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Screening and Skimming in

the Treatment of Sewage |
Sanitary Engineering
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In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Introduction to

Screening and Skimming 2. Purpose of Screening 3.
Types of Screens 4. Factors to be Considered for
Designing Screens 5. Disposal of Screenings 6. Removal
of Oil, Grease, Etc. 7. Flotation 8. Skimming Tanks 9.
Disposal of Skimming.

Introduction to Screening and Skimming:

Sewage contains suspended and floating matters in it.
The suspended matters are of large size such as tree
leaves, paper, gravel; timber-pieces etc. as well as of
small size such as sand, silt etc. The large size
suspended and floating matters can be removed by
passing sewage through screens.

The process of removing the large matters from sewage

by passing it through screens is called screening. The
Highway Drainage: Need and Types of Highway
floating
Drainage matters such as oils, grease etc. are removed
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from the sewage by skimming tanks and this process of
removing is called skimming.

Purpose of Screening:
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Screening is an essential step in sewage treatment from

removal of materials, which would otherwise damage
the plant, interfere with the satisfactory operation of
treatment units or equipment or cause objectionable
share line conditions if disposed off in sea. Screens are
provided ahead of pumping stations, meters and as a
first step in all treatment works.

This is the first treatment or operation which is carried

out at the treatment plants.

Following are the main purposes of the screening:

(i) To remove the floating solids which may clog the

pumps at the treatment plants and outfall.

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(ii) To remove the solids from the sewage which will
form ugly sludge banks at the site of sewage disposal,
when the sewage is given only primary treatment.

(iii) To remove the solids which will clog the trickling

filters and will also interfere with the aeration in the
activated sludge treatment units.

Types of Screens:
A screen is a device with openings generally of uniform
size for removing bigger suspended or floating matter in
sewage. The screening element may consist of parallel
bars, rods, gratings or wire-meshes or perforated plates
and the openings may be of any shape although
generally they are circular or rectangular.

All types of screens can be classified as:

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(i) Racks or bar-screens.

(ii) Perforated or fine screens.

(iii) Communiters or cutting screens.

The classifications can also be done as:

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(a) Coarse, medium or fine screen (on their opening

size).

(b) Disc, band, drum, wings or cage etc. (on their

shapes).

(c) Hand or mechanical cleaned screens.

(d) Fixed, moving or moveable screens.

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(i) Bar-Screens:
The bar-screens may be coarse or medium size
screens. The coarse screens essentially consist of steel
bars or flats placed vertically or at an inclination to the
horizontal. The openings between the bars are 5 cm or
above. These racks are placed in the screens chamber
provided in the way of sewer line.

The racks remove the rags, sticks, dead animals etc.

from the sewage and prevent the sewage pumps
against damage. Fig. 13.1 shows the plan and elevation
of most common type coarse rack used in the sewage
works.

The width of the rack channel should be sufficient so

that self-cleaning velocity should be available. In Fig.
13.1 a by-pass channel is shown which prevents the
overtopping. The by-pass channel is provided with
vertical bar screen. A well-drained trough is provided for
storing the impurities while cleaning the racks. These
racks can be cleaned manually or mechanically.

Medium size screens are similar to the coarse screens,

the only difference being in the size of opening between
the bars which is between 2 cm to 5 cm. Bars are
usually 10 mm thick on the upstream side and taper
slightly to the downstream side. These mechanically
racked units are used before all pumps or treatment
units.

The bars used for the screens are rectangular in cross-

section usually about 10mm x 50 mm and are placed
with the larger dimension parallel to the flow. A weir on
the side of the screen may be used as an overflow by-
pass.

The racks arc designed in such a way that the

maximum loss of head after clogging should not exceed
75 cm. To compensate for this loss of head in racks, the
floor of the rack chamber is kept 10-15 cm below the
bed of the sewer as shown in Fig. 13.1.
(ii) Fine Screens:

When the sewage is disposed of into a body of water, it

becomes necessary to remove the unsightly floating
matter so that they may not cause sight nuisance in the
natural water courses. It is done by passing the sewage
through tine screens.

This screening of sewage also increases the efficiency

of the chlorination. The fine screens are mostly
manufactured from metal plates having slotted
perforations. The sizes of these slotted perforations are
between 1.5 mm to 0.7 mm × 50 mm spaced closely.

