Waste Water Treatment and Processes in Melbourne - Case Study Example

Name: Instructor: Institution: Date: Introduction Wastewater undergoes treatment so that the industrial and human waste can be processed without harming human life. The effluent usually contains human, animal and industrial waste. This waste poses a great risk to all forms of life if handled recklessly. Wastes management is a challenge to major cities face because their dense populations and a high number of industries usually produce a large volume of waste. Melbourne is no exception and this report focuses on its sewage treatment plants and processes (Hussain et al. p 154-7). Managed by Melbourne Water, the sewage system has 400 kilometers of sewers, two treatment plants and nine pumping stations. This translates to 320000 million liters of human and industrial waste being treated annually. The Nature of Sewage Inputs and How They are Transferred From Melbourne Located at Werribee, West of Melbourne Australia, is the Western Treatment plant that serves a population of 1.6 million living in the Western and Northern suburbs handling 60% of Melbourne’s sewerage waste. In contrast, the Eastern Treatment plant located in Carrium serves 1.5 million people living in the East and South Eastern suburbs. It handles the remaining 40% of Melbourne’s sewage (Hussain et al. pp. 153). These two treatment plants are responsible for the treatment of Melbourne’s million liter wastewaters which contains all kinds of waste such as chemicals, metals, fats and even detergents as explained by Li et al.(2009, p. 275-82). These substances increase the risk of environmental degradation. Furthermore, they also increase the cost of sewage treatment. Sewerage tunnels meet with other sewerage tunnels at the join up with other pipes. Then, the wastewater is collected at either The Western or Eastern treatment plant where the treatment process begins within twelve hours. This wastewater is treated and the locals use some of it as recycled water. The rest is released to Port Philip Bay and South Eastern Outfall, Boags Rocs respectively. Traditional Methods of Treatment Originally Used AtWarribee The treatment of wastewater has gradually changed over time. Initially, traditional methods were in use. In the 1930s, Grass Filtration was used especially during the rainy seasons when the soil was wet and cloggy.During the treatment, the bulky trash from the wastes removed by sedimentation (Li et al., pp. 275-9).Lighter trash float at the surface of the vat while the heavier trash drops to the low level of vat. The treated sewage is left at the center of the vat (Jones, et. al pp.203-6), then flooded through channels that contain grass capable of filtering the sewage. Bacteria remove pollutants in the soil. The treated water is let to flow to the drain and released to Port Philip Bay. Land filtration was however preferred during summer. Land filtration became significant because during the summer, the weather is very hot and the land is dry to absorb sewage water quickly. In this approach, the land is filled with wastewater to a height of about 10 cm. Then, the solids are filtered to remain on the surface while the sewage soaks into the ground. Pollutants in the sewage are usually broken down in bacteria. Lagoon Treatment was another traditional method used. It was suitable to use during any time of the year. It was well-suited for tropical areas because tropical areas have a desirable climate for lagoons. Raw sewage is usually poured in an excavated open basin in the earth. Then, the biodegradable waste is removed by aeration and exposure to sunlight. The natural lagoons which were used initially were preferred because they required little cost and minimal use of chemicals (Li et al., pp. 280). However, these traditional methods had their shortcomings and therefore there was a need for new modern methods. Modern lagoons and methods of sewage treatment replaced their traditional counterparts in 1986. Methods of Treatment Used at Carrum, Improvements and Reasons For Introduction Currently, modern lagoons are being used which have ten pools each with each pool having a capacity to hold 600 million liters of wastewater. The sewage is run on ponds that breakdown any solid organic matter due to the presence of bacteria. The process of treating the waste involved the following procedure. First the water from Melbourne enters the Werribee lagoon. Here, there are shelters that remove the bad smell. It is in these shelters too, where greenhouse emissions are cut. This is usually achieved by the collection of Methane. Then, the collected Methane is usually recycled and it helps generate the electric energy that powers the aerators and other parts of the Centre. The aerators dissolve oxygen to the sewage. Then the activated sludge, helps in removing nitrogen from the wastewater. After a period of 30 – 35 days, the sewage can be recycled or released to Port Philip Bay. The water used in this process is usually recycled and delivered to various offsite clients including The Hoppers