Domestic Wastewater & Its Characteristics

Domestic wastewater, also known as sewage or municipal wastewater, refers to the water that has
been used in households, businesses, and certain industries, which is then drained through the
sewer system. This wastewater originates from various everyday activities such as bathing, cooking,
cleaning, and toilet flushing.

Domestic Wastewater Characteristics in Short and Simple Way

1. Physical Characteristics:

o Color: Grayish, can get darker over time.

o Odor: Unpleasant smell due to organic matter.

o Solids:

▪ Total Solids (TS): All dissolved and suspended matter.

▪ Suspended Solids (SS): Particles like silt and debris.

▪ Dissolved Solids (DS): Salts and minerals dissolved in water.

2. Chemical Characteristics:

o Organic Matter:

▪ Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): Oxygen needed by microbes to break

down organic matter.

▪ Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): Total oxygen required to oxidize all

organic and inorganic substances.

o Nutrients:

▪ Nitrogen: Ammonia, nitrates, and organic nitrogen compounds.

▪ Phosphorus: Mostly from detergents and human waste.

o Pathogens: Harmful microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

o pH: Measure of acidity or alkalinity (typically 6.5 to 8.5).

o Inorganic Compounds: Salts, metals, and minerals.

3. Biological Characteristics:

o Microorganisms: Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.

o Algae: Can grow in nutrient-rich water.

Domestic Wastewater Disposal in Urban and Rural Areas

Domestic wastewater disposal is a crucial aspect of managing human activities' impact on the
environment and public health. The approaches to wastewater disposal can differ significantly
between urban and rural areas due to varying population densities, infrastructure, and available
resources.
Urban Areas

Characteristics: Urban areas have high population densities, well-developed infrastructure, and
higher volumes of wastewater. Effective wastewater management in these areas is critical to prevent
pollution, public health issues, and environmental degradation.

1. Sewerage Systems:

o Description: Most urban areas utilize centralized sewerage systems to collect and
transport wastewater from homes, businesses, and industries to treatment facilities.

o Components:

▪ Collection Systems: Network of pipes, pumps, and lift stations that transport
wastewater.

▪ Treatment Plants: Facilities that process and treat wastewater to remove

contaminants.

▪ Discharge Points: Locations where treated water is released into rivers,

lakes, or oceans.

2. Wastewater Treatment:

o Primary Treatment: Removal of large solids and sedimentation of suspended solids.

o Secondary Treatment: Biological processes to degrade organic matter using aerobic

or anaerobic microorganisms.

o Tertiary Treatment: Advanced processes to remove residual contaminants, nutrients,

and pathogens. Methods include filtration, chemical treatment, and disinfection
(chlorination, UV radiation, or ozonation).

3. Challenges in Urban Wastewater Management:

o Aging Infrastructure: Many urban areas face issues with old and deteriorating sewer
systems, leading to leaks, blockages, and overflows.

o Population Growth: Rapid urbanization increases the volume of wastewater,

straining existing systems.

o Pollution Control: Ensuring that treated wastewater meets environmental standards

to prevent water pollution.

o Stormwater Management: Combined sewer systems can overflow during heavy

rains, causing untreated wastewater to discharge into water bodies.

Rural Areas

Characteristics: Rural areas generally have lower population densities, dispersed settlements, and
limited infrastructure. Wastewater management solutions in these areas often need to be simple,
cost-effective, and suitable for decentralized implementation.

1. On-Site Sanitation Systems:

 o Septic Tanks:

▪ Description: Most common in rural areas. Wastewater is treated on-site in

underground tanks where solids settle, and liquids are dispersed into the soil
through a drain field.

▪ Components: Septic tank, inlet and outlet pipes, baffles, drain field.

▪ Functioning: Solids settle at the bottom, forming sludge. Oils and grease
float to the top, forming scum. Liquid effluent exits the tank into a drain field
for further treatment through soil filtration.

o Pit Latrines:

▪ Description: Simple toilets with a hole in the ground. Common in areas

without piped water.

▪ Types: Traditional pit latrines, ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines.

▪ Functioning: Waste decomposes and drains into the soil. VIP latrines have a
vent pipe to reduce odors and fly breeding.

o Composting Toilets:

▪ Description: Waterless toilets that decompose human waste into compost.

▪ Components: A chamber for composting, ventilation systems, access for

removing compost.

