DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PUNE

SEMINAR TOPIC: -

“WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT”
 A SEMINAR REPORT
ON

“WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT”

In the Fulfilment of the Requirement of the Course of Seminar

in Civil Engineering
Submitted to
SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY

Submitted by
Mr. Roshan Sahebrao Pawara
PRN NO. – 72249496D

Under the Guidance of

Prof. APARNA NIKUMBH

DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,WAGHOLI,

PUNE
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
 DHOLE PATIL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PUNE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that,
Mr. Roshan Sahebrao Pawara
Has satisfactorily carried out and completed the seminar work
entitled,
“WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT”
It is submitted in partial fulfillment of the prescribed syllabus
of Savitribai Phule Pune University
For the academic year 2024-2025

(Seminar co-ordinator) (Head of Department)

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, we would like to thank our guide on this

project, Prof. Vikas Singh. for the valuable guidance and
advice. He inspired us greatly to work in this project. His
willingness to motivate us contributed tremendously to our
project. We also would like to thank him for showing us some
examples that related to the topic of our project. Apart from
our efforts, the success of any project depends largely on the
encouragement and guidelines of many others. So, we take
this opportunity to express our gratitude to Dr. Gopal
Alapure (Head of the Department of Civil Engineering),
Dhole Patil College Of Engineering Wagholi Pune, who has
been instrumental in the successful completion of this project.

ROSHAN SAHEBRAO PAWARA

72249496D
 ABSTRACT
Wastewater management has emerged as a critical global challenge in the 21st century, driven by
rapid urbanization, industrialization, and increasing environmental concerns. This abstract provides an
overview of key concepts and strategies in the field of wastewater management, highlighting the
importance of adopting a comprehensive and sustainable approach. Wastewater, a byproduct of
domestic, industrial, and agricultural activities, contains a complex mixture of contaminants that pose
significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. In response to these challenges,
wastewater management has evolved from simple treatment and disposal practices to an integrated
system that focuses on minimizing pollution, conserving resources, and promoting environmental
sustainability.This abstract discusses various components of wastewater management, including
collection, treatment, and disposal. It underscores the significance of modern treatment technologies,
such as biological treatment, membrane filtration, and advanced oxidation processes, in removing
contaminants and producing high-quality effluent. Furthermore, the importance of reusing treated
wastewater for non-potable applications, such as irrigation, industrial processes, and even potable
water supplies, is emphasized as a sustainable approach to address water scarcity.Additionally, the
abstract explores the role of policy, regulation, and public awareness in shaping wastewater
management practices. Effective regulations and public engagement are crucial for driving innovation
and ensuring compliance with environmental standards.

Keyword: Waste Water Management

CONTENT

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………….01
1.1 History of Wastewater Treatment…………………………………01
1.2 Objectives of Wastewater Treatment……………………………...02
1.3 Types of Wastewater ……………………………………………...02

2. LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………….05
2.1 Definition of concepts and terminology………………………….. 05
3. METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………...05
3.1 Methods of Wastewater Treatment………………………………...05
3.2 Conventional methods……………………………………………..05
3.3 Activated sludge…………………………………………………...05
3.4 Trickling filter……………………………………………………...06
4. Challenges of wastewater management…………………………………08
4.1 Infrastructure……………………………..………………………...08
4.2 Pollution of water
sources……………………………………….....08
4.3 Choice Of Appropriate Technology………………………………..08
4.4 Sludge Production………………………………………………….08
4.5 Reuse……………………………………………………………….08
5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………09
6. References………………………………………………………………10
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Wastewater is water whose physical, chemical, or biological properties have been changed as a result
of the introduction of certain substances which render it unsafe for some purposes such as drinking.
The day-to-day activities of man are mainly water-dependent and therefore discharge ‘waste’ into
water. Some of the substances include body wastes (feces and urine), hair shampoo, hair, food scraps,
fat, laundry powder, fabric conditioners, toilet paper, chemicals, detergent, household cleaners, dirt,
micro-organisms (germs) which can make people ill and damage the environment. It is known that
much of the water supplied ends up as wastewater which makes its treatment very important.
Wastewater treatment is the process and technology that is used to remove most of the contaminants
that are found in wastewater to ensure a sound environment and good public health. Wastewater
Management therefore means handling wastewater to protect the environment to ensure public health,
and economic, social, and political soundness (Metcalf and Eddy, 1991).

