U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATI &e/extfe>cC> Research and Development Cincinnati Water Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio OCTOBER 1968 SOIL RESPONSE TO SEWAGE EFFLUENT IRRIGATION This paper summarizes present knowledge of the treatment of wastewater by application to the soil surface. Brief sections on the present use and design of soil systems and wastewater quality are followed by a discussion of the interactions which result from the application of wastewater to a soil' plant ecosystem. The discussions are limited to the response of the soil and the effect on the soil water from irrigation with sewage treatment plant effluent. Many industrial and most domestic wastewaters are suitable for irrigation use under good manage- ment practices. Wastewater can cause beneficial or detrimental changes in physical and chemical prop- erties of soil. Proper management and system design can accentuate the beneficial effects. Waste- waters receive treatment as they percolate through soil, and the resulting soil percolate may be suitable for many reuse applications. Thomas, R. E. and Law, J. P., Jr., Soil Response to Sewage Effluent Irrigation, presented at the Symposium on the Use of Sewage Effluent for Irrigation held at Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, Ruston, Louisiana, July 30, 1968. (This reprint may be obtained from the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, Ada, Oklahoma 74820 ) SLUDGE HANDLING AND DISPOSAL This report discusses in detail the broad subject of water and wastewater sludge handling and dis- posal. Sludge handling and disposal procedures are reviewed and evaluated by discussing methods, materials and equipment used today and in the past. Thus, the report provides an information base and suggestions for new approaches to the sludge treatment art for use by researchers, design engin- eers, and operators of treatment facilities. The material is presented in the same sequence as solids processing steps used at treatment plants. The text begins with the grit chamber and ends with ultimate sludge disposal. A major conclusion from the report is: addi- tional support should be given to the research and development of better ways to treat the solid portion of wastewaters, after separation from the liquid. Eight other major conclusions of the report are: (1) Standardized accounting and reporting pro- cedures are needed, (2) sludge handling and dis- posal should be integrated into the total wastewater treatment system, (3) wastewater sludge disposal could be considered as a part of total solids-disposal system that includes refuse and other solid wastes, (4) incineration is a promising ultimate disposal technique, (5) mechanical dewatering systems are replacing n ore primitive dewatering systems, (6) there is a trend to ocean disposal of sludge by coastal or near-coastal cities, (7) raw sludge hand- ling is becoming more popular, and (8) the cost of ultimate sludge disposal for most installations ranges from $5 to $55 per ton of dry solids. Burd, R. S., A Study of Sludge Handling and Disposal, U. S. Department of the Interior, FWPCA Publication WP-20-4, May 1968, 326 pp. SUMMARY REPORT-ADVANCED WASTE TREATMENT This report summarizes results of advanced waste-treatment studies from July 1964 to July 1967. Under a combined program of contract and intramural research, a wide range of wastewater- treatment processes has been evaluated for tech- nical and economic feasibility at stages of develop- ment from laboratory-scale through pilot-scale. These treatment methods include processes for suspended solids removal, organic removal, inor- ganic removal, nutrient removal, and ultimate dis- posal of concentrated end products. Since it is obvious that the efficiency of the conventional bio- logical processes greatly affect some of the advanced processes, studies of certain aspects of the biological processes have become a part of advanced waste- treatment research. An assessment of feasibility and economic fac- tors for various other processes in a 10-mgd plant is presented. The cost for alum clarification is esti- mated at 8 cents/1,000 gal.; granular carbon treat- ment without clarification of the feed, 8 cents/1,000 gal.; powdered carbon treatment using reactivated carbon, 12 cents/1,000 gal.; electrodialysis treat- ment, 16 cents/1,000 gal. Study of a number of processes given prelimi- nary evaluation has been halted, at least for the present. Electrochemical treatment appears to be economically unfavorable. The foaming process, although technically feasible for removal of certain soluble and suspended organic materials, and while ------- economically promising, has not been generally necessary since the introduction of biodegradable anionic detergents in 1965. Solvent extraction, dis- tillation, and freezing also have encountered a number of problems that limit their usefulness. Summary Report — Advanced Waste Treatment, July 1964-July 1967, U. S. Department of the Interior, FWPCA Publication WP-20-AWTR-19, 1968. 