▪ Functioning: Waste is mixed with carbon-rich materials (e.g., sawdust) and

decomposes aerobically. End product can be used as fertilizer after complete
decomposition.

** Detailed Overview of Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Domestic wastewater treatment is an essential process that involves the removal of contaminants
from wastewater originating from homes, businesses, and industries. The goal is to produce water
that is safe for discharge into the environment or for reuse. The treatment process typically involves
several stages, each designed to progressively remove different types of contaminants. Below is a
detailed explanation of each stage involved in domestic wastewater treatment.

Preliminary Treatment

Objective: To remove large solids and grit to protect the subsequent treatment processes.

1. Screening:

o Purpose: To remove large objects such as rags, sticks, plastics, and other debris.

o Process: Wastewater flows through screens that trap large materials. The trapped
materials are then removed and disposed of, often through incineration or landfill.

2. Grit Removal:
 o Purpose: To eliminate heavy particles such as sand, gravel, and other inorganic
materials.

o Process: Grit chambers are used where the velocity of the water is controlled to
allow grit to settle at the bottom while the lighter organic matter remains suspended
and continues through the treatment process.

Primary Treatment

Objective: To remove settleable organic and inorganic solids by sedimentation and floating materials
like grease and oils.

1. Sedimentation Tanks (Primary Clarifiers):

o Purpose: To allow heavier solids to settle to the bottom and lighter materials to float
to the top.

o Process: Wastewater enters large tanks where it is held for several hours. Solids
settle at

the bottom as sludge, and lighter materials such as fats, oils, and grease float to the top and are
skimmed off. The settled sludge is collected and transported to sludge treatment facilities, while the
clarified water moves to secondary treatment.

Secondary Treatment

Objective: To remove dissolved and suspended biological matter using microbial processes.

1. Activated Sludge Process:

o Purpose: To biologically degrade organic matter using aerobic microorganisms.

o Process: Wastewater is mixed with a small amount of sludge containing bacteria and
aerated in large tanks. The bacteria consume organic pollutants, forming flocs. The
mixture then flows to secondary clarifiers where the flocs settle as secondary sludge.
Part of this sludge is recycled back to the aeration tanks to maintain the microbial
population, and the rest is sent to sludge treatment.

2. Trickling Filters:

o Purpose: To remove organic matter through microbial action on a fixed medium.

o Process: Wastewater is sprayed over a bed of media (stones, plastic, or other

materials) where a biofilm of microorganisms grows. As the water trickles over the
media, the microorganisms consume organic pollutants. The treated water then
flows to secondary clarifiers for further settling of any remaining solids.

3. Lagoons/Ponds:

o Purpose: To treat wastewater using natural biological processes.

o Process: Wastewater is held in large, shallow ponds where sunlight, algae, and
microorganisms interact to degrade organic matter. These systems can be aerobic or
anaerobic depending on the design and aeration methods used.

Tertiary Treatment
Objective: To further polish the effluent by removing additional contaminants such as nutrients,
pathogens, and fine suspended solids.

1. Filtration:

o Purpose: To remove fine suspended solids and residual organic matter.

o Process: Water passes through filters made of sand, activated carbon, or

membranes. Sand filters trap particles, while activated carbon adsorbs organic
compounds and certain chemicals. Membrane filtration (microfiltration,
ultrafiltration) physically separates contaminants based on size.

2. Disinfection:

o Purpose: To eliminate pathogenic microorganisms to protect public health.

o Methods:

▪ Chlorination: Adding chlorine or chlorine compounds to kill bacteria and

viruses. Residual chlorine must be carefully controlled to avoid
environmental harm.

▪ Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation: Exposing water to UV light, which damages the

DNA of microorganisms, rendering them inactive.

▪ Ozonation: Using ozone gas to oxidize and destroy pathogens. Ozone

decomposes back to oxygen, leaving no harmful residues.

3. Nutrient Removal:

o Purpose: To remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus, which can cause

eutrophication in receiving waters.

o Process: Biological nutrient removal (BNR) involves various microbial processes:

▪ Nitrification-Denitrification: Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate,

and denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate to nitrogen gas, which is released to
the atmosphere.

▪ Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR): Specific bacteria

(polyphosphate-accumulating organisms) uptake and store phosphorus,
which is later removed with the sludge.