Chapter 11
On-Site Treatment Systems: Biological Treatment and Nutrient Removal
Publication: Green Technologies for Sustainable Water Management
Abstract
On-site technologies can range from compost privies in national forests to high-tech, membrane-filtration systems that recycle wastewater for toilet flushing in large buildings to sophisticated, yet elegant designs that use ecosystems, such as constructed wetlands, to treat wastewater. This chapter describes the evolution and evaluation of on-site technologies and the factors affecting their performance, as well as case studies of on-site wastewater treatment systems. On-site treatment systems are predominantly suitable for semi-arid and arid regions and for regions that require riparian groundwater recharge, restoration, an increase in surface water flow, irrigation of nearby landscapes or on-site fire control storage. The known nutrient removal approach is the use of biological treatment systems. The chapter focuses on biological nutrient removal of on-site wastewater treatment system. Some of the important factors affecting biological nutrient removal include mean cell residence time (MCRT), aeration requirements, wastewater characteristics, and hydraulic retention time.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
References
Anthonisen, A. C., Loehr, R. C., Prakasam, T. B. S., and Srinath, E. G. (1976). “Inhibition of nitrification by ammonia and nitrous acid.” J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 48(5), 835–852.
Barnard, J. L. (1974a). “Cut P and N without chemicals, Part 1.” Water Wastes Eng., 11(7), 33–36.
Barnard, J. L. (1974b). “Cut P and N without chemicals, Part 2.” Water Wastes Eng., 11(8), 41–43.
Brdjanovic, D., Logemann, S., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Hooijmans, C. M., Alaerts, G. J., and Heijnen, J. J. (1998c). “Influence of temperature on biological phosphorus removal: Process and molecular ecological studies.” Water Res., 32(4), 1035–1048.
Brdjanovic, D., Slamet, A., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Hooijmans, C. M., Alaerts, G. J., and Heijnen, J. J. (1998a). “Impact of excessive aeration on biological phosphorus removal from wastewater.” Water Res., 32(1), 200–208.
Brdjanovic, D., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Hooijmans, C. M., Alaerts, G. J., and Heijnen, J. J. (1998b). “Minimal aerobic sludge retention time in biological phosphorus removal systems.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 60(3), 326–332.
Cech, J. S., and Hartman, P. (1990). “Glucose induced breakdown of enhanced biological phosphate removal.” Environ. Technol., 11(7), 651–656.
Cooper, P., Upton, J. E., Smith, M., and Churchley, J. (1995). “Biological nutrient removal: Design snags, operational problems and costs.” Water Environ. J., 9(1), 7–17.
Daigger, G. T., Randall, C. W., Waltrip, G. D., Romm, E. D., and Morales, L. M. (1987). “Factors affecting biological phosphorus removal for the VIP process, a high rate University of Capetown type process.” Proc., IAWPRC Int. Conf. on Biological Phosphate Removal from Wastewater, Rome, Italy, 185–200.
Filipe, C. D. M., Daigger, G. T., and Grady, C. P. L., Jr. (2001). “pH as a key factor in the competition between glycogen-accumulating organisms and phosphorus accumulating organisms.” Water Environ. Res., 73(2), 223–232.
Focht, D. D., and Chang, A. C. (1975). “Nitrification and denitrification process related to wastewater Treatment.” Adv. Appl. Microbiol., 19, 153–186.
Ganigué, R., López, H., Balaguer, M. D., and Colprim, J. (2007). “Partial ammonium oxidation to nitrite of high ammonium content urban landfill leachates.” Water Res., 41(15), 3317–3326.
Hawkins, J., Wallis-Lage, C., and Alexander, J. (1996). “Evaluation and implementation of a new BNR process.” Annual Meeting of the North Carolina, Section AWWA/WEA, Pinehurst, NC.
Jenkins, D., and Tandoi, V. (1991). “The applied microbiology of enhanced biological phosphate removal accomplishments and needs.” Water Res., 25(12), 1471–1478.
Juliastuti, S. R., Baeyens, J., Creemers, C., Bixio, D., and Lodewyckx, E. (2003). “The inhibitory effects of heavy metals and organic compounds on the net maximum specific growth rate of the autotrophic biomass in activated sludge.” J. Hazard. Mater., 100(1-3), 271–283.
Kalb, K. R. (1993). BNR with trickling filters: Biological nutrient removal, Univ. of Florida, Orlando, FL.
Kreissl, J. F. (2000). “Onsite wastewater management at the start of the new millennium.” Small Flows Q., 1(1), 10–11.
Kuba, T., Smolders, G., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1993). “Biological phosphorus removal from wastewater by anaerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor.” Water Sci. Technol., 27(5), 241–252.
Kuba, T., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1996). “Phosphorus and nitrogen removal with minimal COD requirement by integration of denitrifying dephosphatation and nitrification in a two-sludge system.” Water Res., 30(7), 1702–1710.
Linden, K. G., Hawkins, J. M., and Bonislawsky, M. P. (2001). “Evaluation of performance and operational costs for three biological nutrient removal schemes at a Full-scale wastewater treatment plant.”, Black and Veatch Charlotte, NC.
Lopez-Vazquez, C. M., et al. (2007). “Short-term temperature effects on the anaerobic metabolism of glycogen accumulating organisms.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 97(3), 483–495.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). (1997). “A compendium of information on alternative onsite septic system technology in Massachusetts.” 〈www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/pdf/compend.pdf〉 (Sep. 4, 2013).