96 pp. AERATED LAGOON TREATMENT OF FOOD PROCESSING WASTES A study was undertaken to develop design cri- teria for aerated lagoons by evaluating full-scale plant treatment of wastes from the processing of frozen peas in Northwest Washington. Typical operation encountered difficulties with foaming and development of filamentous floe. Recommendations, are given for design and operation to optimize treatment by this type of system. Dostal, K. A.. Progress Report on Aerated Lagoon Treat- ment of Food Processing Wastes, PR-5, Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, FWPCA, Corvallis, Oregon, March 1968. (This report may be obtained from the Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97330.) AERATED LAGOON EVALUATION This report presents the results of a two-day survey on the waste characteristics and treatment efficiency of the aerated lagoon — polishing pond waste treatment system at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Chemawa Indian School. The report dis- cusses also the theoretical aspects of the biological treatment system and related design parameters. Clark, B. D. and Dostal, K. A., Evaluation of Waste Treat- ment System, Chemawa Indian School, FR-6, Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, FWPCA, Corvallis, Oregon, July 1968. (This report may be obtained from the Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97330.) DISPOSAL OF GLUE WASTES In the States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and California, 158 plywood plants gen- erate an estimated 6.2 million gallons of waste per day from the cleanup of glue-mixing equipment and glue spreaders. The waste is toxic and high in pollutional strength. Treatment of these glue wastes varies from plant to plant but generally consists only of solids separation or the removal of suspended matter. Further investigations are underway to determine which treatment methods will solve the pollution problems caused by the dis- charge of these wastes. Bodien, D. G„ Plywood Plant Glue Wastes Disposal: Progress Report PR-2, Pacific Northwest Water Labora- tory, FWPCA, Corvallis, Oregon, February 1968. (This report may be obtained from the Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97330.) HOUSEBOAT WASTE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT Methods of collection and treatment for house- boat and moorage wastewaters are reviewed. Sev- eral methods using alternative materials are con- sidered and approximate installed costs are given. Emphasis is placed upon the solution of the prob- lem in the State of Oregon but the information developed is applicable in adjacent states and else- where when appropriate adjustments are made. Clark, B. D., Houseboat Wastes: Methods for Collection and Treatment, FR-2, Pacific Northwest Water Labora- tory, FWPCA, Corvallis, Oregon, June 1967. (This report may be obtained from the Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97330.) WASHINGTON'S COASTAL AND ESTUARINE WATERS-BIBLIOGRAPHY Indexed herein are references to literature per- taining to marine waters of the State of Washing- ton and Puget Sound. References to these papers, most of which have been published since 1955, are indexed under one or more of the following head- ings: Marine Biology; Fisheries; Geology; Chemical and Physical Oceanography; Water Pollution; and Bibliographies, Literature Surveys and Compi- lations. Ditsworth, G. R., Environmental Factors in Coastal and Estuarine Waters — Bibliographic Series. Volume II. Coast of Washington, National Coastal Pollution Research Program, Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, FWPCA, Corvallis, Oregon. (This report may be obtained from the Pacific Northwest Water Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97330.) GROWTH AND METABOLISM OF FUNGI The continuing recovery of fungus spores and cells from digestion sludge and other microaero- philic habitats led to the initiation of study to determine whether or not these fungi could be active under conditions of complete anaerobiosis. It was thought that the knowledge of specific re- quirements for oxygen and tolerance to high N, levels, might be useful in the problem of more advantageous utilization of the metabolic capacities of fungi during waste and sewage treatment. Strains of 13 species of fungi isolated in rela- tively large numbers from sewage sludges, polluted waters, organically enriched soils and similar habi- tats were incubated under 100% pre-purified nitro- gen gas in liquid culture with the reductant sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate. Incubation was carried out in 25-ml conical flasks in Case "anaero" jars. Growth and removal of carbon from the medium were measured at weekly intervals by oven dry weight determinations on cell crops collected on membrane filters, and with a Beckman carbon analyzer. Except for Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani, all strains used demon- strated a definite requirement for vitamins under the anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions of the 2 ------- test. Greatest amount of growth activity was demonstrated by Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani and Mucor hiemalis. The fungi most sensitive to a 100% nitrogen gas atmos- phere were Phoma herbarum, Rhodotorula mucila- ginosa and Candida parapsilosis. Intermediate spe- cies included: Aspergillus niger, A. jumigatus, Aureobasidium pullulans, Phialophora jeanselmei, Penicillium oxalicum and P. brevicompactum (used in combination), and Trichoderma viride, in de- scending order. It was shown that strains of those fungi tested are able to metabolize organic substances and pro- duce cell tissue under the conditions of the experi- ment and that, therefore, they may be carrying out similar activities in microaerophilic or even anaerobic conditions in sewage treatment systems and similar habitats. Tabak, H. H. and Cooke, W. B., "Growth and