Fine screens may be of the drum or disc type,

mechanically cleaned and continuously operated. Fine
screens have usually a net submerged open area of net
less than 0.05 m2 for every 1000 m3 of average daily
flow of sewage from a separate system, the
corresponding figure being 0.075 m2 for combined
systems. They are also used for beach protection where
sewage without any further treatment is discharged into
sea for disposal by dilution.

Fig. 13.2 shows such a fine screen of disc type which is

cleaned by brush. These screens are less common now-
a-days, because their efficiency is low, have high
maintenance cost and difficulty in the disposal of
screening materials. These may be of disc type or drum
type.
(iii) Communiters:

These are cutting screens, which are very popular in

modern sewage works due to their efficiency and less
maintenance cost. Fig. 13.3 illustrates a communiter in
which a cutting screen drum continuously revolves and
removes the fine suspended impurities from the
sewage.
Fig. 13.4 illustrates another type of cutting screen,
commonly known as Shredder or disintegrator, which is
also employed for the same purpose.

Other Types of Screens:

Following are some other types of screens which are

not commonly used:

(a) Cage screen:

It mainly consists of a rectangular bar with the sides

made of parallel bars with the upstream side of the cage
omitted the bottom and the top of the cage-screens are
made up of solid or of perforated metal plates.

(b) Band screen:

The band screen is in the shape of a cylinder (or cone)

made of perforated plates which rotates on a horizontal
axis. Sometimes the cone is also manufactured with
wires of non-corrosive metals instead of perforated
plates.

Fixed screens are those screens which are permanently

fixed in the position and are cleaned by means of rakes
or teeth by pulling them over.

Moveable screens are designed in such a manner that

when they are not in operation or use, they are lifted or
taken out from the sewage for purpose of cleaning or
other work. These screens are designed in such a way
that they remain in continuous movement during their
operation.

Factors to be Considered for Designing

Screens:
Total area of screens required can be found out by
assuming a suitable, velocity and determining the depth
of submergence of the screen at the time of this
velocity.

Following factors are to be considered:

(i) The velocity of flow should be kept reasonably

constant and it may be taken as about 1 m/sec at an
average flow of sewage.

(ii) Excess openings to the tune of 100% should be

provided.

(iii) The slope of screens should be between 30° to 60°.

(iv) A perforated platform for temporary dewatering

should be provided because the sewage contains about
90% to 95% of water.

(v) The maximum depth at screen should be about 1 m.

(vi) The detention period should be assumed as zero.

Disposal of Screenings:
When sewage is passed through screens, the
suspended and floating matters larger than the
openings of the screens, cannot pass through the
screens and are removed from the sewage. These
removed material are continuously deposited on the
screens. After some time when the screens become
partially clogged, they are cleaned and the screenings
are taken away for disposal.

The quantity of the racking and screening depends on

the size of the openings through which sewage passes.
The courser screens collect less quantity than tine
screens. The screening contains more than 80%
moisture and the remaining organic and inorganic
matter. The screenings obtained from the fine and
medium screens are highly offensive and pitiable in
nature, therefore require quick disposal.

These are various methods for the disposal of

screenings, which may be classified as:

(i) Burial:

The medium size screening can be disposed of by this

method. In this method trenches are excavated on the
ground and the screenings are buried into them. The
trenches are immediately covered with soil after
burying. During cleaning the racks, if the screening
matter starts giving foul smell, it can be prevented by
sprinkling lime powder over it.

(ii) Incineration:

In this method the screening matter is burnt in air.

Before burning, it is necessary to dry the screening first,
by spreading it over the ground and exposing it to the
sun. The partially dry screening can be burnt by adding
oil, pulverized coal or other types of fuel in it. This
method is costly, therefore, it is not commonly used.

(ii) Digestion:

The screenings obtained from the fine screens can be

placed in sludge digestion tanks. In this method, the
screening is digested with the sludge. Screenings
obtained from communiters and shredder can be
disposed of by this method.

Removal of Oil, Grease, Etc.:

Mostly all types of sewage contains floating matters
such as grease, oils, fats etc. The sources of these
floating matters are kitchens, garages, soap-industries
etc. These matters form scum over the surface of the
sewage and interfere with various sewage treatment
operations.