1.1 History of Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment is a fairly new practice although drainage systems were built long before the
nineteenth century. Before this time, “night soil” was placed in buckets along streets and workers
emptied them into “honey wagon” tanks. This was sent to rural areas and disposed of over agricultural
lands. In the nineteenth century, flush toilets led to an increase in the volume of waste for these
agricultural lands. Due to this transporting challenge, cities began to use drainage and storm sewers to
convey wastewater into waterbodies against the recommendation of Edwin Chadwick in 1842 that
“rain to the river and sewage to the soil”. The discharge of waste into water courses led to gross
pollution and health problems for downstream users. In 1842, an English engineer named Lindley
built the first “modern” sewerage system for wastewater carriage in Hamburg, Germany. The
improvement of the Lindley system is basically in improved materials and the inclusion of manholes
and sewer appurtenances— the Lindley principles are still upheld today. Treatment of wastewater
became apparent only after the assimilative capacity of the waterbodies was exceeded and health
problems became intolerable. Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, various options were tried until
1920, when the processes we have today were tried. Its design was however empirical until mid-
century. Centralized wastewater systems were designed and encouraged. The cost of wastewater
treatment is borne by communities discharging into the plant.Today there have been great advances
to make portable water from wastewater. In recent times, regardless of the capacity of the receiving
stream, a minimum treatment level is required before discharge permits are granted (Peavy, Rowe,
and Tchobanoglous, 1985). Also presently, the focus is shifting from centralized systems to more
sustainable decentralized wastewater treatment (DEWATS), especially in developing countries like
Ghana where wastewater infrastructure is poor and conventional methods are difficult to manage
(Adu-Ahyia and Anku, 2010).

1
1.2 Objectives of Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment is very necessary for the above-mentioned reasons. It is more vital for the:
Reduction of biodegradable organic substances in the environment: organic substances such as
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in organic matter need to be broken down by oxidation into
gases which are either released or remain in solution. Reduction of nutrient concentration in the
environment: nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater in the environment enrich
water bodies or render it eutrophic leading to the growth of algae and other aquatic plants. These
plants deplete oxygen in water bodies and this hampers aquatic life.
Elimination of pathogens: organisms that cause disease in plants, animals, and humans are called
pathogens. They are also known as micro-organisms because they are very small to be seen with the
naked eye. Examples of micro-organisms include bacteria (e.g. vibro cholera), viruses (e.g.
enterovirus, hepatitis A & E virus), fungi (e.g. candida albicans), protozoa (e.g entamoeba histolytic,
giardia lamblia) and helminths (e.g. Schistosoma mansoni, saris lumbricoid's). These micro-organisms
are excreted in large quantities in the feces of infected animals and humans (Awuah and Amankwaa-
Kuffuor, 2002).
Recycling and Reuse of water: Water is a scarce and finite resource that is often taken for granted. In
the last half of the 20th century, the population has increased resulting in pressure on the already
scarce water resources. Urbanization has also changed the agrarian nature of many areas. Population
increase means more food has to be cultivated for the growing population and agriculture as we know
is by far the largest user of available water which means that economic growth is placing new
demands on available water supplies. The temporal and spatial distribution of water is also a major
challenge with groundwater resources being overdrawn (National Academy, 2005). It is for these
reasons that recycling and reuse is crucial for sustainability.

1.3 Types of Wastewater

Wastewater can be described as in the figure below.

2
 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 . Definition of concepts and terminology
Stormwater Runoff is water from streets, open yard, etc after a rainfall event which run through
drains or sewers.

Industrialwastewater is liquid waste from industrial establishments such as factories, production

units, etc.

Domestic wastewater also known as municipal wastewater is basically wastewater from residences
(homes), business buildings (e.g. hotels), and institutions (e.g. universities). It can be categorized into
greywater and blackwater.

Greywater also known as sullage is liquid waste from washrooms, laundries, and kitchens that does
not contain human or animal excreta.

Blackwater is wastewater generated in toilets. Blackwater may also contain some flush water besides
urine and feces (excreta). Urine and feces together are sometimes referred to as night soil.

Sewage is the term used for blackwater if it ends up in a sewerage system.

Septage is the term used for blackwater if it ends up in a septic tank.

A sewerage system is the arrangement of pipes laid for conveying sewage.

Influent is wastewater which is yet to enter a wastewater treatment plant or liquid waste that has
yet to undergo a unit process or operation.

Effluent is the liquid stream that is discharged from a wastewater treatment plant or discharged from
a unit process or operation.

Sludge is a semi-solid slurry from a wastewater treatment plant. On-Site System: this wastewater
disposal method takes place at the point of waste production like within individual houses without
transportation.

On-site methods include dry methods (pit latrines, composting toilets), water-saving methods (pour-
flush latrine and aqua privy with soakage pits, and methods with high water rise (flush toilet with
septic tanks and soakage pit, which are not emptied).