Metcalf and Eddy. (2003). Wastewater engineering: Treatment and reuse, 4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
Minnesota Statutes. (2000). “Individual sewage treatment systems.” 〈http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/115/55.html〉 (Sep. 6, 2013).
Mino, T., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1998). “Microbiology and biochemistry of the enhanced biological phosphate removal process.” Water Res., 32(11), 3193–3207.
North Carolina DEHNR. (1996). “On-site wastewater management guidance manual.” Division of Environmental Health, Raleigh, NC.
Oehmen, A., et al. (2007). “Advances in enhanced biological phosphorus removal: From micro to macro scale.” Water Res., 41(11), 2271–2300.
Oehmen, A., Zeng, R., Yuan, Z., and Keller, J. (2005). “Short-term effect of carbon source on the competition of polyphosphate accumulating organisms and glycogen accumulating organisms.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 91(1), 43–53.
Panswad, T., Doungchai, A., and Anotai, J. (2003). “Temperature effect on microbial community of enhanced biological phosphorus removal system.” Water Res., 37(2), 409–415.
Pijuan, M., Saunders, A. M., Guisasola, A., Baeza, J. A., Casas, C., and Blackall, L. L. (2004). “Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor using propionate as the sole carbon source.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 85(1), 56–67.
Randall, A. A., Benefield, L. D., and Hill, W. E. (1997). “Induction of phosphorus removal in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal bacterial population.” Water Res., 31(11), 2869–2877.
Randall, C. W., Barnard, J. L., and Stensel, H. D. (1992). “Design and retrofit of wastewater treatment plants for biological nutrient removal.” Vol. 5, Water quality management library, Technomic Publishing.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. (2000). “Septic system checkup.” Providence, RI.
Saito, T., Brdjanovic, D., and Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M. (2004). “Effect of nitrite on phosphate uptake by phosphate accumulating organisms.” Water Res., 38(17), 3760–3768.
Schmidt, I., et al. (2003). “New concepts of microbial treatment processes for the nitrogen removal in wastewater.” FEMS Microbiol. Rev., 27(4), 481–492.
Sears, K., Alleman, J. E., Barnard, J. L., and Oleszkiewicz, J. A. (2004). “Impacts of reduced sulfur components on active and resting ammonia oxidizers.” J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 31(8), 369–378.
Shoun, H., and Tanimoto, T. (1991). “Denitrification by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the respiratory nitrite reduction.” J. Biol. Chem., 25, 1527–1536.
Smolders, G. J. F., Van der Meij, J., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1994). “Model of the anaerobic metabolism of the biological phosphorus removal process; Stoichiometry and pH influence.” Biotechnol. Bioeng., 43(6), 461–470.
University of Minnesota. (1998). “Septic system owner’s guide.” 〈http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD6583.html〉 (Sep. 9, 2013).
U.S. EPA. (1980). “Design manual: Onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems.” EPA 625/1-80-012, Office of Water Programs, Washington.
U.S. EPA. (1993). “Nitrogen control manual.” EPA-625/R-93-010, Washington, DC.
U.S. EPA. (1998). “Guidelines for ecological risk assessment.” EPA 630-R-95-002F, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC.
U.S. EPA. (2000). “Draft EPA guidelines for management of Onsite/Decentralized wastewater systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management, Washington, DC.” Federal Register, 65(195), 59840–59841.
U.S. EPA. (2002). “Manual: Onsite wastewater treatment systems manual.” EPA/625/R-00/008, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH.
U.S. EPA. (2008). “Municipal nutrient removal technologies reference document.” EPA 832-R-08-006, Office of Wastewater Management, Municipal Support Division, Washington, DC.
Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Hooijmans, C. M., Brdjanovic, D., and Heijnen, J. J. (1997). “Biological phosphate removal processes.” Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 48(3), 289–296.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. (1996). “Septic system maintenance.” Blacksburg, VA.
Wang, J. C., and Park, J. K. (1998). “Effect of anaerobic/aerobic contact time on the change of internal storage energy in two different phosphorus-accumulating organisms.” Water Environ. Res., 73(4), 436–443.
Water Environment Federation. (1990). “Natural systems for wastewater treatment: Manual of Practice FD-16.” Alexandria, VA.
Water Environment Federation. (1998). “Biological and chemical systems for nutrient removal.” Alexandria, VA.
Water Environment Federation. (2005). “Biological nutrient removal (BNR) Operation in wastewater treatment plants.” Alexandria, VA.
Water Research Centre. (1995). “Biological phosphorus removal in the activated-sludge process.”, Alexandria, VA.
Westholm, L. J. (2006). “Substrates for phosphorus removal-potential benefits for on-site wastewater treatment?” Water Res., 40(1), 23–36.
White, K. D., Burkin, J. G., and Gibbons, J. S. (2001). “Natural treatment and on-site processes.” Water Environ. Res., 73(6), 596–626.
Zipper, C., Reneau, R. B., Jr., and Jantrania, A. (2009). “On-site sewage treatment alternatives.” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication, VA.
Zumft, W. G. (1997). “Cell biology and molecular basis of denitrification.” Microbiol. Molecular Biol. Rev., 61(4), 533–616.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Green Technologies for Sustainable Water Management
Pages: 375 - 418
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 2016
ASCE Technical Topics:
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.