STAMFORD UNIVERSITY BANGLADESH

Department of Civil Engineering

Lecture Note 4 : Conventional Sewerage System – Definition of Terms, Sewer Systems

and Types.

Prepared by : Professor Emeritus Dr. M. Feroze Ahmed

Learning Points:

1. Important terms used in sewerage engineering

2. Different serer system, their relative advantages and disadvantages.
3. Suitable conditions of deployment of a system
4. Preferred sewer sections and design velocities for differed serer materials.
CONVENTIONAL SEWERAGE SYSTEM

The basic functional elements of a conventional sewerage system include:

• Collection and conveyance the sewage,

• treatment of the sewage and
• disposal of the treated sewage and sludges.

Important terms

Wastewater is the liquid waste conveyed by a sewer and may include domestic and
industrial discharges as well as storm sewage, infiltration, and inflow.

Domestic (Sanitary) sewage is the liquid waste which originates in the sanitary
conveniences, e.g., water closets (wc), urinals, baths, sinks etc. of dwellings, commercial or
industrial facilities, and institutions. This is sometimes also referred to as black water.

Industrial wastewater includes the liquid discharges from spent water in different industrial
processes such as manufacturing and processing.

Sullage is the liquid discharge from kitchens, wash basins etc. and excludes discharge from
WCs and urinals. Sullage, also known as grey water, is less foul than domestic sewage and
can be discharged through open surface drains in unsewered areas.
Important Terms Contd…

Storm water is the surface runoff obtained during and immediately after the rainfall, which
enters sewers through inlets. Storm water is not as foul as sanitary or industrial sewage and
hence can be carried through open drains or channels and disposed of in natural rivers or
streams without any treatment.

Infiltration is the water, which enters the sewers from the ground through leaks or faulty
joints.

Sewer is a pipe or conduit, generally closed, but normally not flowing full, which carries
sewage.

Sanitary sewer carries sanitary sewage and is designed to exclude storm sewage, infiltration,
and surface inflow. Industrial waste may be carried in sanitary sewers, depending upon its
characteristics.

Storm sewer carries storm sewage and any other waste which may be discharged into the
streets or onto the surface of the ground.

Sewerage System refers to the entire system of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage
through a system of reticulation sewers.
Sewer Systems

The sewer system is a network of sewers to convey or carry sewage from collection points to
treatment and /or disposal point. There are three different sewage collection systems:

1. Separate Sewerage System:

In this system sanitary sewage and storm waste are collected and conveyed separately through
two different systems

Advantages of separate sewerage system are:

• sewers are of smaller sizes;
• only sanitary sewage is treated;
• storm water can be discharged without treatment;
• sewage lifting is less costly because of less volume.

Disadvantages of separate systems are:

• two sets of sewers may prove costly;
• smaller sewers may be difficult to clean.
2. Combined Sewerage System:

In this system both sanitary sewage and storm water are collected and carried together
through a single set of sewers.

Advantages of combined systems are:

• only one set of sewers might prove economical;
• larger sewers are easy to clean;
• strength of sewage diluted with storm water.

Disadvantages of combined system are:

• increased load on treatment plant;
• larger volume requires to be lifted;
• heavy rains may cause overflow and thus create a nuisance;
• storm water is polluted unnecessarily;
• more difficult to properly treat the wastewater to high quality standards;
• flow during the dry period may cause difficulties in maintaining minimum flow.
3. Partially Combined or Partially Separate System:

In this system only one set of sewers is laid to carry sanitary sewage as well as
storm water during low rainfall. During heavy rainfall excess storm water is carried
separately e.g., through open drains to natural channels.

Advantages of this system include:

• sizes of sewers is not very large;
• advantages of both separate and combined systems;
• minimal solids deposition problem;
• problems of storm water discharges from homes is simplified.

Disadvantages are:
• velocity of flow may be low during the dry period;
• increased load on pumps & treatment unit.
Suitable conditions for a separate system:
• In flat areas a separate system is economical as deep excavations are not required.
• When sufficient funds are not available for two sets of sewer systems; only a
sanitary sewerage system may be installed.
• Where rainfall is not uniform throughout the year a separate system is suitable.
• In areas near rivers or streams, only a sanitary system may be installed; storm
water may be disposed of into rivers untreated, through open drains.
• Where pumping is required at short intervals.
• In rocky areas where large combined systems may be difficult to install.
• If sewers are to be laid before actual development of the area, a separate system is
desirable.