Crossing pumping station in Melbourne. The remaining water is used for irrigation and maintenance of the treatment plant. Improvements have been made at the modern lagoon treatment plant that usually has two ponds: the aerobic and anaerobic ponds that create different bacteria that have different roles in the breakdown of the sewage. The first pond is the anaerobic pond that has oxygen-consuming bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for the release of strong odors and greenhouse gas emissions which are usually dangerous to life. The improved ponds have shelters that capture the bad smell which was prevalent in the old lagoons. The gas removed from the biogas is responsible for generating electricity that runs the whole plant (Jones, et. al pp.200-9). The oxygen that accumulates as the waste is force at the initial stages in the aerators. As it goes through the rest of the ponds, oxygen helps in reducing the unpleasant odors. The Treatment at Carrum Carrum uses a secondary standard of treatment which has two stages. These stages are primary and secondary treatment. Primary Phase This is the first phase of treatment. At this stage, the bulky items are cleaned out from the waste using fine filters. The fine particles are ventilated while the larger bulky particles drop at the bottom to form sludge. Bulky particles and sludge are then sent to digesters with bacteria that later breaks them down later. Secondary Phase. At this stage, organic wastes are broken down and removed from the aeration vats by the same bacteria found in the lagoon treatment plants. The wastewater goes to sedimentation vats while sludge drops at the bottom of the vats. Thus, the sludge creates a cleaner effluent held in ponds before being screened finally. After screening, the wastewater is recycled and disinfected by chlorine and then released to the environment. There are plans to upgrade to a tertiary plant in the near future. Problems faced by Major Cities in the Treatment of Sewage. The major problem faced by major cities is the huge volume of effluents released by the cities. Melbourne, for instance, treats 320000 million liters of sewage annually. Another problem is that the treated waters end up in the waterways posing a great health risk. To overcome this challenge, the governments should take advantage of the new technologies available to improve waste management practices. Recycling waste has been a proven success. For instance, waste can be recycled into fertilizers. The chemical energy produced by this process can be made to give energy that can be used by the treatment plants and other external facilities. Furthermore, robots can be used to monitor sewage lines for leaks and malfunctions. Reasons Why Warribee is Suitable for A Sewage Plant Warribee is perfect for a sewage treatment for a number of reasons. First of all, it provides lakes, creeks and salt marsh which provide good waterways to carry the treated wastewater. It also provides beautiful landscape scenery which usually attracts tourists as it is usually a good site for birds watching. Environmental Impact of the Werribee Facility There are obvious adverse effects to the environment that this facility has. First of all, in the traditional processes, the Nitrogen from the waste water found its way to Philip Bay according to The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia (2000). This endangers the lives of people and the lives of organisms in the water. Then, the smell produced is usually unbearable and makes the area inhabitable. The greenhouse gases produced in the treatment process are also a cause for concern. However, technology has significantly reduced the adverse effects of wastewater treatment. The use of greenhouse gases for electricity has reduced their release to the environment. It has also provided efficiency and reduced the cost of energy by reducing electric power usage. The methane captured during the treatment process has reduced the smell produced by the plant thus making the atmosphere bearable and the place habitable. Challenges Associated with Site’s Location at Carrum The aquatic life has been negatively affected by the release of the wastewaters in the water. Another challenge has been the high levels of Ammonia in the treated wastewater since this has affected the human and aquatic life around Carrum. Numerous measures have been taken to reduce the levels of sewage treatment through the use of modern sewage treatment and management methods. Conclusion Undoubtedly, Warribee and Carrum waste treatment plants help in managing the wastewater in Melbourne. They have also provided a good resource for educational research and continuous study and development of waste management and treatment the world and over. However, the methods used should improve with time to mitigate the obvious impact to the environment. This can be done through the help that technology offers, especially in recycling where the outcome of the whole process of sewage treatment can be optimized. 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