Off-Site System: in this system, wastewater is transported to a place either than the point of
production. Off-site methods are bucket latrines, pour-flush toilets with vault and tanker removal,
and conventional sewerage systems.

Conventional sewerage systems can be combined sewers (where wastewater is carried with storm
water) or separated sewers.

Septic Tank is an on-site system designed to hold blackwater for a sufficiently long period to allow
sedimentation. It is usually a watertightsingle-story tank.

3
Fecal sludge refers to all sludge collected and transported from on-site sanitation systems by vacuum
trucks for disposal or treatment.

Unit Operation: this involves the removal of contaminants by physical forces.

Unit Process: this involves biological and/or chemical removal of contaminants.

Wastewater Treatment Plant is a plant with a series of designed unit operations and processes that
aims at reducing certain constituents of wastewater to acceptable levels.

4
 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Methods of wastewater treatment
There are conventional and non-conventional wastewater treatment methods that have been proven
and found to be efficient in the treatment of wastewater. Conventional methods compared to non-
conventional wastewater treatment methods have a relatively high

level of automation. Usually have pumping and power requirements. They require skilled labour for
the operation and maintenance of the system

3.2 Conventional methods

Examples of conventional wastewater treatment methods include activated sludge, trickling filter, and
rotating biological contactor methods. Trickling filters and Rotating Biological Contactors are
temperature sensitive, remove less BOD, and trickling filters cost more to build than activated sludge
systems. Activated sludge systems are much more expensive to operate because energy is needed to
run pumps and blowers (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), 2010).
These methods are discussed in detail in the subsequent sections.

3.3 Activated sludge

Activated sludge refers to biological treatment processes that use a suspended growth of organisms to
remove BOD and suspended solids. It is based on the principle that intense wastewater aeration to
forms flocs of bacteria (activated sludge), which degrade organic matter and are separated by
sedimentation. The system consists of aeration and settling tanks with other appurtenances such as
return and waste pumps, mixers and blowers for aeration, and a flow measurement device. To
maintain the concentration of active bacteria in the tank, part of the activated sludge is recycled.
Primary effluent (or plant influent) is mixed with return-activated sludge to form mixed liquor which
is aerated for a specified length of time. By aerating the system, activated sludge organisms use the

5
available organic matter as food, thereby, producing stable solids and more organisms. The suspended
solids produced by the process and the additional organisms become part of the activated sludge. The
solids are then separated from the wastewater in the settling tank and are returned to the influent of
the aeration tank (return activated sludge). Periodically the excess solids and organisms are removed
from the system (waste activated sludge) to enhance the performance of the system. Factors such as
temperature, return rates, amount of oxygen available, amount of organic matter available, pH, waste
rates, aeration time, and wastewater toxicity affect the performance of an activated sludge treatment
system. A balance therefore must be maintained between the amount of food (organic matter),
organisms (activated sludge) and dissolved oxygen (NPTEL, 2010). Activated Sludge systems are
requires less space compared to trickling filter and has high effluent quality. The disadvantage is that
BOD is higher at one end of the tank than the other the microorganisms will be physiologically more
active at that end than the other unless a complete mixing activated sludge system process is used.
Presently there are 11 activated sludge plants in Ghana, mainly installed by the large hotels (Obuobie,
et al., 2006).

3.4 Trickling filter

It is a growth process in which microorganisms responsible for treatment are attached to an inert
packing material. It is made up of a round tank filled with a carrier material (volcanic rock, gravel or
synthetic material). Wastewater is supplied from above and trickles through filter media allowing
organic material in the wastewater to be adsorbed by a population of microorganisms (aerobic,
anaerobic, and facultative bacteria; fungi; algae; and protozoa) attached to the medium as a biological
film or slime layer (approximately 0.1 to 0.2 mm thick). Degradation of organic material by the
aerobic microorganisms in the outer part of the slime layer occurs. As the layer thickens through
microbial growth, oxygen cannot penetrate the medium face, and anaerobic organisms develop. The
biological film continues to grow to such a point that microorganisms near the surface cannot cling to
the medium, and a portion of the slime layer falls off the filter. This process is known as sloughing.
The sloughed solids are picked up by the underdrain system and transported to a clarifier for removal
from the wastewater (US EPA, 2000). Trickling filters are efficient in that effluent quality in terms of
BOD and suspended solids removal is high. Its operational costs are relatively low due to low
electricity requirements. The process is simpler compared to activated sludge process or some
package treatment plants. Its operation and maintenance requirements is however high due to the use

6
of electrical power. Skilled labour is required to keep the trickling filter running trouble-free: e.g.
prevent clogging, ensure adequate flushing, control filter flies. It is suitable for some relatively
wealthy, densely populated areas which have a sewerage system and centralized wastewater
treatment; also suitable for greywater treatment. It also requires more space compared to some other
technologies and has potential for odour and filter flies (NPTEL, 2010). This method has been widely
used in Ghana. There are 14 trickling filter plants in Accra though they have broken down.

