Vocab Flashcards
(129 cards)
1
Q
Receiving Water
A
a stream, river, lake, ocean, or other surface or groundwaters into which treated or reclaimed wastewater is discharged.
2
Q
Nutrient
A
any substance that is assimilated by organisms and promotes growth. for example, nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that promote the growth of algae
3
Q
Biosolids
A
a primarily organic solid product produced by wastewater treatment processes that can be beneficially recycled
4
Q
EFFLUENT
A
WATER - RAW (UNTREATED), PARTIALLY TREATED, OR COMPLETELY TREATED - FLOWING FROM A RESERVOIT, BASIN, TREATMENT PROCESS, OR TREATMENT PALNT.
5
Q
Collection systems
A
A network of pipes, manholes, cleanouts, traps, siphons, lift stations, and other structures used to collect all wastewater and wastewater-carried wastes of an area and transport them to a treatment plant. the collection system includes land, wastewater lines and appurtenances, pumping stations, and general property. also called sewerage system
6
Q
Domestic Contribution
A
Wastes originating in a residential facility or dwelling. in this use, it means the type and quantity of wastes are different from commercial and industrial or agrigultural
7
Q
Organic Waste
A
Waste material that may come from animal or plant sources. Natural organic wastes generally can be consumed by bacteria and other small organisms. Manufactured or synthetic organic wastes from metal finishing, chemical manufacturing, and petroleum industries may not normally be consumed by bacteria and other organisms
8
Q
Inorganic waste
A
Waste material (sand, salt, iron, calcium, and other mineral materials) that is only slightly affected by the action of organisms. inorganic wastes are chemical substances of mineral origin; whereas organic wastes are chemical substances usually of animal or plant origin
9
Q
Grit
A
the heavy material present in wastewater such as sand, coffee grounds, eggshells, gravel, and cinders.
10
Q
Suspended Solids
A
Solids that either float on the surface or are suspended in water or wastewater. when referred to as a waterborne constituent, total suspended solids (TSS) is the quantity of material removed from water or wastewater in a standard laboratory test
11
Q
Sludge
A
- The settleable solids separated from liquids during processing. 2. The deposits of foreign materials on the bottoms of streams or other bodies of water or on the bottoms of streams or other bodies of water or on the bottoms and edges of wastewater collection lines and appurtenances. Also called biosolids. However, biosolids typically refers to treated waste.
12
Q
Milligrams per liter
A
A measure of the concentration by weight of a substance per unit volume.
13
Q
Aerobic Bacteria
A
Bacteria that will live and reproduce only in an environment containing oxygen that is available for their respiration, namely atmospheric oxygen or oxygen dissolved in water. Oxygen combined chemically, such as in water molecules cannot be used for respiration by aerobic bacteria
14
Q
Stabilization
A
Conversion to a form that resists change. Organic material is stabilized by bacteria that convert the material to gases and other relatively inert substances. stabilized organic material generally will not give off obnoxious odors
15
Q
Disinfection
A
The process designed to kill or inactivate most microorganisms in water or wastewater, including essentially all pathogenic bacteria.
16
Q
PH
A
An expression of the intensity of the basic or acidic condition of a liquid. Mathematically, this is equivalent to the negative of the base 10 logarithm. Equation on PG 7 Vol1
17
Q
Algae
A
Microscopic plants containing chlorophyll that live floating or suspended in water. They also may be attached to structures, rocks, or other submerged surfaces. excess algal growths can impart tastes and odors to potable water. Algae produce oxygen during sunlight hours and use oxygen during the night hours. Their biological activities appreciably affect the PH, alkalinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen of the water
18
Q
Settleometer
A
A one- or Two-liter graduated cylinder that measures the settling rate of settleable solids
19
Q
NPDES permit ( National pollutant discharge Elimination system permit)
A
A regulatory document that limits discharges into US waterways, and provides monitoring and reporting requirements and other provisions to ensure that discharges do not hurt water quality or people health
20
Q
POTW (publicly owned treatment works)
A
devices and systems used to store, treat, recycle, or reclaim municipal wastewater or industrial liquid wastes that are owned by a state, municipality, special sewer district, or other publicly owned and financed entity.
