Author:

• Aubrey Frazer
• Kateryna Lapina
• Andrew Whaley
• Helen Muga

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Michigan Tech

Advisors:

• Dr. Marty Auer

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Michigan Tech

Production:

Tech Alive

• Animation and Web Design:
  Dr. Susan E. Hill
  Michigan Tech
• Production Management:
  Dr. Martin T. Auer
  Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  Michigan Tech

This web page was developed under a grant awarded to the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Ms. Shawn Oppliger, Center Director and Project Coordinator
Ms. Joan Chadde, Center Education Program Coordinator and Project Coordinator
Mr. Thomas M. Occhipinti, MDEQ Environmental Education Coordinator and Grant Administrator

Media Credits

Title Page: Wastewater Treatment

• River Pollution animation: © 2007 State of Michigan.
• Portage Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant photo: Courtesy of Portage Lake Water and Sewer Authority (Houghton, MI).

Wastewater - The Early Days

• Political cartoon: Syracuse Herald newspaper, October 22, 1919.

Wastewater - Regulations

• Clean Water Act text: Environmental Protection Agency.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Lab photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).

Wastewater - Sources and Flows

• Portage Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant photo: Courtesy of Portage Lake Water and Sewer Authority (Houghton, MI).
• Industry photo: Warren Gretz, DOE/NREL.
• Home photo: Gen-Con, Inc., DOE/NREL.
• Business photo: Warren Gretz, DOE/NREL.
• School photo: Eddie Bell, DOE/NREL.
• Detroit Renaissance Center photo: John Boissy. Permission pending.

Wastewater - What's In It?

• Raw Wastewater photo: Emil Groth (MTU).

Wastewater - Where Does It Go When I Flush The Toilet?

• Combined Sewer System animation: © 2007 State of Michigan.

Combined and Separate Sewers

• Combine Sewer Overflow photo: Marty Auer (MTU).

Wastewater Treatment - Overview

• Portage Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant photo: Courtesy of Portage Lake Water and Sewer Authority (Houghton, MI).

Wastewater - Preliminary Treatment

• Bar Rack photo:
• Mechanical Screen photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Grit Chamber:

Wastewater - Primary Treatment

• Primary Clarifier photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Wastewater Primary Treatment animation: © 2007 State of Michigan.

Wastewater - Secondary Treatment: Activated Sludge

• Empty Aeration Tank photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Operating Aeration Tank photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Wastewater Aeration Tank animation: © 2007 State of Michigan.

Wastewater - Secondary Treatment: Clarifier

• Wastewater Leaving Aeration Tank photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Secondary Clarifier Tank photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Secondary Clarifier Weir photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).

Wastewater - Tertiary or Advanced Waste Treatment

• Cladophora in Lake Erie photo: Scott Higgins (University of Waterloo).

Wastewater - Disinfection

• Three UV Light Panels photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Immersed UV Light Panels photo:

Wastewater - Solids Management

• Solids Management Flowchart illustration: Marty Auer (MTU).

Wastewater - Solids Management: Digestion

• Two Stage Digester photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).

Wastewater - Solids Management: Digestion Process

• Wastewater Solids Digestion animation: © 2007 State of Michigan.

Wastewater - Solids Management: Dewatering

• Belt Press photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Top of Belt Press photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Cloth Belts on Belt Press photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Belt Press Exit photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).

Wastewater - Solids Management: Disposal

• Sludge Storage photo: Andy Whaley (MTU).
• Sludge Spreading photo: Dr. Jim Ippolito, Colorado State University. Used with permission.

Final Effluent

• Raw and Treated Water photo: Emil Groth (MTU).

Activity - Where Does It All Go?

• Wastewater Treatment Plant Flowchart illustration: Marty Auer (MTU).
• Wastewater Product Destination activity: © 2007 State of Michigan.

Wastewater - Rural Community Treatment

• Lagoon photo:
• Discharge into Lagoon photo:

Wastewater - Onsite Treatment

• Septic Tank illustration: © 2007 State of Michigan.
• Drain Field illustration: Pacific Crest Inspections. Permission pending.

International Space Station

• International Space Station illustration: Courtesy of NASA.
• ISS Toilet photo: Paul Townend, University of Leeds. Used with permission.

Bibliography

Several excellent texts relating to drinking water treatment provided source material for these pages. The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the following:

Environmental Engineering, 3rd Edition, 1998, by Davis and Cornwall, WCB McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Introduction to Environmental Engineering, 2nd Edition, 2004, by Vesilind and Morgan, Thompson Brooks/Cole Publishers.

Wastewater Engineering, 4th Edition, 2003, by Metcalf & Eddy, McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Water and Wastewater Technology, 5th Edition, 2004, by Hammer and Hammer, Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers.

Disclaimer

External websites are not official web pages of Michigan Technological University or Tech Alive. While MTU recognizes the constitutional right of free speech for its University users of the Internet and the World Wide Web, it is not responsible, and hereby disclaims all liability for any data, information, or opinions contained in unofficial web pages. Any comments related to the contents of personal homepages should be directed to the author of the pages.