Suitable conditions for combined system:

•Where rainfall is uniform throughout the year, a combined system is economical.
•Where pumping is required for both sanitary sewage and storm water.
•Where sufficient space is not available for two separate sets of sewer systems.
Types of sewers

The types and sizes of sewers vary with size of the collection system and the location of the
wastewater treatment facilities. The principal types of sewers found in most collection systems are
as follows:

Building sewers: Also called house connections, are used to convey wastewater from the buildings
to lateral or branch sewers, or any other sewer except another building sewer. Building sewers
normally begin outside the building foundation.

Lateral or branch sewer: Lateral sewers form the first element of a community sewage collection
system and are usually in streets. They are used to collect sewage from one or more building
sewers and convey it to a main sewer.

Main sewer: Main sewers are used to convey sewage from one or more lateral sewers to trunk
sewers or to interceptor sewers.

Trunk sewers: These are large sewers that are used to convey sewage from main sewers to
treatment plants or other disposal facilities or to larger intercepting sewers.

Intercepting sewers: These are larger sewers that are used to intercept a number of main or trunk
sewers and convey the wastewater to treatment or other disposal facilities.

Outfall sewer: There are the lengths of main or trunk or interceptor sewers which lie between
connections and the final point of disposal or treatment plant.
 Small Bore Sewerage (SBS) System

The SBS system collects wastewater discharges from households in a similar fashion to the
conventional sewerage system. The basic difference between the two systems is the incorporation
of septic tanks within the individual premises as part of the SBS system. The relatively clear
wastewater collected in the septic tank is then transported under gravity through a network of
small diameter (bore) sewers to a treatment. The smaller diameter sewer in the SBS system is
relatively low cost.

There are three basic elements to

a small bore sewerage system.
These are:
• septic tanks;
• small bore sewer network;
• treatment plant.

Elements of Small bore sewerage system

Technical advantages

The small bore sewerage system has specific technical advantages over the conventional
sewerage system as listed below.
• Sewer sizes can be reduced because each septic tank tends to act as a balancing tank, largely
eliminating surge.
• Since the wastewater contains minimum solids, self-cleansing velocities are not necessary
and hence sewer grades can be substantially reduced.
• Sewer blockages are minimal as septic tanks retain most of the solids content.
• Volume of excavation is considerable reduced because of smaller sewers and lower sewer
grades.
• Solids handling at the secondary treatment site is minimum.
• Rapid construction is possible because of lesser volume of excavation and fewer number of
manholes to be constructed.

However, there are some additional requirements with respect to conventional sewerage
systems.
• Septic tank installation is mandatory which is not required in conventional sewerage system.
• Inspection and desludging of septic tank are additional burden.
• The SBS system needs frequent flashing.
A reduction in the capital costs in the SBS system due to:
• reduction in the sewer sizes;
• reduction in minimum grades, thereby reducing the volume of excavations;
• reduction in the number of manholes;
• reduction in hydraulic and organic loading of wastewater due to the existence of the septic
tank, thereby reducing the treatment plant area;
• less costly pumps with minimal solids handling required.

An increase in the capital costs in the SBS system due to:

• installation of septic tanks (however, if use is made of existing septic tanks then it will be an
added cost advantage for the SBS system);
• installation of flushing points.
Sewer Section

The common sections used for sewer are (1) Circular (2) Rectangular (3) Oval (4) Conical
(5)Trapezoidal (6) Semi-elliptical
Circular Sections are common and given preference because:
• It gives least perimeter for a given area i.e. maximum hydraulic mean depth for running full
or half-full conditions.
• It is economical considering the quantity of materials required in construction
• Circular pipes are convenient for construction
• It provides fairly good hydraulic properties
• It is fairly stable in place, if laid properly
• Circular pipe is strongest under compression from all sides and can withstand high pressure,
which is important in case of deep sewer.

Velocity Requirement
The sewers are designed to maintain a minimum velocity under low flow condition ( dry
weather flow) to prevent deposition of organic and other solid materials to prevent blockage.
This flow is called the self-cleansing velocity. The self-cleansing velocity of sewer is usually
taken as 0.6 m/sec but not less that 0.4 m/sec in very low flow condition.
The highest velocity in sewer is to be maintained within certain limit to avoid scouring actions
of solid particles present in water. It is called the non-scouring velocity. The non-scouring
velocities of sewers of some materials are given below:
2.5-3.0 for concrete sewers
2.0-2.5 for brick sewers
3.5-4.0 for cast iron sewers