21
Q
Combined Sewer
A
a sewer designed to carry both sanitary wastewaters and stormwater or surface water runoff.
22
Q
Sanitary sewer
A
a pip or conduit (sewer) intended to carry wastewater or waterborne wastes from homes, businesses, and industries to the treatment works. some systems combine the collection of wastewater and stormwater.
23
Q
Influent
A
water-raw (untreated) or partially treated flowing into a reservoir, basin, treatment process, or treatment plant
24
Q
infiltration
A
the seepage of groundwater into a collection system through breaks, open joints, or corrosion-damaged pipes
25
inflow
water discharged into a sewer system and service connections from sources other than regular connections
26
Preliminary Treatment
the removal of metal, rocks, rags, sand, eggshells, and similar materials that may hinder the operation of a treatment plant.
Preliminary treatment is accomplished by using equipment such as bar racks or bar screens, shredders, and grit removal systems
27
primary Treatment
a wastewater treatment process that takes place in a rectangular or circular tank and allows those substances in wastewater that readily settle or float to be separated from the wastewater being treated. a septic tank is also considered primary treatment.
28
secondary treatment
a wastewater treatment process used to convert dissolved or suspended materials into a form more readily separated from the water being treated. usually, the process follows primary treatment using sedimentation. the process commonly is a type of biological treatment followed by secondary clarifiers that allow the solids to settle out from water being treated.
29
Screen
a device used to retain or remove suspended or floating objects in wastewater.
30
Shredding
a mechanical treatment process that cuts large pieces of wastes into smaller pieces so they will not plug pipes or damage equipment. also called comminution
31
Headworks
the facilities where wastewater enters a wastewater treatment plant. the headworks may consist of bar racks or bar screens, shredders or grinders, a wet well, and pumps
32
weir(WEER)
a wall or plate placed in an open channel and used to measure the flow of water or to control flow to ensure a uniform flow rate and avoid short- circuiting. the depth of the flow over the weir can be used to calculate the flow rate, or a chart or conversion table may be used to convert depth to flow.
33
Clarifier
A tank or basin in which water or wastewater is held for a period of time during which the heavier solids settle to the bottom and the lighter materials float to the surface. also called settling tank
34
media
the material in a trickling filter or rotating biological contactor on which slime accumulates and organisms grow or the material through which water or wastewater flows in a gravity or pressure filter
35
sterilization
the removal or destruction of all microorganisms, including pathogens and other bacteria, vegetative forms, and spores
36
Short-circuiting
a condition that occurs in tanks or basins when some of the flowing water entering a tank or basin flows along a nearly direct pathway from the inlet to the outlet. this is usually undesirable because it may result in shorter contact, reaction, or settling times in comparison with the theoretical or presumed detention times
37
Dissolved air flotation (DAF)
a process in which air is dissolved into wastewater under high pressure and is then released into the bottom of the treatment tank to allow the air to come out of solution in very fine bubbles and float the solids to the surface.
