Optimization of wastewater treatment in rainy weather: unitary sanitation and nitrifying activated sludge

Abstract

Municipal wastewater treatment plants down-stream from combined sewerage systems have to treat greater volumes of water in wet weather, especially when applying the new regulations introduced in the Water legislation. This article deals with activated sludge, the main process used for treating waste water. It analyses the reasonable limitations on pollutants entering the system, the consequences on the size of plants required as well as design and operation, following the sequence of water treatment stages. Although it does not consider an exhaustive approach or outline explicitly all the multiple links between works, this article considers what modifications should be made to process the additional volume of waste water during wet weather.