Water and Wastewater Engineering

• Estimate the quantity and quality of wastewater generated in a community

• Analyze variations in wastewater quantities, flow and quality and determine treatment requirements

• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of attached versus suspended biological growth processes

• Use available models and equations to design attached or suspended growth biological processes

• Analyze and design clarifiers for hindered and compression settling (for thickened sludge)

• Evaluate the extent and type of sludge management options available and applicable for a given water or wastewater

• Compare and contrast anaerobic versus aerobic digestion

• Analyze potential for energy recovery from wastewater

• Evaluate and design appropriate processes for sludge dewatering and disposal

• Describe conditions under which Type 3 and 4 settling takes place and how it can be modeled

• Design sludge thickeners for hindered and/or compression settling

• Explain the conditions under which anaerobic sludge digestion is an appropriate treatment process, i.e., pre-conditions

• List the different types of anaerobic digesters that can be used

• Explain the conditions under which aerobic digestion of sludge is more appropriate than anaerobic digestion

• Describe the need for sludge dewatering prior to disposal

• Describe the need for disinfection in water or wastewater treatment and design the process

• Evaluate the merits and demerits of different types of disinfectants

a. Public health concerns: Untreated wastewater can cause long-term contamination not only of water but also of soil, sediments and the biota that grows in contact with the contaminated water. Contaminated wastewater may contain pathogenic organisms and serve as a habitat for disease vectors like mosquitoes. Further, contamination of any parts of the food web can lead to bioaccumulation of contaminants in the tissue of organisms leading to various health problems such as cancers, reproductive and developmental defects.

b. Environmental concerns: There is growing awareness of the importance of maintaining and preserving ecosystems. Any activities that are detrimental to the health of these ecosystems, including discharge of untreated wastewater, are not acceptable. There are several other reasons for ensuring that wastewater discharged to land, water or sea is adequately treated.