38
Permeate
the liquid (demineralized water) produced from the reverse osmosis process that contains a low concentration of dissolved solids
39
dalton
a unit of mass designated as one-sixteenth the mass of oxygen-16, the lightest and most abundant isotope of oxygen. the dalton is equivalent to one mass unit
40
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
the application of pressure to a concentrated solution, which causes the passage of a liquid from the concentrated solution to a weaker solution across a semipermeable membrane. the membrane allows the passage of the water(solvent) but not the dissolved solids(solutes). in the reverse osmosis process, two liquids are produced: the reject(containing high concentrations of dissolved solids) and the permeate (containing low concentrations). the clean water (permeate) is considered to be demineralized
41
total dissolved solids (TDS)
all of the dissolved solids in a water. TDS is measured on a sample of water that has passed through a very fine mesh filter to remove suspended solids. the water passing through the filter is evaporated and the residue represents the total dissolved solids
42
Photosynthesis
a process in which organisms, with the aid of chlorophyll, convert carbon dioxide and inorganic substances into oxygen and additional plant material, using sunlight for energy. all green plants grow by this process
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Facultative Lagoons
lagoons that contain an aerobic top layer and an anaerobic bottom layer
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Mercaptans
compounds containing sulfur that have an extremely offensive skunk like odor; also sometimes described as smelling like garlic or onions
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Indole
an organic compound (C8H7N) containing nitrogen that has an ammonia odor
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skatole
an organic compound (C9H9N) that contains nitrogen and has a fecal odor
47
SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition system)
a computer-monitored alarm, response, control, and data acquisition system used to monitor and adjust treatment processes and facilities
48
CMMS (computer maintenance management system)
a computerized system to assist with the effective and efficient management of maintenance activities through application of computerized elements including work orders; routine standard jobs; bills of materials; application parts; and collection, storage, and analysis of data
49
preliminary treatment
the removal of metal, rocks, rags, sand, eggshells, and similar materials that may hinder the operation of a treatment plant. preliminary treatment is accomplished by using equipment such as bar racks or bar screens, shredders, and grit removal systems
50
influent
water - raw (untreated) or partially treated-flowing into a reservoir, basin, treatment process, or treatment plant
51
clarifier
a tank or basin in which water or wastewater is held for a period of time during which the heavier solids settle to the bottom and he lighter materials float to the surface. also called settling tank.
52
digester
a tank in which sludge is placed to allow decomposition by microorganisms. digestion may occur under anaerobic or aerobic conditions
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aeration tank
the tank where raw or settled wastewater is mixed with return sludge and aerated. the same as aeration bay, aerator, or reactor
54
screen
device used to retain or remove suspended or floating objects in wastewater. the screen has openings that are generally uniform in size. it retains or removes objects larger than the openings. a screen may consist of bars, rods, wires, gratings, wire mesh or perforated plates
55
Shredding
a mechanical treatment process that cuts large pieces of wastes into smaller pieces so they will not plug pipes or damage equipment. also call comminution
56
inorganic waste
waste material that is only slightly affected by the action of organisms. inorganic wastes are chemical substances of mineral origin; whereas organic wastes are chemical substances usually of animal or plant origin
57
organic waste
waste material that may come from animal or plant sources. natural organic wastes generally can be consumed by bacteria and other small organisms. manufactured or synthetic organic wastes from metal finishing, chemical manufacturing, and petroleum industries may not normally be consumed by bacteria and other organisms
58
preaeration
the addition of air at the initial stages of treatment to freshen the wastewater, remove gases, add oxygen, promote flotation of grease, and aid coagulation
59
BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)
a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by aerobic organisms while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions. the BOD value is commonly expressed as BOD5 and refers to the milligrams of oxygen consumed per liter of water during a 5-day incubation period at 68f(20c). In decomposition, organic matter serves as food for the organisms and energy results from its oxidation. BOD measurements are used as a measure of the organic strength of wastes in water
60
Stilling well
a pipe, chamber, or compartment with one or more comparatively small inlets connected with a main body of water or flow channel. the purpose of a stilling well is to dampen waves or surges while permitting the water level in the well to rise and fall with t he major fluctuations of the main body of water or flow channel. the water level in the well can be measured and used to calculate flow or to control devices such as gates or pumps
61
head loss
the head, pressure, or energy (they are the same) lost by water flowing in a pipe or channel as a result of turbulence caused by the velocity of the flowing water and the roughness of the pipe, channel walls, or restrictions caused by fittings. water flowing in a pipe loses head, pressure, or energy as a result of friction losses. the head loss through a filter is due to friction losses caused by material building up on the surface or in the top part of a filter.
