Print this pageTreating for Nutrients in Wastewater
Jim Newton, P.E., DEE
Course Outline
This sixteen hour course provides valuable information for those individuals who are involved in the nutrient control design of municipal wastewater treatment plants or have an interest in them. Completion of this course will provide the student the necessary information to properly design nutrient control techniques, both chemical and biological and the important factors contributing top the processes.
This course requires the completion of a multiple-choice quiz at its conclusion in order to obtain the necessary certification for the individuals who are seeking to understand the liquid processes used at a municipal WWTP.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the sources of nitrogen and phosphorous in wastewater;
- Understand the status of wastewater treatment in the US;
- Understand nutrient impairment of US waterways;
- Understand climate change impacts due to nutrients;
- Understand Federal and state water quality regulations regarding nutrients;
- Understand the WERF nutrient removal challenge;
- Understand the benefits of nutrient removal;
- Understand the challenges associated with nutrient removal;
- Understand basic principles of chemically removing phosphorous;
- Understand Basic phosphorous chemical equations and stoichiometry;
- Understand basic solid separation processes;
- Understand the effects of sludge production and handling;
- Understand the principles of biological nutrient removal;
- Understand nitrogen removal by biomass synthesis;
- Understand the reactions and stoichiometry of nitrification;
- Understand the inhibitory effects of environmental conditions;
- Understand denitrification fundamentals;
- Understand the microbiology of denitrification;
- Understand biological denitrification kinetics;
- Understand specific denitrification rates;
- Understand the importance of simultaneous nitrification-denitrification;
- Understand denitrification carbon sources;
- Understand the principles of biological phosphorous removal
- Understand the sources of fatty acids;
- Understand basic environmental conditions that affect biological phosphorous removal;
- Understand biological phosphorous removal kinetics;
- Understand basic nitrogen removal techniques;
- Understand basic phosphorous removal techniques;
- Understand the basic combined phosphorous-nitrogen removal technologies;
- Understand sidestream management issues;
- Understand effluent filtration technologies:
- Understand design flow rate issues;
- Understand basic technology selection factors for plant upgrades;
- Understand the basic design approach for phosphorous removal by chemical addition;
- Understand how to design a chemical feed system;
- Understand designing rapid mix and flocculation systems;
- Understand basic chemical treatment operating factors;
- Understand the design approach for biological nutrient removal;
- Understand how to characterize organic materials;
- Understand key kinetic and stoichiometric parameters;
- Understand the basic design approach for effluent filtration;
- Understand granular media filters;
- Understand low pressure membrane filters;
- Understand emerging technologies for phosphorous removal;
- Understand granular media filter backwash requirements;
- Understand operation and optimization to enhance nutrient removal;
- Understand common operational changes to enhance nutrient removal;
- Understand basic instrumentation and controls;
- Understand online instrumentation for nutrient control; and
- Understand sustainable nutrient recovery issues.
Intended Audience
The intended audience for this course is any professional who is involved in any facility or operations that treats wastewater and sludge.
Benefit to Attendees
Attendees of this course will understand how to design nutrient control systems in municipal WWTP.
Course Introduction
Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have a variety of important design issues related to the treatment on nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous that are commonly found in wastewater. Nutrients that are not removed from wastewater often create significant water quality issues when discharged into receiving streams. Excessive nitrogen and phosphorous can lead to algae blooms and depleted dissolved oxygen in nearby waters.
Course Content
This course is based upon the following US EPA document:
“Nutrient Control Design Manual”, EPA 600/R-10/100, US EPA, August 2011.
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Course Summary
This course discusses the basic design criteria and information for nutrient control at a municipal wastewater treatment plant.
Related Links
For additional information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:
US Environmental Protection Agency
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
