Water Quality Management: Wastewater & Sludge Treatment

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and definitions related to wastewater and sludge treatment processes.

The process of destroying pathogens in water to ensure it is safe for discharge or reuse.

Disinfection

Advanced treatment applied to secondary treated effluent to remove additional BOD, TSS, and nutrients.

Tertiary Treatment

Wastewater that has undergone secondary treatment to reduce organic material and suspended solids.

Secondary Effluent

A disinfection method involving the addition of chlorine to kill pathogens in wastewater.

Chlorination

The process of removing chlorine from treated wastewater to prevent harm to aquatic life.

Dechlorination

An aerobic biological process that converts ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate.

Nitrification

An anaerobic process that converts nitrates into nitrogen gas, reducing nitrogen levels in effluent.

Denitrification

A process that enhances phosphorus uptake by bacteria in wastewater treatment systems.

Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR)

A preliminary step in sludge treatment that increases the concentration of solids in the sludge.

Sludge Thickening

A process that breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas and stabilized sludge.

Anaerobic Digestion

High-quality treated sludge with low pathogen levels that can be used without site restrictions.

Class A Sludge

Sludge that contains higher levels of pathogens and has restrictions on land application.

Class B Sludge

A treatment process that removes particles and impurities from water using various media.

Filtration

A water quality issue characterized by excessive nutrient enrichment, leading to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Eutrophication

A method for removing phosphorus from wastewater by adding coagulants to form insoluble compounds.

Chemical Precipitation