62
Shear pin
a straight pin that will fail (break) when a certain load or stress is exceeded. the purpose of the pin is to protect equipment from damage due to excessive loads or stresses
63
limit switch
a device that regulates or controls the travel distance of a chain or cable.
64
putrescible
material that will decompose under anaerobic conditions and produce nuisance odors
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diffuser
a device (porous plate, tube, bag) used to break the air stream from the blower system into fine bubbles in an aeration tank or reactor
66
specific gravity
weight of a particle, substance, or chemical solution in relation to the weight of an equal volume of water for liquids or solids or air for gases. water has a specific gravity of 1 at 39f(4c). air has a specific gravity of 1. particulates with specific gravity less than 1 float to the surface and particulates with specific gravity greater than 1 sink
67
slurry
a water mixture or suspension of insoluble (not dissolved) matter; a thin, watery mud or any substance resembling it
68
detritus
the heavy material present in wastewater such as sand, coffee grounds, eggshells, gravel, and cinders
69
septic
a condition produced by bacteria when all oxygen supplies are depleted(anaerobic conditions). if severe, deposits or sludge produce hydrogen sulfide, turn black, and give off foul odors. in addition, the water contains little or no dissolved oxygen, turns black, and has a greatly increased chlorine demand.
70
Sedimentation
the process of settling and depositing of suspended matter carried by water or wastewater. sedimentation usually occurs by gravity when the velocity of the liquid is reduced below the point at which it can transport the suspended material
71
flotation
the process of raising suspended matter to the surface of the liquid in a tank where it forms a scum layer that can be removed by skimming. the suspended matter is raised by aeration, the evolution of gas, the use of chemicals, electrolysis, heat, or bacterial decomposition
72
Sludge
the settleable solids separated from liquids during processing. also referred to as bio-solids. however, biosolids typically refers to treated waste
73
density
a measure of how heavy a substance is for its size. density is expressed in terms of weight per unit volume, this is, grams per cubic centimeter or pounds per cubic foot. the density of water is about 62.4 pounds per cubic foot or 1 gram per cubic centimeter
74
Molecule
the smallest division of a compound that still retains or exhibits all the properties of the substance
75
Short-circuiting
a condition that occurs in tanks or basins when some of the flowing water entering a tank or basin flows along a nearly direct pathway from the inlet to the outlet. this is usually undesirable because it may result in shorter contact, reaction, or settling times in comparison with the theoretical or presumed detention times
76
detention time
the actual or theoretical time required for water to fill a tank at a given flow; pass through a tank at a given flow; or remain in a settling basin, flocculating basin, rapidmix chamber, or storage tank
77
weir loading rate
a guideline used to determine the length of weir needed on settling tanks and clarifiers in treatment plants. used by operators to determine if weirs are hydraulically overloaded
78
launders
sedimentation tank effluent troughs downstream of the overflow weir plates
79
lineal
the length in one direction of a line. for example, a board 12ft long has 12 lineal feet in its length
80
surface loading rate
one of the guidelines for design of settling tanks and clarifiers in treatment plants. used by operators to determine if tanks and clarifiers are hydraulically over or under loaded. also called overflow rate or surface settling area.
surface loading rate = flow rate / surface area
81
weir diameter
many circular clarifiers have a circular weir within the outside edge of the clarifier. all the water leaving the clarifier flows over this weir. the diameter of the weirs is the length of a line from one edge of a weir to the opposite edge and passing through the center of the circle formed by the weir
82
olfactory fatigue
a condition in which a persons nose, after exposure to certain odors, is no longer able to detect the odor.
83
flights
scraper boards, made from redwood or other rot-resistant woods or plastic, used to collect and move settled sludge or floating scum
84
gasification
the conversion of soluble and suspended organic materials into gas during aerobic or anaerobic decomposition. in clarifiers, the resulting gas bubbles can become attached to the settled sludge and cause large clumps of sludge to rise and float on the water surface. in anaerobic sludge digesters, this gas is collected for fuel or disposed of using a waste gas burner
85
sludge gasification
a process in which soluble and suspended organic matter are converted into gas by anaerobic decomposition. the resulting gas bubbles can become attached to the settled sludge and cause large clumps of sludge to rise and float on the water surface.
