Disposal by Land Application /Land

 In this method, the sewage effluent is generally disposed off by applying it on

land
 to achieve a designed degree of treatment through natural processes within
the ground – water – (& or plant) matrix.

 Types
1. SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS
Used in single dwellings and small clusters of dwellings (usually
originally treated by means of septic tank)

2. LAND SURFACE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS

spreading for infiltration (high or slow rate) or overland flow, Used for
pretreated municipal effluents
1
Disposal by Land Application /Subsurface
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

Land surface disposal systems

 are used to dispose off pretreated municipal effluents

 Three main land disposal systems used for pretreated municipal effluents:
i. Slow-Rate Systems (SR)
ii. Rapid Infiltration Systems (RI)
iii. Overland Flow (OF)
Disposal by Land Application /Surface
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

i. Slow rate systems

 Used to further treat wastewater effluent via contact with the soil-vegetation
system
 Organics are removed mainly within the first 1 - 2cm by, adsorption filtration
and then biological oxidation
 Particulate material is filtered through the soil matrix
 Nitrogen is removed by:
• Vegetation uptake (varies with type of plant grown)
• Retention within soil matrix
• Biological de-nitrification
• Ammonia volatilization

 Phosphorus removal via crop uptake and fixation processes in the soil matrix.
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

 Used in agricultural, turf (e.g., golf courses, parks), and forest systems
 Used when stringent requirements are placed on pathogens,

 HLR is based on the fact that runoff of applied water should be zero /soil
permeability/ or based on N limit
*based on soil permeability

LW(P)
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

*Based on Nitrogen limit

0.15-0.25
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

ii. Rapid infiltration rate systems

• Much of the applied wastewater percolates through the soil and is treated
through downward flow
• Vegetation is NOT a part of the treatment
• BOD, SS, FC are almost completely removed by filtering & straining action

• On appropriate hydraulic loading cycles N removal (de-nitrification) can

meet discharge standards (G.W.)
• P-removal by fixation processes in the soil matrix. (depend on td, travel
distance in soil…)

• Application is not continuous, instead, application periods are alternated

with drying periods to result in alternating aerobic & anaerobic soil
conditions for significant N removal.
• Hydraulic loading rate is …………..
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

iii.Overland flow systems

 Applying of previously treated wastewater effluents to a vegetation-
covered, graded land which flows down to runoff collection ditch
 Applied via grated pipes or nozzles at top of slope or by sprinkler systems
within the site
 Best suited for sites with relatively impermeable soils
 Removal mechanisms same as SR
 P removal 40-60% …. Due to limited contact of ww with soil matrix
Perennial grasses used for:
 Erosion control
 Slope stability
 Effluent treatment
• Based on empirical procedures
Disposal by Land Application /Surface
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface
Example
A town having a population of 40,000 disposes sewage by land treatment. It
gets a per capita assured water supply from water works at a rate of
130l/d. Assuming that the land used for sewage disposal can absorb 80m3
of sewage per hectare per day, determine the land area required.

Solution
Total water supplied per day = 40,000*130l/d = 5,200m3/d
Assuming 80% of the water appears as sewage,
Quantity of sewage produced per day = 0.8 * 5,200m3/d = 4,160m3/d
Therefore the total area of land required for disposing sewage,

Provide 50% reserve area for resting the land

Therefore total land area = 1.5 * 52 =78ha 17
 Disposal by Land Application /Surface

Exercise
2.A town disposes sewage by land treatment. It has a sewage farm of area
150 ha. The area included an extra provision of 50% for rest and rotation.
The population of the town being 50,000 and rate of water supply 140 l/c/d.
If 75% of the water is converted into sewage, determine the consuming
capacity of the soil.

18
19
Source of sludge
The
SETTLEABLE
solids
separated from
liquids
during
processing.

20
Introduction to sludge

Sludge composition
Objective of sludge management

22
Main type of sludge treatment

23
incineration

Other
uses
 Main type of sludge treatment
1. Sludge Thickening
is a procedure used to remove water /moisture and increase the solids content
(decrease volume of sludge to be handled)
Can increase solids ratio from 1% to 10%*** in WWTP
Thickening is generally accomplished by physical means, including
•gravity settling,
•flotation,
•centrifugation/rotary drum, and
•gravity belt.

They generally produce a still pumpable but thickened sludge.

The volume reduction obtained by sludge concentration is beneficial to
subsequent, treatment processes

25
 Main type of sludge treatment
• gravity settling,
 The equipment is similar in design to a conventional sedimentation basin.
 The normal solids loading rates range from 30 to 60 kg solids per m2 of tank
bottom per day (Hammer 1986)
 A typical design is a circular tank with a side depth of 3 to 4 m and a floor
sloping at 1:4 to 1:6.

26
 Main type of sludge treatment
2. Sludge Digestion /stabilization Process
The sludge withdrawn from the sedimentation basins contains a lot of
putrescible organic matter (still cabale of decaying), and

if disposed off without any treatment, the organic matter may decompose,
producing foul gases and a lot of nuisance, pollution and health hazards.
to convert the organic solids to a more refractory or inert form.