CHAPTER 4: Challenges of wastewater management

Wastewater management though not technically difficult can sometimes be faced with socio-
economic challenges. A few of the challenges are discussed below

4.1 Infrastructure
More often than not, wastewater infrastructure is not the priority of most politicians and therefore
very little investment is made. It is however important to consider wastewater infrastructure as equally
important as water treatment plants because almost all the water produced ends up as wastewater.

7
4.2 Pollution of water sources
The effects of wastewater effluent on receiving water quality is enormous, it changes the aquatic
environment and thus interrupts the aquatic ecosystem. The food we eat contains carbonaceous matter,
nutrients, trace elements, and salts and is contained in urine and feces (black water). Medications
(drugs), chemicals, and in recent times hormones (contraceptives) are also discharged into the
wastewater treatment plant. Discharge guidelines must be strictly adhered to. This will ensure the
sustainability of water sources for posterity.

4.3 Choice of appropriate technology

Because the economy of most developing countries is donor-driven, funds for wastewater plants are
mainly from donors. For this reason, they tend to propose the technology which should be adopted.
For this reason, when the beneficiaries, take over the facility, its management of the operations and
maintenance of parts become quite challenging as the technical expertise, power requirements etc are
not sustainable.

4.4 Sludge production

Treatment of wastewater results in the production of sewage sludge. There must be a reliable disposal
method. If it must be used in agriculture, then the risks involved must be taken into consideration.
Due to the presence of heavy metals in wastewater, it is sometimes feared that agricultural use may
lead to the accumulation of heavy metals in soils thereby contaminating yields.

4.5 Reuse
Effluents that meet discharge standards could be used for agricultural purposes such as aquaculture or
for irrigation of farmlands. The challenge however is that if wastewater treatment plants are not
managed and continuously monitored to ensure good effluent quality, reuse becomes risky.

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION

Wastewater is and will always be with us because we cannot survive without water. When water
supplied is used for numerous human activities, it becomes contaminated or its characteristics are
changed and therefore becomes wastewater. Wastewater can and must be treated to ensure a safe
environment and foster public health. There are conventional and non-conventional methods of
wastewater treatment and the choice of a particular method should be based on factors such as the
characteristics of wastewater whether it is from a municipality or industry (chemical, textile,

8
pharmaceutical, etc.), technical expertise for operation and maintenance, cost implications, power
requirements among others. In most developing countries like Ghana, low-cost, low-technology
methods such as waste stabilization ponds have been successful whilst conventional methods like
trickling filters and activated sludge systems have broken down. Effluent which meets set discharge
standards can be appropriately used for aquaculture and irrigation. Though there are a few challenges
in wastewater management, they can be surmounted if attention and the necessary financial support is
given to it.

CHAPTER 6: REFRENCES
1. Treatment Equipment Company “An Introduction to Membrane Bioreactor Technology”

Company Information Sheet retrieved 01-10-2010

2. US-EPA, (2000) “Tricking Filters” Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet Washington DC.
3. US-EPA, (2000) “Oxidation Ditches” Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet Washington DC.
4. Tare, V. And Nema, A. “UASB Technology: Expectations and Reality” Retrieved 01-10-2010

9
5. Schultz, T. E. (2005) “Biotreating Process Wastewater: Airing the Options, Chemical
Engineering.
6. Peavy, S. H., Rowe, D. R. and Tchobanoglous, G., (1985) Environmental Engineering,
International Edition MacGraw-Hill 207-322.
7. Mountain Emire Community College (2010) “Activated Sludge” Lecture Notes
http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/env110/Lesson17_print.htm accessed 03-10- 2010.
8. Kamala, A. and Kanth Rao, D. L., (1989) Environmental Engineering Tata MacGraw-Hill
Publishing 121-218
9. Food and Agricultural Organisation (2006) Wastewater Treatment
http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0551e/t0551e06.htm#TopOfPage
10. National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (2010) “Wastewater Treatment”
Course Notes www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT accessed 01-09-2010
11. National Academy (2005) “Water Conservation, Reuse, and Recycling”: Proceedings of an
Iranian-American Workshop National Academies Press, Washington

10