Due to the following difficulties, the removal of greasy

and oily matters from the sewage is necessary:
(i) They form scum in the sedimentation tanks.

(ii) They clog the fine screens.

(iii) They considerably reduce the efficiency of the

activated sludge process.

(iv) They decrease the biological growth due to which

various bacteria and protozoa cannot perform their
work.

(v) They occupy large space resulting in the decrease in

the efficiency of sewage treatment process and
increase their maintenance cost.

(vi) They form unsightly scum and other odourous

matter when the sewage is discharged into natural
water courses. The presence of scum reduces the
reaeration of the water courses and causes anaerobic
conditions.

(vii) They interfere with the operation of the trickling filter

and inhibit the biological growth. The biological
treatment of the sewage is adversely affected.

Floatation:
All the lighter matters than water float on its surface. If
the sewage is allowed to remain quiescent, then oils,
fats, grease etc. will rise to the surface of sewage, where
they will form scum, which can be easily removed by
hand or mechanically. If the sewage is flowing, then
most of these materials will remain in suspension or
mixed condition, therefore, for their removal its sewage
must be first brought in quiescent condition.

If sewage is filled in a tank and is allowed to remain at

rest, large oily matters will rise more rapidly than smaller
ones. Therefore, the quantity of oily and greasy matters
rising at the surface will directly depend upon the
detention period.

In practice, it is not possible to allow such a longer

detention period, so that all these matters may reach
the surface. The efficiency of floatation can be
increased if the sewage contains large amount of air
bubbles in it, because the air bubbles will rise up and will
lift solids upwards. Only smaller bubbles do this work,
larger bubbles have no lifting value.

The lighter matters from the sewage can be more

efficiently removed by passing compressed air in the
bottom of the tank or by applying a vacuum above the
sewage surface. The air bubbles impart sufficient
buoyancy to lift the oils, grease, fats etc.

Skimming Tanks:
These tanks are used for removing oil, grease and fats
of the sewage. This tank is in the form of long, trough-
shaped structure. Tank surface is made as large as
possible, and the sides narrow down at a steep angle.
Detention period of 3 min is provided in these tanks.

To prevent heavy solids from settling in the bed,

compressed air is blown through the diffusers placed in
the floor of the tank. Two vertical baffle walls are
provided in the tank, which divide it into three
compartments as shown in Fig. 13.5.

The vertical baffles do not touch the bed of the tank.

When compressed air is circulated, the oily matters rise
upward and are collected in the side trough, from where
they are removed. The sewage enters the tank from
inlet, all the oily matters are collected in the through. The
outlet conduit is given such a slope that grit is swept up
on its slope and is removed out of the tank.

q = rate of flow of sewage in m3/day

Vr = Minimum rising velocity of the oily material to be
removed in metre/minute.

= 0.25 m/minutes for most of the cases.

The aeration which is done in the skimming tanks has

the following advantages in addition to the removal of
the oily matters:

(a) The sewage becomes fresh i.e. oxygen contents are

increased.

(b) Objectionable gases such as H2S are expelled from

the sewage.

(c) The flocculation of the colloidal matters takes place

and they are easily removed in the sedimentation tanks.

It has been observed that if chlorine gas at the rate of

1.5 mg/litre of sewage is applied along with the
compressed air, the percentage of grease removal shall
be increased by 300 to 400 percent. Foaming and
floatation agents such as oil, resin, grease, glue etc.
Help in the promotion of scum formation and also
enhance the grease removal. The action of these agents
is similar to those of coagulants in the sedimentation
with the coagulations.

If the sewage is subjected to the vacuum for 10-15

minutes, the grease can also be removed from sewage.

Disposal of Skimming:
The disposal of the skimming obtained from the
skimming tanks can be done for the manufacture of the
soap, lubricants, wax, pitch and other non-edible
products. The skimming’s are usually disposed of by
burning or burying in the ground. If the mineral oils are
present in small quantity and more quantity of organic
and vegetable oils are present, these can be used in the
production of the fuel gas.

In hot countries, it is difficult to skim out the greasy and

oily matter, because these do not easily congeal. In
Indian climatic conditions, the skimming tanks are not
required. But in few industrial towns, they may be
provided.

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