Wastewater Treatment Processes and Technologies

Well-designed and operated wastewater treatment facilities are essential for the protection of public health and the environment. Learn the key processes, technologies, and current regulations to help you design, manage and improve your wastewater facilities and projects. Course topics and features will include: 

• Wastewater characteristics, terms, regulations 
• Headworks, grit removal, flow measurement, screening, primary treatment 
• Activated sludge, biological processes, nutrient removal 
• Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) 
• Effluent disinfection, chlorine, UV, ozone 
• Bio-solids treatment, aerobic and anaerobic digestion 
• Treatment costs: capital, operating, and maintenance 
• Comparison of industrial and municipal treatment 
• Treatment plant operations and management

• Wastewater engineers, operators and managers 
• Consulting engineers 
• Federal agencies and military bases 
• Wastewater equipment manufacturers 
• Others interested in wastewater treatment

Overview of Wastewater Treatment 

• Wastewater characteristics
• Discharge permits, regulations
• Treatment processes and definitions

Headworks and Preliminary/Primary Treatment

• Wastewater flow rates and metering
• Screening, compaction, grit removal
• Primary clarification

Activated Sludge Systems

• Biological treatment principles
• BOD and nutrient removal
• Process configurations
• Final clarification
• Design and operation
• Wet weather management

Other Biological Treatment Processes

• Membrane bioreactors (MBRs)
• Fixed film & hybrid processes
• Recycle treatment
• Wastewater treatment plants of the future

Effluent Disinfection

• Chlorine
• Ultraviolet light
• Ozone
• Typical permit requirements

Solids Treatment, Aerobic Digestion, Anaerobic Digestion

• Typical process trains
• Thickening and dewatering
• Aerobic and Anaerobic Digestion – principles and technologies
• Single-stage mesophilic, TPAD, and other approaches
• Pros and cons of different processes

Industrial Treatment Considerations

• Industrial wastewater characteristics
• Treatment options

Wastewater Treatment Costs

• Estimating project capital costs, O&M costs
• Customer charges and rates
• Benchmarks, examples, factors that affect cost

Smaller-scale Plants: Processes and Considerations

• Technology options for smaller plants
• Operating and maintenance considerations
• Economic challenges for local governments

Plant Operations

• Meeting discharge permits
• Standard operating procedures 
• Instrumentation and control
• Operations management and troubleshooting

Design Workshop and Exercises

• Participants will examine treatment plant scenarios, perform calculations, identify alternatives, and discuss solutions

Jim Fisher

Jim Fisher, P.E., is a senior technologist with 35 years’ experience at Jacobs (formerly CH2M Hill), specializing in treatment processes for municipal wastewater and combined sewer overflow (CSO). He has led numerous phosphorus compliance projects, including those at Madison, Appleton, Waukesha, and others. He has significant experience with process selection; capacity evaluation and design using steady state and dynamic modeling, stress testing, and bench scale testing; detail process and mechanical design; construction inspection; and facility startup and operation.

Alan Grooms

Alan Grooms, PE, is Operations Manager at the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, where he oversees treatment and process control strategies for the 42-MGD Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. He has more than 20 years of experience in wastewater treatment operations, design, and equipment, and his technical papers have been recognized with the CSWEA Radebaugh Award.

John Siczka

John Siczka, PE, is a global principal and wet weather treatment leader with Jacobs. He has more than 20 years’ experience in project design, planning, treatment technology evaluation, pilot testing, odor control, regulatory review, permit negotiations, and managing environmental operations.

Adib Amini

Adib Amini, Ph.D., PE, ENV SP, BCEE serves as Program Director in the College of Engineering’s Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs, with a focus on Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, and Sustainability. Dr. Amini also works with cities and industries as an engineering consultant, with experience in both drinking water and wastewater treatment. Dr. Amini has expertise in sustainability, engineering design, technology innovation, and renewable energy. Dr. Amini’s work has included the design of novel technologies, including on-site energy systems at facilities. He spearheaded the designs for the first wastewater treatment facilities in Iowa that are 100% powered by on-site renewable energy systems. Dr. Amini invented a novel system for ventilation of rated spaces, such as wastewater headworks buildings, for which he holds a provisional patent. Dr. Amini also has performed award-winning research in technology innovation and sustainability. Dr. Amini has spoken widely at conferences on topics related to water/wastewater treatment, sustainability, PFAS, on-site energy systems, and resilient infrastructure.

Matthew Castillo

Matt Castillo is a wastewater process engineer and project manager at MSA Professional Services. He has 18 years of experience planning and designing municipal wastewater facilities, managing small community projects, troubleshooting process and operational issues, and conducting phosphorus and water reuse filter studies. In 2017, he received the Gascoigne Wastewater Treatment Plant Operational Improvement Medal from WEF.

Glen Daigger

Dr. Daigger is currently Professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and President and Founder of One Water Solutions, LLC, a water engineering and innovation firm.  He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for CH2M HILL (now Jacobs) where he was employed for 35 years, as well as Professor and Chair of Environmental Systems Engineering at Clemson University.  He has authored more than 200 technical papers, five books, and several technical manuals and has advised many of the major cites of the world, including New York, Los Angles, San Francisco, Detroit, Singapore, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Beijing.  A Past President of the International Water Association (IWA), he is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineers and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.