86
Bulking
clouds of billowing sludge that occur throughout secondary clarifiers and sludge thickeners when the sludge does not settle properly. in the activated sludge process, bulking is usually caused by filamentous bacteria or bound water
87
Toxic
a substance that is poisonous to a living organism
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Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
a measure of the oxygen-consuming capacity of organic matter present in wastewater. COD is expressed as the amount of oxygen consumed from a chemical oxidant in mg/L during a specific test
89
Composite Sample
a mixture of individual samples collected over a specific period of time.
the water characteristics in a composite sample represent conditions in the sampled flow during that time period. subsamples can be collected at regular time intervals, or their volume and timing can be varied to produce flow-weighted composites
90
Decant water
water that has separated form sludge and is removed from the layer of water above the sludge
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Head Loss
the head or energy lost by water flowing in a pipe or channel as a result of turbulence caused by the velocity of the flowing water and the roughness of the pipe, channel walls, or restrictions caused by fittings.
water flowing in a pipe loses energy as a result of friction losses. the head loss through a filter is due to friction losses caused by material building up on the surface or in the top part of a filter. in pipes, this energy loss shows up as a loss of pressure.
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Standard Deviation
a mathematical measure of the spread or dispersion of data or measurements
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Microorganisms
Ver small organisms that can be seen only through a microscope. some microorganisms use the organic materials in wastewater for food and thus remove or alter much of the desirable matter
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Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
molecular oxygen dissolved in water or wastewater
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Pathogens
organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or internal parasites, that can cause diseases, such as giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, typhoid fever, cholera, or infectious hepatitis, in a host/person. also called pathogenic organisms
96
BOD ( biochemical oxygen demand)
a measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by aerobic organisms while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions.
97
Suspended solids
solids that either float on the surface or are suspended in water or wastewater. when referred to as a waterborne constituent, total suspended solids (TSS) is the quantity of material removed from water or wastewater in a standard laboratory test
98
NPDES permit (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination system permit)
a regulatory document that limits discharges into us waterways, and provides monitoring and reporting requirements and other provisions to ensure that discharges do not hurt water quality or peoples health.
99
Activated Sludge
Sludge particles produced in raw or settled wastewater by the growth of organisms in aeration tanks in the presence of dissolved oxygen. These sludge particles contain living organisms that feed on the incoming wastewater.
100
Activated Sludge Process
A biological wastewater treatment process that speeds up the decomposition of wastes in the wastewater being treated. Activated sludge is added to wastewater and the mixture (mixed Liquor) is aerated and agitated. after some time in the aeration tank, the activated sludge is allowed to settle out by sedimentation and is disposed of (WAS) or reused (RAS) as needed. the remaining wastewater then undergoes more treatment
101
Nitrification
an aerobic two-step process in which bacteria oxidized the ammonia in the wastewater into nitrite, and then nitrate. the amount of oxygen required to oxidize the ammonia into nitrate is referred to as the nitrogenous BOD.
102
Denitrification
the anoxic biological reduction of nitrate nitrogen to nitrogen gas. 2) the removal of some nitrogen from a system. 3) an anoxic process that occurs when nitrate nitrogen ions are reduced to nitrogen gas and nitrogen bubbles are formed as a result of this process. the bubbles attach to the biological floc and float the floc to the surface of the secondary clarifiers. this condition is often the cause of rising sludge observed in secondary clarifiers or gravity thickeners.
103
Biomass
a mass or clump of organic material consisting of living organisms feeding on the wastes in wastewater, dead organisms, and other debris
104
flocculation
the gathering together of fine particles after coagulation to form larger particles by a process of gentle mixing. this clumping together makes it easier to separate the solids from the water by settling, skimming, draining, or filtering.
