Wastewater Treatment Course

Lesson 1 • Origins and Types of Wastewater

Covers municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewater sources and their distinct characteristics. Provides context for why treatment approaches differ by source.

Lesson 2 • Biological Oxygen Demand and Nutrient Indicators

Explains BOD, COD, and nutrient loading as indicators of organic pollution strength. Students connect these metrics to treatment performance targets.

Lesson 3 • Physical and Chemical Water Quality Parameters

Teaches measurement and interpretation of turbidity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and solids. These parameters guide treatment selection throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Microbiology Basics for Wastewater Professionals

Introduces bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths relevant to wastewater. Understanding pathogen behavior underpins disinfection decisions covered later.

Lesson 1 • Screening and Coarse Solids Removal

Covers bar screens, fine screens, and comminutors used to protect downstream equipment. Students learn screen sizing, head loss calculation, and screenings disposal.

Lesson 2 • Grease and Oil Removal

Addresses dissolved air flotation and gravity grease traps for fat, oil, and grease removal. High FOG loads damage biological systems if not controlled at this stage.

Lesson 3 • Flow Measurement and Equalization

Teaches flow measurement devices and equalization basin design to dampen hydraulic and load variations. Stable flow improves all downstream process performance.

Lesson 4 • Primary Sedimentation and Clarification

Covers circular and rectangular primary clarifier design, overflow rate, and detention time. Students calculate removal efficiencies for TSS and BOD.

Lesson 1 • Secondary Clarification and Return Sludge

Explains secondary clarifier design, sludge blanket management, and return activated sludge (RAS) control. Clarifier performance determines effluent quality and sludge inventory.

Lesson 2 • Activated Sludge Process Fundamentals

Introduces microbial metabolism, sludge age, and the role of the mixed liquor in BOD removal. These concepts are the foundation for all activated sludge variants.

Lesson 3 • Activated Sludge Process Variants

Compares conventional, step-feed, contact stabilization, and extended aeration configurations. Students select the appropriate variant based on influent characteristics and site constraints.

Lesson 4 • Aeration Systems and Oxygen Transfer

Covers diffused air, mechanical surface aerators, and jet aeration for oxygen delivery. Proper oxygen transfer efficiency directly controls treatment cost and performance.

Lesson 1 • Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) Systems

Introduces MBBR carrier media, fill fraction, and aeration requirements for suspended biofilm growth. MBBR offers compact footprint and flexible capacity expansion.

Lesson 2 • Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge (IFAS)

Combines suspended and attached growth in a single reactor to increase capacity without new tankage. Students assess IFAS retrofits for existing activated sludge plants.

Lesson 3 • Constructed Wetlands and Natural Treatment

Covers surface-flow and subsurface-flow wetlands as low-energy polishing options. Students evaluate land requirements, climate limitations, and effluent quality achievable.

Lesson 4 • Rotating Biological Contactors

Explains RBC staging, disk submergence, and rotational speed for BOD and nitrification. Students diagnose common RBC failures including shaft and media deterioration.

Lesson 1 • Biological Denitrification Processes

Covers pre-anoxic, post-anoxic, and simultaneous nitrification-denitrification configurations. Students calculate carbon requirements and internal recycle rates for total nitrogen removal.

Lesson 2 • Nitrification: Ammonia to Nitrate Conversion

Explains autotrophic nitrifier metabolism, SRT requirements, and inhibition factors. Reliable nitrification is the prerequisite for all nitrogen removal strategies.

Lesson 3 • Advanced Nitrogen Removal: Anammox and SHARON

Introduces partial nitritation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation for low-carbon nitrogen removal. These processes are applied to high-strength sidestreams and mainstream treatment.

Lesson 4 • Chemical Phosphorus Precipitation

Covers metal salt and lime addition for phosphorus precipitation as a supplement or alternative to EBPR. Students calculate chemical doses and manage resulting sludge volumes.

Lesson 1 • Advanced Oxidation Processes

Introduces ozone, UV/H2O2, and Fenton processes for micropollutant and trace contaminant destruction. Students assess dose requirements, byproduct formation, and cost trade-offs.

Lesson 2 • Membrane Filtration: MF and UF

Explains microfiltration and ultrafiltration for pathogen and TSS removal in tertiary and MBR applications. Students evaluate flux, transmembrane pressure, and fouling control strategies.

Lesson 3 • Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration

Covers RO and NF membrane systems for dissolved solids, micropollutant, and salt removal. Students design pretreatment trains and manage concentrate disposal.

Lesson 4 • Granular Media Filtration

Covers mono-media, dual-media, and multimedia filter design for TSS and turbidity polishing. Students calculate filter loading rates, head loss development, and backwash cycles.

Lesson 1 • Disinfection Principles and CT Concept

Establishes Chick-Watson kinetics, CT values, and log-inactivation targets for key pathogens. CT calculations underpin all disinfection system design decisions.

Lesson 2 • Chlorination and Dechlorination

Covers chlorine chemistry, breakpoint chlorination, and contact basin design for reliable disinfection. Dechlorination with sulfur dioxide or sodium bisulfite protects receiving waters.

Lesson 3 • Disinfection System Selection and Safety

Guides selection among chlorine, UV, and ozone based on effluent quality, reuse goals, and safety constraints. Chemical handling, storage, and emergency response are addressed.

Lesson 4 • Ultraviolet Disinfection Systems

Explains UV dose delivery, lamp types, and reactor validation for wastewater disinfection. UV avoids chemical residuals and disinfection byproducts associated with chlorination.

Lesson 1 • Anaerobic Digestion of Sludge

Explains two-stage anaerobic digestion, volatile solids reduction, and biogas production from sludge. Students design digesters and manage temperature, mixing, and alkalinity.

Lesson 2 • Aerobic Digestion and Composting

Covers conventional and autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) as alternatives to anaerobic digestion. Composting converts biosolids to a marketable soil amendment.

Lesson 3 • Sludge Dewatering and Biosolids Reuse

Addresses belt filter presses, centrifuges, and screw presses for cake production and land application standards. Students evaluate biosolids quality classifications and beneficial reuse pathways.

Lesson 4 • Sludge Characterization and Quantities

Quantifies sludge production from primary, secondary, and chemical processes using mass balance. Accurate sludge estimates drive sizing of all downstream handling equipment.