UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS

MAY 2014
PROGRAMME

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering Part/Time

MODULE NAME

Wastewater Engineering
Friday

DATE

MODULE CODE

09 May 2014

TIME

09:30 11:30 Hrs

NO. OF
QUESTIONS SET

DURATION
NO. OF QUESTIONS
TO BE ATTEMPTED

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Answer ALL questions.
All questions carry equal marks.

CIVE 3223(5)
/CIVE 4016
2 hours
4

WASTEWATER ENGINEERING CIVE 3223(5) /CIVE 4016

Answer ALL questions.
All questions carry equal marks.
Question 1
a)

Explain the rationale for the application of flow equalisation at wastewater

treatment plants.
[6 marks]

b)

A wastewater treatment plant uses rectangular sedimentation tanks for primary

clarification. The average design flow is 14,000 m3/d, with a peaking factor of 2.5.
Two tanks are used. The length, width, and depth are 24 m, 7 m, and 4 m,
respectively. Single effluent weirs are provided at the outlet zone.
(i)

Calculate the surface overflow rate, detention time, and weir loading rates
for the design flow and peak flow.
[14 marks]

(ii)

Typical design values for rectangular sedimentation tanks are as follows:

Parameter

Range

Typical
values

Detention time, h

1.5-2.5

2.0

32-50

40

78-120

100

125-500

260

Overflow Rate at average flow,

m3/m2.d
Overflow Rate at peak flow,
m3/m2.day
Weir Loading Rate, m3/m.day

Based on the above information, comment on your results in (i). and make
recommendations as necessary.
[5 marks]

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WASTEWATER ENGINEERING CIVE 3223(5) /CIVE 4016

Question 2
a)

Secondary treatment usually consists of biological treatment of primary effluent

wastewater. Differentiate between TWO major categories of biological treatment
processes and provide examples for each category.
[6 marks]

b)

Explain the Monod model and its relevance to the activated sludge process.
[5 marks]

c)

A completely mixed high-rate activated sludge plant is to treat 15,000 m3/d of

industrial wastewater. The primary effluent going to the activated sludge reactor
has a BOD5 of 1100 mg/L that must be reduced to 150 mg/L prior to discharge to
a municipal sewer. Pilot plant analysis gave the following results: Mean cell
residence time = 5 days; MLSS concentration in reactor = 6000 mg/L VSS,
Biomass yield, Y = 0.7 kg/kg and Endogenous decay coefficient, kd = 0.03 day1
Based on the above information, determine the following:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)

The hydraulic retention time and volume of the activated sludge reactor.
The volumetric loading rate in kg BOD5/m3-day to the reactor.
The F/M ratio in the reactor.
The mass and volume of solids wasted each day, at an underflow solids
concentration Xu = 12,000 mg/L.
The sludge recirculation ratio.
The volume of solids that must be wasted each day, if the solids are wasted
directly from the activated sludge reactor instead of from the underflow.
[14 marks]

Question 3
a)

b)

i)

With the aid of a schematic diagram(s), explain how the attached growth
process works.
[6 marks]

ii)

List TWO advantages and TWO disadvantages of the attached growth

process in comparison with the suspended growth process.
[4 marks]

An industry has decided to treat its processed wastewater in a biotower with a

plastic modular medium (n = 0.6). The flow rate of the wastewater is 1000 m3 /d
with a BOD5 of 500 mg/L and an average temperature of 18C. The treatability
constant k is 0.04 min1 for the system at 20C. The depth of the medium is 5.5 m.
The desired effluent BOD5 is 15 mg/L.
Calculate the following:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

The area of biotower required, without any recycle.

The organic loading rate for the biotower without recycle.
The area of biotower required when direct recirculation ratio is 3:2.
The organic loading rate for the biotower with recycle.

Based on your calculations, would you recommend a biotower with or without

recycling? Explain your answer.
[15 marks]
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WASTEWATER ENGINEERING CIVE 3223(5) /CIVE 4016

Question 4
a)

Preliminary treatment forms an important part of wastewater treatment. With the

aid of a schematic diagram, show a typical layout of a preliminary treatment
process. Also, write short notes on the function(s) of each component.
[10 marks]

b)

Elaborate on the FOUR steps of sludge processing.

[8 marks]

c)

It is proposed that a wastewater treatment plant will be built in the southern

region of Mauritius to treat domestic and industrial wastewater. Discuss the
potential impacts of such a wastewater treatment plant on the environment.
[7 marks]

END OF QUESTION PAPER

/sg

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