Metabolism of Fungi in an Atmosphere of Nitrogen," Mycologia, I.X, 115-140, January-February 1968. CHEMICAL FEED PREDICTIONS Experimental results have indicated that small pilot filters of various media types can be used to predict optimum chemical dosages for clarification of a water supply. Pilot filter media must be of the same type and makeup as the full-scale filters in order to obtain these results with the raw-water source. Initial procedures involve the determina- tion of the minimum coagulant dose required to maintain desired effluent quality throughout a filter run terminated by maximum head loss develop- ment. By indirect determination, pore velocity in the clogged filter can be measured and the pilot filter operated at high hydraulic rates to simulate these conditions. If floe strength is sufficient to produce the desired effluent quality under these conditions, the dosage is considered sufficient and nearly optimum for full-scale use. If it is not, required filter-aid dosage may be determined via the small experimental filter. Kreissl, J. F., Robeck, G. G., and Sommerville, G. A., "Use of Pilot Filters to Predict Optimum Chemical Feeds," Journal American Water Works Association, 60, 299-314, March 1968 PILOT STUDY OF DYNAMICS OF RESERVOIR DESTRATIFICATION This report presents the results of a study of the dynamics of destratification on a large reservoir by utilizing a compressed air diffusor system. The work reported was conducted during the summer and early fall of 1967 at Eufaula Reservoir, located in eastern Oklahoma. The system used consisted of two diesel-powered, rota-screw-type, barge-mounted air compressors, rated to deliver 150 cfm free air at 100 psig. Air was discharged through a cross- shaped diffusor system located near the bottom of the reservoir at a depth of 73 feet. The diffusor assembly consisted of four 20-foot legs, each with four microporous porcelain-type diffusor stones which were spaced 3 feet apart along the outermost 9 feet of each leg. The system was undersized for circulating the entire volume of the central pool; yet 65,000 acre-feet of water was aerated by the end of the 25-day operation. Aeration effects ex- tended as far as 2.5 miles from the point where the system was installed, covering an area of ap- proximately 3,000 acres. Leach, L. E., Duffer, W. R., and Harlin. C. C., Pilot Study of Dynamics o/ Reservoir Destratification, Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, FWPCA, Ada, Oklahoma, 1968. (Tkis report may be obtained from the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, Ada, Oklahoma 74820.) FATE OF DDT AND NITRATE IN GROUND WATER An irrigation well in the Ogallala Aquifer near Bushland, Texas, was recharged for 10 days with 348 gallons per minute of water containing a tritium tracer, nitrates, and DDT. The well was then pumped for 12 days at 504 gallons per minute. Ob- servation wells and the recharge-pumping well were monitored throughout these periods for tracer and pollutants. The nitrate moved through the fine sand aquifer essentially the same as the tracer. The DDT was apparently absorbed on the aquifer material be- tween the recharge and the nearest observation well. Upon pumping the recharge well, the initial DDT concentration in the pumped water was over 16 times the recharge concentration. Ninety-four percent of both the tritium and the nitrates was re- covered during the pumping period. Scalf, M. R., Hauser, V. L., McMillion, L. G., Dunlap, W. J., and Keeley, J. W., Fate of DDT and Nitrate in Ground Water, Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, FWPCA, Ada, Oklahoma and Southwestern Great Plains Research Center, USDA, Bushland, Texas, 1968. (This report may be obtained from the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, Ada, Oklahoma 74820.) SAMPLING EQUIPMENT FOR GROUND-WATER INVESTIGATIONS Portable pumping equipment for sampling of wells, described by written text, photographs, and a detailed drawing, has been constructed by the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center. The equipment can sample to depths of 300 feet at pumping rates ranging between 7 and 14 gallons per minute, with rate variation dependent upon sampling depth. The unit is convenient in size and easy to oper- ate because only one line has to be handled during its operation. This is a wire-reinforced rubber hose that supports the submersible pump, contains the electrical cable, and conveys water. McMillion, L. G. and Kelley, J. W., Sampling Equipment for Ground-Water Investigations, Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, FWPCA, Ada, Oklahoma, 1968. (This reprint may be obtained from the Robert S. Kerr Water Research Center, Ada, Oklahoma 74820.) 3 ------- If you wish to continue receiving this pu b I i cat ion, please CHECK HERE ~. If you do not wish to continue receiving this publication, please CHECK HERE Q. your name will then be promp tly removed from the mailing list. Please return this label to G.M. G igliotti, Chief, OFFICE OF INFORMATION, address below. WATER RESEARCH is issued by the Information Office, Ohio Basin Region, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, Cincinnati, Ohio. Summaries are based on technical research publications by the staff of the Research and Development Program. Reprints of the complete articles may be obtained by writ- ing Chief, Office of Information, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. 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