Preliminary Wastewater

Treatment
 Levels of Treatment
Level Approach Removed
Primary (1) Physical Solids

Secondary (2) Biological Organic matter

Tertiary (3) Various Nutrients,

toxics
Disinfection Various Pathogens
Wastewater Treatment

Preliminary Removes Solids

Physical Operations Screening

Primary Removes Solids

Physical Operations Sedimentation

Secondary Removes Organics

Biological Operations

Tertiary Removes Nutrients

Biological and Chemical Operations
 Preliminary Wastewater Treatment
The purpose of preliminary treatment is:
- to ensure a satisfactory quality of final effluent
and final sludge product and
- to protect the treatment process from
malfunction associated with accumulation of
screenings, debris, inorganic grit,
excessive scum formation or loss of efficiency
associated with grease or oil films or fat
Wastewater Treatment (Preliminary)
Bar Racks
and Screens
Bar racks and screens remove
large solids which could clog
pumps and pipes in the
wastewater treatment plant.
Solids are collected and sent to a
landfill.
Screen
A screen is a device with openings for removing
bigger suspended or floating matter in sewage,

The incoming wastewater is passed through the bars

or screens and periodically the accumulated material
is removed,

The screens may be cleaned either manually or by

means of automatically operated rakes,

The solids removed by these units can be disposed

of by burial or incineration.
Classification of Screens:

Coarse Screens:
Have clear openings ranging from 6
to 150 mm,

Fine Screens:
Have clear openings less than 6 mm.
Bar Screens:
They consist of vertical or inclined
parallel steel bars equally spaced across a
channel through which the wastewater
flows. Bar screens can be cleaned either
manually or mechanically.

Manually cleaned bar screens: are used

primarily in old treatment facilities.
Mechanically cleaned bar screens: are
used nearly in all new wastewater
treatment facilities. Compared with
manually cleaned screens, they better
handle large quantities of screenings and
reduce nuisance and labor cost. They
typically have openings ranging from 6 38
mm with bar set from 00 to 300 from
vertical.
Design of Coarse Screen Installations
Considerations in the design of coarse screen
installations include:

1. Location.

2. Approach velocity.
3. Clear openings between bars.
4. Headloss through the screens.

5. Screening handling, processing and disposal.

 Design Criteria
1. For most installations two or more units should
be installed so that one unit may be taken out for
maintenance at any time.
2. Gates should be provided ahead or behind
each rack to allow dewatering for maintenance.
5. The headloss through the bar racks should be
limited to 150 mm.

Where:
hL = headloss, m
C = an empirical discharge coefficient to account for turbulence
and eddy losses, typically 0.7 for a clean screen and 0.6 for a clog
screen,
V2 = velocity of flow through the openings of the bar screen, m/s
V1 = approach velocity in upstream channel, m/s
g = acceleration due to gravity, 9.81 m/s2
Characteristics of Characteristics of
manual bar screen mechanical bar
screen
Bar spacing is in
range of 2-5 cm. Bar spacing is in range
of 1.5-4 cm
The screen is
mounted at angle of The screen is mounted
45-70 from horizontal. at an angle of 70- 90
from horizontal
Bars are usually 1
cm thick, 2.5 wide Bars are usually 1 cm
thick, 2.5 wide
Characteristics of Characteristics of
manual bar screen mechanical bar screen

Minimum approach Minimum approach

velocity in the bar velocity in the bar screen
screen channel is 0.45 channel is 0.45 m/s to
m/s to prevent grit prevent grit deposition.
deposition.
Maximum velocity
Maximum velocity between the bars
between the bars is is 0.9 m/s to prevent
0.9m/s to prevent washout of solids
washout of solids through the bars.
through the bars.
The cross section of the bar screen channel is
determined from the continuity equation

Usually, rectangular channels are used, and the ratio

between depth and width is taken as 1.5 to give the
most efficient section:
The cross section of the bar screen is given by the
following equation:

Where As = bar screen cross section, m2

= inclination angle of the screen
The net area of the bar screen available for flow
is given by the following equation:

