Wastewater Flashcards
Knowledge of state laws related to wastewater treatment and disposal
What is SWQCB? - 1963
State water Quality control board (1963), ensures that all californians have access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water. The regulation of the state’s drinking water is primarily the responsibility of the State Water Board.
SWQCB established by the Dickey Water Pollution Act of 1949: The Dickey Act established nine Regional Water Pollution Control Boards located in each of the major California watersheds.
The State Water Resources Control
Board was established in 1967 by the
Legislature.
1967 Regional WQCB stands for and purpose
There are nine regional Water Quality Control Boards Statewide originally established in the Dickey Water Pollution
Control Act of 1949.
Regional boundaries are based on watersheds and water quality requirements are based on the unique differences in climate, topography, geology and hydrology for each watershed. Each Regional Board makes critical water quality decisions for its region, including setting standards, issuing waste discharge requirements, determining compliance with those requirements, and taking appropriate enforcement actions.
Region 7 — Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board
Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego counties.
Region 8 — Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board
Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino counties.
1969 How was the
Porter-cologne water quality act born
1969 The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act is clean water act of California that expanded the enforcement authority of the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 Regional Water Quality Control Boards. The act provided for the California Environmental Protection Agency to create the local boards and better protect water rights and water quality.
To preserve & enhance all beneficial uses of the state’s waters. Recognized as one of the nation’s strongest pieces of anti-pollution legislation.
What is the purpose of Porter-cologue water quality act?
The Porter-Cologne Act is the principal law governing water quality in California. It establishes a comprehensive program to protect water quality and the beneficial uses of water. Unlike the Clean Water Act, Porter-Cologne applies to both surface water and ground water.
The act uses the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for point source discharges and waste discharge requirements (WDRs) in order to keep people from degrading the water quality of the State.
The policy states:
The quality of all waters of the State shall be protected. All activities and factors affecting the quality of water will be regulated in order to attain the highest water quality within reason.
The State must be prepared to exercise its fullest power and jurisdiction in order to protect the quality of water in the State from degradation.
Uniform Plumbing code
https://epubs.iapmo.org/2022/CPC/
Plumbing codes also protect residents from uncertain building practices that might put residents in harm’s way. Today, plumbers must also abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when installing plumbing systems in public buildings.
Provides minimum requirements and standards to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Provides standards for the installation, alteration, repair, relocation, replacement, use, and maintenance of plumbing systems.
1972 What is NPDES
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/coloradoriver/water_issues/programs/npdes/
As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. In most cases, the NPDES permit program is administered by authorized states. Since its introduction in 1972, the NPDES permit program is responsible for significant improvements to our Nation’s water quality.
California has been authorized to implement the NPDES program and each Regional Water Board implements the NPDES program to regulate point source discharge of wastewater to surface waters of the Region so that the highest quality and beneficial uses of these waters are protected and enhances. Regulation is by issuance of NPDES permits which are updated every five years. Each permit contains effluent limitations which ensure the protection of the receiving waters.
SWPPP - 1990
https://siderah2o.com/california-stormwater-swppp/#:~:text=The%20SWPPP%20is%20a%20document,under%20California’s%20Industrial%20General%20Permit.
The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan is a document unique to your site that identifies all of the industrial operations conducted on your facility and identifies pollution control practices that will implement and minimize pollutants from reaching Stormwater runoff. A SWPPP is required under California’s Industrial General Permit.
What are constituents of wastewater?
Component parts within the wastewater. May refer to the following:
Water (99.8%)
Solids(0.2%)
-Nitrates
-Coliform bacteria
-Fecal coliform bacteria
-Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
-Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
-Fats, Grease, Oils
-Foaming agents
-Biologcial Oxygen Demand
-Dissolved Oxygen
-Pharmaceuticals
Nitrate in wastewater
(Constituents)
Nitrates are formed during secondary treatment often from ammonia nitrification process. Also seen reduced further in the methanol, reverse osmosis, Electrodialysis, Oxidation pond, and land treatment.
Coliform bacteria (nonfecal)
(Constituents)
Rod-shaped Gram negative bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae
Live in soil, aquatic environment, and on vegetation
Ferment Lactose, producing an acid and a gas
Optimal temperature for lactose fermentation is 37 C (98.6 F)
Form Pink Colonies
EX: Citrobacter
Enterobacter
Hafnia
Klebsiella
Escherichia
Fecel coliform bacteria
(Constituents)
Facultative anaerobes Gram negative bacteria that originate from the intestine of warm-blooded animals
Live in the intestine of the warm-blooded animals
Indicate the presence of the pathogenic microorganisms in food and water
Optimal temperature for lactose fermentation is 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 F)
Develop Dark Blue Colonies
EX: E. coli
Total dissolved solids in wastewater
(Constituents)
SOLIDS CONTENT, effects corrosivity of water.
The total solid content should be less than 500 mg/l; however, this is based on the industrial uses of public water supplies and not on public health factors. Higher concentrations cause physiological effects and make drinking water less palatable. Dissolved solids, such
as calcium, bicarbonates, magnesium, sodium, sulfates, and chlorides, cause scaling in plumbing above 200 mg/l. The TDS can be reduced by distillation,reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, evaporation,
ion exchange, and, in some cases, chemical precipitation. Water with more than 1000 mg/l of dissolved solids is classified as ‘‘saline,’’ irrespective of the nature of the minerals present.
The USGS classifies water with
-less than 1000 mg/l as fresh
-1000 to 3000 as slightly saline
-3000 to 10,000 as moderately saline
-10,000 to 35,000 as very saline
- more than 35,000 as briny.
Total suspended solids (TSS) in wastewater
(Constituents)
TSS is the most common measure of the amount of solids, both organic and inorganic, in wastewater effluent. Raw wastewater has a TSS typically ranging from 155 to 330 mg/L, with 250 mg/L being typical concentration. After going through primary treatment in a septic tank, a typical TSS value is less than 65 mg/L.
**KIMURA - A visible suspension which can be removed by sedimentation of filtration. Usually settles within 1 hour by gravity - 75 % organic & 25 % inorganic in composition.
Fats, grease, and oils
(Constituents)
*- Can cause an explosion or a fire within the treatment plant.
FLOATS on water
Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) comes from meat fats in food scraps, cooking oil, shortening, lard, butter and margarine, gravy, and food products such as mayonnaise, salad dressings, and sour cream. FOG poured down kitchen drains accumulates inside sewer pipes.
Foaming Agents in wastewater
(Constituents)
Secondary drinking water regulations: Foaming agents Aesthetic 0.5 mg/l
or
Foaming in activated sludge process is a common operational problem in many wastewater treatment plants. The foam can occur in aeration tank, secondary clarifier, as well as in anaerobic digester. Foam in WWTP is normally sticky, viscous and brown in color. It floats and accumulates on top of the tanks, and can take up a large fraction of solids inventory and reactor volume, thus decreasing the effluent quality and control of sludge retention time (SRT). The foam can also overflow onto walkways and surrounding areas, posting severe difficulties and risk to operation and environment.
List some Non-standard septic system components:
Mounds ‘ Dosing and resting cycles
Pressure dosing -The pump discharges wastewater to the trenches. Once in the trench, wastewater seeps into the soil.
Intermittent sand filter
Aerobic municipal sewage plant, but on a smaller scale
Packed-bed soil absorption similar to a sand filter
Evapotranspiration - for sites where protection of the surface water and
groundwater is essential. Evapotranspiration is the net water loss caused by
evaporation of moisture from the soil surface and transpiration by vegetation.
