WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

The course gives to the student a structured and comprehensive basis of the physical, chemical, biological and combined processes currently used worldwide for the treatment of municipal wastewater and handling of sewage sludge generated within the wastewater treatment plants. The course describes the approaches to the wastewater treatment according to the objectives of a regulatory nature and provides a detailed description based on the most common cases currently present on an industrial scale. The basic concepts on the methodologies and techniques currently in use for the chemical/physical/biological characterization of wastewater are provided, together with a detailed description of the different respirometric measurements in the frame of the biological treatment of wastewater. Regarding the management, monitoring and process control, an exhaustive descriptions are provided for all the unit operations, including sizing operations, dedicated to the treatment of waste streams.

The course includes an extensive illustration of case studies, where the methods applied for the control and monitoring of each unit operations will be analyzed. Therefore, the student will be able, in full autonomy, to define in detail the mass and energy balances of the supply chains to be implemented, as required content in the technical documents according to the current regulations on public works.

General Physics at the university level.
Basic aspects of chemistry and biochemistry at university level.
Basic aspects of chemical plant engineering.

Chemical/physical/biological analysis on liquid waste matrices.
Respirometric techniques on the municipal wastewaters in the activated sludge processes.
Provision and sizing of different sewerage schemes.
Operation units in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
Water line (primary treatment, nutrients' removal, secondary settling, disinfection)
Sludge line (thickening, drying, brief outline on the anaerobic digestion).
Current regulatory framework for waste water and waste.

Metcalf & Eddy, Wastewater Engineering, MC Graw Hill.
Ppt slides provided by the teacher.

Oral examination. The exam consists of 5 questions, conceived to test the learning, general knowledge and reasoning skills in the whole course program.

oral

Scores in the range 18-21 range: limited and often superficial knowledge of the topics covered in the classes; unclear and lacking in technical terminology oral presentation .
Scores in the range 22-25: not always in-depth knowledge of the topics covered in the classes; orderly oral presentation but with not always correct use of technical terminology;
Scores in the range 26-27: good knowledge of the topics covered in the classes; fair ability to organize information and present it orally; familiarity with technical terminology;
Scores in the range 28-30: excellent mastery of the topics covered in the classes; ability to hierarchize information and correct use of appropriate technical terminology.
Honors will be awarded in the presence of excellent judgment and communication ability, and excellent understanding of the program's topics.

The teaching is carried out through lectures and laboratory experiences, addressed to the utilization of the main tools for civil wastewater treatment plants' design and management. According to the availability of the hosting company, a technical visit to a civil waste and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) can be included.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development