Where
S = space between bars ,m
tbar= thickness of the screen bars, m
The number of bars in the screen is given by the
following equation:

n tbar + (n-1)S = W
Example 1:
A manual bar screen is to be used in an approach channel
with a maximum velocity of 0.60 m/s, and a design flow of
300 L/s. the bars are 10 mm thick and openings are 3 cm
wide, the angle of inclination is 50o. Determine:
1) The cross section of the channel, and the dimension
needed
2) The velocity between bars
3) The number of bars in the screen
1) The cross section of the channel, and the
dimension needed
Ac= Qd / Va = 0.3/0.60 = 0.5 m2
Ac = W x1.5W =1.5 W x W
W = 0.577 m, Depth (d) = 1.5 W = 0.866 m
Take W = 0.60 m, Depth (d) = 0.90 m,
Ac = 0.54 m2
2) The velocity between bars

3) The number of bars in the screen

n tbar + (n-1)S = W

n x 1 + (n-1) x 3= 60

n= 14.75 = 15
Example #2,
Headloss Buildup in coarse Screens
 Grit Removal
Grit is small materials like sand, gravel, and heavy solid
materials such as metal fragments, . etc.

Grit Removal are provided for:

1. protect mechanical equipment and pumps

from abnormal abrasive wear
2. prevents pipe clogging by its deposition

3. reduces accumulation in settling tanks and

digesters.
 Grit chambers

Aerated Grit chambers are basins in which air

introduced through diffusers along one side of
the chamber near the bottom causes a spiral roll
velocity pattern perpendicular to flow through the
chamber. The heavier particles (with high settling
velocities) drop to the bottom, while the roll
keeps the lighter organic solids suspended.
 Advantages of aerated grit chambers
1. Consistent removal efficiency over a wide flow
range
2. A relatively low putrescible organic content may
be removed with a well controlled rate of
aeration

3. Aerated grit chambers are versatile, allowing for

chemical addition, mixing, preaeration, and
flocculation.
DESIGN CRITERIA of Aerated Grit Removal

With respect to grit removal systems, grit is

traditionally defined as particles larger
than 0.21 mm (0.008 in) (65 mesh) and
with a specific gravity of greater than
2.65.
Aerated grit chambers are typically designed to
remove particles of 70 mesh (0.21
mm/0.008 in) or larger, with a detention period
of two to five minutes at peak hourly flow. When
wastewater flows into the grit chamber,
particles settle to the bottom according to
their size, specific gravity, and the velocity
of roll in the tank.
A velocity that is too high will result in
lower grit removal efficiencies, while a
velocity that is too low will result in
increased removal of organic materials.
Proper adjustment of air velocity will result in
nearly 100 percent removal of the desired particle
size and a well-washed grit.
Design considerations for aerated grit chambers
are:
1. Air rates typically range from 0.3 to 0.7 m3 /minm
of tank length.

2. A typical minimum hydraulic detention time at

maximum instantaneous flow is two minutes.

3. Typical length-to-width ratio is 2.5:1 to 5:1.

4. Tank inlet and outlet are positioned so the flow is

perpendicular to the spiral roll pattern.

4. Baffles are used to dissipate energy and minimize

short circuiting.
Typical design information for aerated Grit Chambers

Item unit Range Typical

Detention time of peak min 2-5 3
flowrate
Dimensions:
Depth m 2-5
Length m 7.5 - 20
Width m 2.5 - 7
Width-depth ratio Ratio 1:1 to 5:1
length-width ratio Ratio 3:1 to 5:1 1.5:1
Air supply per unit of length m3/m.min 0.2-0.5 4:1

Grit quantities m3/103 m3 0.004 - 0.20 0.015

Example: Design of Aerated Grit Chamber:

Design an aerated grit chamber for the treatment

of municipal wastewater. The average flow rate
is 0.5 m3/s.
Assume the following data:
Peak factor 2.75
Detention time at the peak flowrate = 3 min
Width to depth ratio = 1.2 : 1 and depth of 3m,
Air supply 0.3 m3/min.m of length
Grit quantity = 0.05 m3/103 m3