105
Oxidation
A chemical reaction that results in the addition of oxygen, removal of hydrogen, o the removal of electrons from an element or compound; in the environment and in wastewater treatment processes, organic matter is oxidized to more stable substances. the opposite of reduction.
106
Aerobic
A condition in which atmospheric or dissolved oxygen is present in the aquatic environment.
107
Supernatant
the relatively clear water layer between the sludge on the bottom and the scum on the surface of an anaerobic digester, septic tank, or secondary clarifier. also called clear zone
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Waste Activated Sludge (WAS)
the excess quantity of microorganisms that must be removed from the process to keep the biological system in balance
109
Alkalinity
The capacity of water or wastewater to neutralize acids caused by the carbonate, bicarbonate, hydroxide, and occasionally borate, silicate, and phosphate in the water or wastewater. alkalinity is a measure of how much acid must be added to a liquid to lower the pH to 4.5, expressed in milligrams per liter equivalent calcium carbonate
110
RAS - Return Activated Sludge
settled activated sludge collected in the secondary clarifier and returned to the aeration basin to mix with incoming raw or primary settled wastewater. in membrane bioreactors, the sludge is collected in the membrane basin
111
Food/Microorganism ratio
a measure of food provided to bacteria in an aeration tank
112
floc
clumps of bacteria and particles or coagulants and impurities that have come together and formed a cluster. found in aeration tanks, secondary clarifiers, and chemical precipitation processes.
113
substrate
the base on which an organism lives. the soil is the substrate of most seed plants; rocks, soil, water, or other plants or animals are substrates for other organisms
114
mean cell residence time (MCRT)
an expression of the average time, usually days, that a microorganism will spend in the activated sludge process
115
Oxygen uptake rate (OUR)
the our is the rate at which microorganisms use oxygen while consuming substrate from wastewater
116
solids retention time (SRT)
a measure of the length of time solids in the aeration tank have been retained in the aeration tank
117
endogenous respiration
a situation in which living organisms oxidize some of their own cellular mass instead of new organic matter they absorb or absorb from their environment.
118
Bulking
clouds of billowing sludge that occur throughout secondary clarifiers and sludge thickeners when the sludge does not settle properly. in the activated sludge process, bulking is usually caused by filamentous bacteria or bound
119
oxidation-reduction potential (ORP)
the electrical potential required to transfer electrons from one compound or element (the oxidant) to another compound or element (the reductant); used as a qualitative measure of the state of oxidation in water and wastewater treatment systems. ORP is measured in millivolts, with negative values indicating a tendency to reduce compounds or elements and positive values indicating a tendency to oxidize compounds or elements
120
turbidity meter
an instrument for measuring and comparing the turbidity of liquids by passing light through them and determining how much light is reflected by the particles in the liquid. the normal measuring range is 0-100 and is expressed as nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs)
121
turbidity
the cloudy appearance of water caused by the presences of suspended and colloidal matter
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pinpoint floc
very small floc that does not settle out of the water in a sedimentation tank or clarifier
123
total organic carbon (TOC)
a measure of the amount of organic carbon in water
124
chlorine demand
the difference between the amount of chlorine added to water or wastewater and the amount of chlorine residual remaining after a given contact time. chlorine demand may change with dosage, time, temperature, pH, and nature and amount of the impurities in the water
125
stabilized waste
a waste that was been treated or decomposed to the extent that, if discharged or released, further decomposition would be small enough or slow enough that the waste would not cause nuisances or odors in the receiving water
126
anoxic
a condition in which the aquatic environment does not contain dissolved oxygen, which is called an oxygen-deficient condition. generally refers to an environment in which chemically bound oxygen, such as in nitrate, is present.
127
microfiltration (MF)
a pressure-driven membrane filtration process that separates particles down to approx 0.1um diameter from influent water using a sieving process
128
ultrafiltration (UF)
a pressure-driven membrane filtration process that separates particles down to approx 0.01um diameter from influent water using a sieving process
129
