T

PRESENTATION
ON
SEPTIC TANKS

PRESENTED BY:

BHANU BHANDARI-2011UCE1016
ASHUTOSH GUPTA-2011UCE1090
DHARAMVEER SINGH-2011UCE10

SEPTIC TANKS
A special form of primary sedimentation
tank with a longer detention time
wherein
Settling+digestion occurs.
Digestion of settled sludge is carried out
by anaerobic decomposition process ,
giving rise to septic conditions and
hence the name.

l
a
c
i
p
ty k
a an
f
o ct
t
i
t
u
p
o
e
y
s
a
L

SCUM
- OILS + GREASE
SLUDGE SOLIDS - SEWAGE SOLIDS
LIQ. SEWAGE
- REMAINING.

Pu
th rp
fo e i os
r nf e
gr u :
ou e To
nd nt m
a
s
u
di i ke
sc ta
ha ble
rg
e.

BASIC HOME
SYSTEM

The drain field (disposal

soil filters out remaining
harmful bacteria &

Advantages
Simple & easy
construction.
Low cost.

Carefree service.

Disadvantages

Larger tank size

required.

Effluent is dark & foul

smelling.
Gas leakage can cause
pollution.

UPFLOW SEPTIC
BAFFLED REACTOR
(USBR)

Reference 2

CONCLUSIONS
COD%

BOD%

TSS%

REMOVAL
84
81
(avg.)
89
Provides good shock load
resistance.
TSS removal unaffected by temp.
variations.
Requires smaller land area , is
cheaper , generates lesser sludge &
generates CH4(energy source).
Hence a promising alternative to CST
in rural developing countries.

ADVANCED SEPTIC REACTOR

(ASR)

Effect of Vup (up-flow

velocity):Vup
(m/h)
0.4

0.5

COD removal
(%)
79
79
81
92
61

Optimum upflow velocity: 0.8-1.0

m/h.

95
%
48
%

71
%

71.7
%

62.8
%

35.5
%
3.4
%

4.5
%

Reference 6

41.6
%

CONCLUSIONS
Can be used as on site
treatment process where
centralized treatment systems
are not feasible.
Effluent can be used for
agricultural purposes.

MICROBIAL ELECROLYSIS CELL

(MEC)

Stailness
steel
electrodes
used

MEC
voltage :
2 + 0.1 V.

es
m er
i
t h
5 ig
h
OL
R

Biogas
prod. rate
in MEC

%
r
39 w e
lo

Biogas prod. rate in

control reactor.

Reference 4

CONCLUSIONS
Improves the quality of the septic
tank gaseous & liquid output.
Cost effective:
Electrical energy needed to implement
MEC - 60% of extra biogas captured.

SEPTIC SLUDGE TREATMENTVERMICOMPOSTING

Biological inactivation of pathogenic
oganisms in sludge using earthworms.
Here Eisenia fatida was used.
3 population densities -1 , 2 & 2.5
kg/sq.m were used, all producing Aclass biosolids.
i.e safe for industrial, forest & soil
improvement acc. To Mexican standards.

CO-DIGESTION WITH
MUNICIPAL SOLID
WASTE
(MSW)

Available methods to treat

sludge like anaerobic digestion,
composting, chemical treatment
etc. not feasible for developing
countries.

Fig. 1.

(a) pH and conductivity of the leachate of the Bioreactor Landfill simulators. (b) Cumulative biogas production of the Biore
Landfill simulators.

Reference 3

CONCLUSIONS
Lag phase reduced for biogas
production.
Safe low cost disposal of septic
sludge.
Hence
a
good
alternative
for
Improved overall performance.
septic sludge disposal in
developing nations.

Nutrient emissions to water from septic tank

systems in rural catchments

Underestimating the numbers of STS located in a catchment

. System performance is uncertain due to a lack of information on

factors
design
age
nature
level of maintenance
proximity to a watercourse.

STS constitute a relatively small (often <10%) portion of total

annual catchment nutrient loads, they can still significantly increase instream nutrient concentrations, especially during low fow periods in
summer.

a greater risk to riverine eutrophication and human health

In order to attenuate organic content, nutrients (orthophosphate-P,

ammonium-N) and pathogens in the effluent, the tank discharges to a
soak away or drain field where effluent is further treated by percolating
through the soil

Nutrient discharges from individual STS depend on the number of users,

detergent use and other domestic habits, system type, age, condition
and connectivity to the watercourse.

case study: Nadder and Bure

catchments, England

1257 septic tanks within the Nadder and about 2515 within the Bure

STS effluent P to nearby rivers was then estimated according to the

method proposed by Kraft and Turtumygard (1997)

Case study 2: Lough Melvin Septic

Tank Survey, Ireland

survey showed that a high proportion of STS discharges would reach

either a river or the lake with little P retention due to the high
connectivity and inadequate maintenance. Assuming a retention
coefficient of 20%, the estimated contribution of STS to the TP load into
the lake increased to 10%

case study 3:JOVA catchments, Norway

Reference 1

case studies have highlighted that the contribution of STS to

water quality deterioration is greater than currently assumed in
catchment management planning

STS discharges can lead to highly elevated stream nutrient

concentrations, especially during summer months with potentially major
impacts on river or stream ecology

References
1. Environmental Science & Policy,Volume 24,December 2012,Pages 71-82
P.J.A. Withers, L. May, H.P. Jarvie, P. Jordan, D. Doody, R.H. Foy, M. Bechmann, S.
Cooksley, R. Dils, N. Deal
2. Journal of Hazardous Materials,Volume 174, Issues 13,15 February 2010,Pages
500-505
Tarek Sabry
3. Journal of Environmental Management,Volume 90, Issue 2,February 2009,Pages
940-945
R. Valencia, D. den Hamer, J. Komboi, H.J. Lubberding, H.J. Gijzen
4. New Biotechnology,Volume 30, Issue 5,25 June 2013,Pages 573-580
Carlos Zamalloa, Jan B.A. Arends, Nico Boon, Willy Verstraete
5. Bioresource Technology,Volume 101, Issue 10,May 2010,Pages 3548-3553
L.G. Rodrguez-Canch, L. Cardoso Vigueros, T. Maldonado-Montiel, M. MartnezSanmiguel
6. Process Safety and Environmental Protection,In Press, Corrected
Proof,Available online 25 April 2013
Abbas Jorsaraei, Mahdi Gougol, Jules B. Van Lier