PROBLEMS WITH SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND HOW TO FIX THEM

Sewage treatment plant

Overview

Smaller towns and businesses are establishing decentralized sewage treatment plant (STP). They bring up to tackle their treatment challenges as the population grows and more people wish to reside in rural places. These systems are beneficial in that they provide a long-term alternative to centralized sewage treatment facilities. However, they are routinely ignored or mishandled, leading to licence violations.

Build of large solids, hairs, and fibers are causing downstream equipment to fail: 

When you consider this, you have to ask yourself whether your primary treatment is sufficient. In any wastewater treatment procedure, the first stage is screening. Rags, paper, plastic, tin, containers, and wood are common non-biodegradable and floating solids that enter wastewater treatment plants. The downstream plant and equipment will be protected if these materials are removed efficiently. They guard against damage, unnecessary wear and tear, pipe clogs, and also the buildup of undesired material that could obstruct the wastewater treatment process. 

Coarse and fine screening are the two most common types of wastewater screening. We can clean screens can be manually or mechanically. We use manually cleaning of screens as the primary or only screening equipment in older and smaller treatment facilities. All WWTPs need screening solutions like REKO or Salsnes, and they will significantly improve the reliability of your downstream equipment. 

The total nitrogen target in your effluent is not met: 

The first step in determining the source of your problem should be to do an ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate analysis.

As a result, you’ll have a better idea of where you should concentrate your efforts in order to get your plant to cooperate. Most of the time, you’ll find that your plant has high levels of either ammonia or nitrate, both of which contribute to high total nitrogen levels. 

High level of ammonia: 

  • The biological mechanism of removing ammonia is entirely aerobic. If your ammonia levels are excessive, make sure your plant has the following:
  • Nitrification occurs exclusively in aerobic environments with dissolved oxygen levels greater than 1.0 mg/L.
  • Nitrification necessitates a lengthy retention period.
  • A low ratio of food to microorganisms (F:M)
  • The average cell residence duration is relatively long (measured as MCRT or Sludge Age)
  • pH buffering that is adequate (alkalinity)

High level of Nitrogen:

Bacteria that dwell in low-oxygen environments undertake the biological reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) – soluble BOD – is mandatory for bacteria to flourish. Before we use them, particulate BOD must be broken down into solutions. Getting these settings right will go a long way toward lowering your nitrate levels. 

  • It is impossible to denitrify wastewater without first nitrifying it. If the nitrification process isn’t working, there won’t be any nitrate to denitrify.
  • Source of sufficient carbon. Denitrifying bacteria require a large amount of soluble BOD (up to five times the amount of nitrate being denitrified), and many facilities struggle to keep up with the demand.
  • Make sure the anoxic tank’s DO is 0.0mg/l. If the reading is more remarkable than 0mg/l, we may need to adjust the Mixed Liquor Return Rate (MLR). But this flow rate is usually need to be at 300 percent of the daily incoming flow as a rule of thumb.

The total phosphorus in your effluent is not met: 

When it comes to total phosphorus, the following are the main goals of the treatment process: 

  • In order to meet the TP license limits,
  • To use the fewest chemicals possible
  • Moreover, to achieve lower operating expenses

There are a variety of chemical dosing alternatives available to minimize TP, and we need to evaluate them jar testing completes. However, this is a crucial first step that will serve as a baseline for the wastewater facility’s phosphorus measurement and treatment. 

It’s critical to assess pre- and post-precipitation almost anywhere. Moreover, jar testing can help you figure out which chemical is the most successful for your procedure. 

Targets for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in your effluent are not fulfilled:

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) measures how much oxygen how much oxygen we need to degrade organic materials in water biologically. In general, when BOD levels are high, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels decrease. This is because the bacteria have an increase need for oxygen, which they get from the oxygen which is dissolve in the water. If there is little organic waste in the water, fewer bacteria will digest it, resulting in a lower BOD and a greater DO level. There are a variety of reasons for high effluent BOD levels in the treated effluent, some of which are listed below. Getting these settings right will go a long way toward lowering your BOD levels:

  • Organic overloading causes incomplete wastewater treatment.
  • The oxygen content is low.
  • Detention time for hydraulics is short.
  • Short-circuiting on the physical level
  • High levels of algae or sulphur bacteria
  • Sludge buildup and effluent loss of ancient sludge

Odour issues associated with the WWTP have caused many complaints:

The presence of hydrogen sulphide is the primary cause of the odour. However, it can also comprise mercaptans and organic acids, which are conducive to the growth of sulphur-reducing bacteria. Because hydrogen sulphide gas is highly corrosive, we must evacuate and treat them to avoid downstream device failure. Identifying the root of any odour problem is the first step in resolving it.

Raw wastewater exposed to the air at the influent pump station and primary clarifier stage could be the source of the odours. On the other hand, the odours could be originating from almost any additional step in the treatment process. Because the source of odours could be a variety of things or a mix of them, it’s preferable to work with a professional consultant like Jateen Trading Co. We can help you to locate the source of odours and choose an odour control technology that’s suitable for your plant’s needs. 

Bottom Line 

As you can see, it takes a lot to efficiently operate a sewage treatment plant and guarantee that it complies with local discharge rules. The difficulties and possible solutions outlined above should help you better understand how to address some of the concerns. However, choosing the correct Sewage treatment plant at the outset of the process will go a long way toward ensuring that the sewage treatment plant is simple to maintain and fit for purpose. Please get in touch with us for more information on how to choose the best technology. We offer high-performing water treatment facilities and systems to assist industrial enterprises with water, wastewater, and sewage needs. We’ve earned a reputation for providing outstanding service and solutions and helping our clients lower operating expenses and extend the life of their equipment.

Do you find this article interesting? Then please check out the rest of the blogs too. We’re sure that you’ll find them fascinating and valuable as well. Please do contact us if you have any queries about our services and products. We are happy to hear from you!

Contact