
• by protecting them from degradation and
destruction.
• To promote sustainable use of wetlands
• by encouraging best practices and technologies for
their conservation and management.
• To promote awareness and involvement of local
communities and stakeholders in the
conservation and management of wetlands.
• To ensure the wise use of wetlands for the
benefit of people and the environment.
Credit: [Link]
National Wetland Conservation Program (NWCP) …
• Activities:
• Identification and mapping of wetlands in the country
• using remote sensing and GIS technology.
• Development and implementation of wetland-specific conservation and
management plans,
• which include measures for their protection, restoration, and management.
• Promotion of sustainable practices for the use and management of wetlands,
• such as ecotourism, fisheries, and traditional livelihoods.
• Establishment of monitoring and evaluation systems
• for tracking the changes in the condition and functioning of wetlands over time.
Credit: [Link]
National Wetland Conservation Program (NWCP) …
• Activities:
• Encouragement of research and development
• for the conservation and management of wetlands.
• Capacity building of stakeholders,
• including local communities, government agencies, NGOs, and private sector
stakeholders.
• Promotion of public awareness campaigns and community participation in
the conservation and management of wetlands.
• Implementation of policy and legal measures
• for the protection and conservation of wetlands.
Credit: [Link]
National Water Mission
• Objectives:
• Conservation of water resources:
• to conserve water resources through various
measures like rainwater harvesting,
groundwater recharge, and watershed
development.
• Improvement in water use efficiency:
• to improve water use efficiency across all
sectors, including agriculture, industry, and
domestic use.
• Sustainable water management:
• to promote sustainable water management
practices by developing policies and regulations to
manage water resources.
Credit: [Link]
National Water Mission…
• Objectives:
• Promotion of water-efficient technologies:
• The mission aims to promote the adoption
of water-efficient technologies like drip
irrigation, micro-irrigation, and other water-
saving devices.
• Awareness and capacity building:
• The mission aims to create awareness
among the general public about the
importance of water conservation and
• to build capacity among stakeholders to
implement water conservation measures
effectively.
Credit: [Link]
National Water Mission …
• Activities:
• Developing a National Water Policy and a framework for water governance.
• Conducting research and developing technologies
• to improve water use efficiency and promote sustainable water management.
• Implementing programs
• to promote rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and watershed
development.
Credit: [Link]
National Water Mission …
• Activities:
• Setting up monitoring systems
• to track water use and water quality across various sectors.
• Developing training programs and awareness campaigns
• to promote water conservation practices among the general public and
stakeholders.
• Developing partnerships and collaborations
• with various organizations to implement water conservation initiatives effectively.
Credit: [Link]