This course will introduce you to the basics of domestic wastewater treatment. You will learn about preliminary measures, pretreatment, primary, secondary and advanced treatment processes, and sludge treatment and disposal. Approximate performance data for different treatment processes will be included, as well as comments on operational characteristics of processes. Basic design considerations for selecting treatment processes and sizing plants will be discussed. Normal domestic, non-domestic and industrial wastewater characteristics will be considered, as will the impact of stormwater on domestic wastewater treatment plants. Factors to be considered in site selection will be addressed. This course is intended for engineers and other design and construction professionals wanting an introduction to the process technologies, equipment and design practices needed to treat domestic wastewater and treat and dispose of the resultant sludge.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the design and operational objectives of domestic wastewater treatment plants.
• Learn about the major factors to consider in siting domestic wastewater treatment plants, including topography, availability of a suitable discharge point, working and public areas, and community master plan considerations.
• Learn about typical compounds that inhibit biological wastewater treatment processes and how they can be mitigated.
• Learn the definitions and characteristics of preliminary, primary, secondary and advanced domestic wastewater treatment processes.
• Learn about preliminary treatment processes including equalization, neutralization, temperature adjustment, nutrient addition, screening and grit removal.
• Learn about primary treatment processes including sedimentation and dissolved air flotation.
• Learn about secondary treatment processes including activated sludge, aerated ponds, aerobic-anaerobic ponds, trickling filters, chemical oxidation, chemical mixing flocculation and clarification, gravity filtration, pressure filtration, dissolved air flotation with chemicals, and anaerobic contact.
• Learn about advanced treatment processes including advanced carbon adsorption, micro straining filtration, land treatment, subsurface disposal, and groundwater recharge.
• Learn about sludge treatment processes including anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, autoclaving, elutriation, vacuum filtration, centrifugation, sand beds and presses.
• Learn about sludge disposal including incineration, wet oxidation, land disposal and sanitary landfills.