Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon Training Course

1 State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment 2010 Training MANUAL for OPERATORS of Wastewater Stabilization LAGOONS Prepared by: operator Training and Certification Unit Manual provided as part of Training package. Cost of manual, other than through Training program, $ Introduction INTRODUCTION Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon Training Course Prepared By The operator Training and Certification Unit Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment Purpose and Scope This Course was developed to provide the operators of Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon systems with the basic understanding of this treatment process as well as the requirements for operation, control, and maintenance of this type of treatment system.

2 The purpose of the manual is to provide written material to compliment and in some cases add to the class discussions. The manual is not intended to include everything Lagoon operators need to know nor be a substitute for a facility s Operation and Maintenance Manual . However, we trust that the Course and the manual will be valuable tools to be used by operators along with other resources, especially their work experience, to become better operators and protectors of the environment and public health. Manual Organization The manual is organized to follow the Course presentation. In general it follows the normal path of Wastewater after it has been discharged into the collection system.

3 However, some topics such as the treatment process and mathematics will be covered early in the Course for emphasis. Overall, a basic description of the operation and maintenance of the lift station through the Stabilization lagoons is provided. Definition of a Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon For this Course we will use the following definition of a Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon : A carefully designed structure constructed to contain and to facilitate the operation and control of a complex process of treating or stabilizing Wastewater . A Lagoon system consists of many parts. It will have one or more, usually earthen-diked containments, constructed to hold water.

4 Each containment may be called a Lagoon , pond, or cell. The containments (with a few exceptions) are lined so that the water cannot seep into the ground uncontrolled. A system of pipes is included with appropriate valves to conduct the collected Wastewater into, through, and out of the system as controlled by the operator . The size and number of ponds in these systems vary greatly depending on the amount of Wastewater to be treated. Each cell may have a surface area as small as a few thousand square feet to as large as several acres. The water depth in the cells is usually about four feet but may be as much as twenty feet. A Lagoon system may consist of from one to eight or more cells and have a capacity to hold from one hundred thousand to several million gallons.

5 A typical Lagoon system has three cells, two intended for treatment, and one, usually deeper, intended for storage to allow for seasonal discharge. InfluentEffluent#1#2#3 Typical Lagoon SystemThe purpose of Lagoon systems is to provide for the operation and control of a complex process of treating or stabilizing Wastewater . This process is necessary because the components in the Wastewater , if discharged will cause changes that will be harmful to the environment or to public health. The treatment process causes changes to occur in the Wastewater under control in the Lagoon system so that components in the Wastewater are removed or broken down into less harmful compounds.

6 The treated water is then stabilized and will cause no significant hazard when discharged. Operators Responsibility It is the responsibility of the operator of the Lagoon system to be sure the treatment process is working as efficiently as possible so that the environment and public health are protected. This gets us back to the purpose of this Course : to provide the operator with a basic understanding of this treatment process as well as the requirements for operation, control, and maintenance of this type of treatment system. We will start with a discussion of the sources and characteristics of Wastewater , then get into the details of the process and how to monitor and control it.

7 1. Wastewater Characteristics CHAPTER ONE Characteristics of Wastewater Wastewater Sources Wastewater may be described as water that is used to carry waste products away from homes, schools, commercial establishments, and industries. The Wastewater comes from three general sources: domestic, industrial, and infiltration into the collection system. Domestic Wastewater comes from homes, apartments, schools and the like. These flows, often called sanitary waste, contains materials from food preparation and clean-up, laundry operations, household cleaners, and of Course human waste products. Just considering what may be in these flows it can be seen that they contain a wide variety of compounds, many of which are not only a nuisance, but also harmful to the environment and to human health.

8 Discharges from industrial operations may add greatly to the number and variety of compounds in the Wastewater that may not only be harmful, but also may be very difficult to remove from the flow. Even though the communities that typically use Lagoon systems are relatively small and have few if any industries, just one or two can add significantly to the hazards as well as difficulty of treatment. Also, depending upon the collection system, the Wastewater may become diluted with groundwater or surface water as it passes from the source to the point of treatment. This infiltration into sewage collection system may account for large increases in the amount of Wastewater that requires treatment, as well as bringing in additional materials that may cause treatment problems.

9 Although typical quantities of domestic Wastewater generation are somewhat predictable, industrial contributions and infiltration rates often fluctuate greatly. All these factors taken together demonstrate that the task of the person responsible to protect the environment and the health of the public from the harmful aspects of the Wastewater has a very difficult and complex job. Also, the process used to minimize these hazards has to be able to remove a wide variety of compounds, forgiving of sudden changes, resilient to toxic materials, yet capable of meeting high discharge standards. Wastewater Characteristics With this discussion of the sources of Wastewater it would appear that the characteristics of Wastewater would be considerably different for each community.

10 Although this is true to some extent, Wastewater received at treatment facilities throughout the United States, especially at the smaller communities that use Lagoon systems, is quite comparable. Several general statements can be made about the average Wastewater flows. Quantity -The typical waste Stabilization Lagoon receives a flow of about 75 to 100 gallons each day for each person contributing to the collection system. This number may vary somewhat depending the amount of infiltration and the number and type of industries that are discharging to the system. However, the quantity of flow should be close to this range. If the flow increases significantly above this amount, it will result in less time for treatment of the waste and less storage capacity for the system.