Makes sludge easier to dewater (the higher VS the more difficult dewatering)

Reduces pathogens & also reduces the TS by about 50%***.

Therefore, the sludge should be stabilized by decomposing the organic matter

under controlled conditions,
and then disposed off suitably after dewatering and drying
 Main type of sludge treatment

 The principal methods used for stabilization of sludge are

(1) alkaline stabilization usually with lime;
(2) anaerobic digestion;
(3) aerobic digestion and
(4) composting.
Composting is nature's way of recycling.
Composting biodegrades organic waste.
 Main type of sludge treatment
• Anaerobic digestion
 organic matter is converted to
methane, carbon dioxide, and water
in the absence of oxygen.

 Anaerobic digestion involves three basic successive phases of fermentation:

- hydrolysis, (break down of organic matters into soluble organic fatty
acids, alcohols CO2 & NH4)
- acid formation, (Covert to short chain organic acids
- methane formation

29
 Main type of sludge treatment
• The configuration of an anaerobic digester is typically a single-stage (low
rate) or two-stage (high rate) process
 Main type of sludge treatment
 The most important factors affecting the performance of anaerobic digesters
are; solids residence time, temperature, pH, and toxic materials.

 Typically, design SRT values are

• 30 to 60 days for low-rate digesters and
• 10 to 20 days for high-rate digesters

 A typical design peak volatile solids loading rate is 1.9-2.5 kg VS/(m3/ d)

 The methane bacteria are active in temperature of 27 to 43oC (mesophilic

range)

 Optimum methane production typically occurs when the pH is maintained

between 6.8 and 6.2.
 Toxic materials can inhibit or upset the process of performance
 Main type of sludge treatment

• Gas production is one of the important parameters for measuring the

performance of the digester.

• The quantity of methane gas produced can be computed by the following

equation (McCarty, 1964)
V = volume of methane produced, L/d
350 = theoretical conversion factor
(methane produced per kg of BOD, 350L/kg
Q = flow rate m3/d
So & S = influent and effluent ultimate BOD
(mg/L)
Px = net mass of cell tissue produced, kg/d
 Main type of sludge treatment
Sludge conditioning Process
Sludge conditioning is undertaken before sludge dewatering (to prepare the
sludge for dewatering processes)
can involve chemical and/or physical treatment to enhance water removal.
Chemicals used for sludge conditioning include
- inorganic compounds such as lime, pebble quicklime, ferric chloride, alum, &
- organic polymers
Physical conditioning includes
- Thermal conditioning (When the organic sludge is heated, heat causes
water to escape from the sludge, bio-solid cell-wall)and
- Elutriation (a washing process, sludge is mixed with a liquid for the
purpose of transferring certain soluble organic or inorganic components to the
liquid. )
 Main type of sludge treatment
Dewatering
 The primary objective of dewatering is to reduce sludge moisture.
 Form a cake which generally contains more than 20% ***dry solids
(equivalent to 1 kg dry sludge with 4 L of water). The sludge can then be
handled like a solid.
 Dewatered sludge is easier to handle than thickened or liquid sludge
→ it reduces the costs of pumping and hauling to the disposal site.
 Sludge can be dewatered by;

→slow natural evaporation and percolation,

(in drying beds or drying lagoons) or

→ mechanical devices, such as;

vacuum filtration, pressure filtration (filter press),
centrifugation, or recessed plate filtration. 34
Conditioning
dewatering
 Disposal of Dewatered Sludge

Incineration
 Although there are many incinerator designs,
the rotary hearth is quite common
 reduces the weight of feed sludge requiring
disposal by 85%***
 It can be used when the sludge is heavily
contaminated with heavy metals or other
undesirable pollutants
 most costly, because fuel is needed and air
pollution control requires extensive
treatment of the combustion gases

39
 Disposal of Dewatered Sludge
• Sludge ash has been previously used as a
 raw material in Portland cement concrete production,
 as mineral filler in asphalt paving mixes, and
 as a soil conditioner mixed with lime and sewage sludge.
 Sludge ash has also been proposed as a substitute lightweight aggregate
product
 Other potential uses that have been reported include the use of ash in
brick manufacturing
 Main type of sludge treatment

Thickening Stabilization Conditioning Dewatering

Gravity Settling Anaerobic Chemicals Drying beds,

digestion (polyelectrolyte) Lagooning

Flotation Aerobic Thermal Filter press

digestion conditioning
Centrifuge Chemical Elutriation Centrifuge
treatment

Heat treatment Vacuum filter

(composting) Belt press
 EXERCISE
• A sedimentation tank is treating 4.5 million liters
of sewage per day containing 275ppm of
suspended solids. The tank removes 50% of
suspended solids. Calculate the quantity of sludge
produced per day in bulk and weight (take sludge
density=1002kg/m3)
a. If moisture content of sludge is 98%
b. If the moisture content of the sludge is further
decreases by dewatering to 85%
 EXERCISE
• There is sewage sludge with volume
containing a certain moisture content p1
(percent). What will be the volume of this
sludge if its moisture content is reduced to p
(percent).