By
Dr Emmanuel Odjadjare
MICROBIOLOGY OF SEWAGE TREATMENT & DISPOSAL
Introduction
Industrial revolution and population growth has resulted
in the generation of increasingly large volume of wastes
These wastes contain pollutants which may be harmful to
the environment and public health
Hence the essence of treating waste is to eliminate or
drastically reduce pollutant content before discharge
Our focus in this class shall be on treatment and disposal
of sewage/wastewater
Sewage is used interchangeably with wastewaster in
course of this presentation
Outline
Types of sewage treatment facilities Activated sludge system
Microbiology of activated sludge
Stages of treatment of wastewater Regulatory standards for wastewater effluent quality
Effectiveness of wastewater treatment
Consequences of inadequate wastewater treatment Microbial pathogens in wastewater
Types of Sewage Treatment Facilities
Sewage treatment facilities vary from country to country
and from community to community within the same country
It also varies with social status
The degree of treatment vary with the end use or
application of the sewage
Oxidation ponds
They are effective, low-cost, and simple technology for
reducing the BOD of a wastewater before it is discharged to an aquatic ecosystem
It consists of ring or oval shaped channel equipped with
mechanical aeration devices
Screened sewage entering the pond, is aerated by
mechanical devices
Oxidation ponds typically operate in an extended aeration
mode with long detention and solids retention times
Anaerobic pond
Consists of a relatively deep (3-4 m) pond which ensures
anaerobiosis
The process is mediated by anaerobic bacteria; producing
CH4 & CO2,
Used prior to aerobic treatment, an anaerobic system can be
very effective and economical for removing high concentrations of BOD5 and COD
Works well in warm climates
Can remove up to 60% BOD @ 20 oC & as much as 75% at
25oC
Aerobic ponds
This wastewater treatment facility contains bacteria and
algae in suspension
maintains aerobic conditions throughout its depth There are two types of aerobic ponds: shallow ponds aerated ponds
Shallow pond
Shallow aerobic ponds obtain their dissolved oxygen via two
processes:
oxygen transfer between air and water surface, and oxygen produced by photosynthetic algae Can remove up 95% soluble BOD effluent contains large amount of algae
Aerated ponds
It is similar to an oxidation pond except that it is deeper
and mechanical aeration devices are used to transfer oxygen into the deeper portions of the pond
The aeration device also facilitates a proper mix of the
wastewater and bacteria
The main advantage of the aerated pond is that they
require less area than oxidation ponds
The disadvantage is that the mechanical aeration devices
require maintenance and external energy source
Facultative ponds
Ponds operate in a facultative manner having aerobic and
anaerobic zones
Solids from the incoming waste settle into the anaerobic
sludge near the bottom of the pond and are degraded anaerobically
releasing soluble degradable organic material and
nutrients which diffuse upwards in the pond
oxygen is supplied by algal photosynthesis and to a limited
extent by diffusion from the air
bacterial respiration is "facultative at middle zone
Trickling filter
Consists of a bed of porous material (rocks, slag, plastic) Microbes in the wastewater attach themselves to the bed or
filter media
Microbial degradation (aerobic) takes place as wastewater
flows through the media
The wastewater is then collected at the bottom through an
under drain system
The effluent is settled by gravity to remove biological solids
prior to being discharged
Rotating Biological Contractors (RBCs)
A number of circular plastic disc are mounted on a central
shaft These discs are submerged and rotated in a tank containing the wastewater to be treated
Microorganisms responsible for treatment become
attached to the disc and rotate into and out of the wastewater
RBCs have also been developed for the biological treatment
of odours
The RBCs have been used in treating winery wastewater and
other domestic and industrial effluents
The Activated Sludge System
The most widely applied Biological treatment of sewage
The primary objective of the system is the removal of
soluble biodegradable compounds
It also removes pathogens from the water supply removal efficiency of pathogens and indicator microbes
vary with the treatment process, type, retention time, other biological flora present in activated sludge, oxygen concentration, pH, temperature and the efficiency in removing suspended solids
Stages of treatment of sewage: The Activated Sludge Process
Microbiology of activated sludge
A mixed microbial community is involved
Aerobic condition ensures aerobic biological degradation
The microbes employ the organic matter in the sewage as
source of carbon and energy to develop their biomass
In the process organic matter is degraded & BOD reduced Other microbes are involved in mineralization of inorganic
compounds such as N, P, etc
The entire microbial community is collectively called the
activated sludge
Members of this community include: bacteria, fungi,
viruses, protozoa, and helminths
The make up of the community depends on factors such as: the physical & chemical nature of the sewage and specific characteristics of individual members of the
biological community
Regulatory standards for wastewater effluent quality
To Protect the environment and public health Regulatory agencies are usually set up to formulate
guidelines & regulations necessary to ensure good sewage effluent quality for various purposes
Regulatory guidelines vary from country to country and
some cases among states within a country
These guidelines normally sets allowable limits for various
pollutants contributable by sewage
Effectiveness of wastewater treatment
effectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment
processes is increasingly becoming due to new challenges:
increased knowledge about the consequences of water
pollution resulting in stricter regulations
Industrial growth and increasing population coupled with
diminishing water resources
Other challenges affecting effective sewage treatment
include:
old and worn-out collection facilities requiring the character and quantity of contaminants are more
complex in relation to the original design of plants
farm runoff and increasing urbanization provide additional
sources of pollution not controlled by conventional wastewater treatment
The inadequacy of conventional disinfectant to remove
some resistant pathogens like viruses and protozoa
Consequences of inadequate wastewater treatment The consequences of discharging untreated or inadequately
treated wastewater into the environment are as diverse as they are many
These include: Eutrophication
DO depletion
Sedimentation may result in destruction of aquatic habitats
Acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic life from chemical
contaminants
Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals in
the food chain
Release of pathogens of public health significance
through consumption of contaminated drinking water or water used in food processing
Carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting substances as
well as pharmaceuticals can pass through even the most advanced wastewater treatment systems
Socio-economic impact
