Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant: Need to Know

Homeowners need a trustworthy and effective sewage management solution. In remote areas without public sewers or if you wish to limit your environmental impact, residential domestic sewage treatment plant are a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. This detailed tutorial will teach you everything about these unique systems. 

We’ll explain domestic sewage treatment systems’ benefits and maintenance needs so you can make an informed selection. Discover how these plants handle wastewater biologically to provide clean water for your household and safeguard the environment. 

This article will help you understand home sewage treatment systems, whether you’re installing or updating them.

What is a domestic sewage treatment plant?

A domestic sewage treatment plant (DSTP) treats wastewater from bathing, cooking, and toileting. These plants remove impurities from sewage before discharging it or using it for irrigation or toilet flushing.

Domestic sewage treatment plants’ key features:

• Small-scale design: Usually serves homes, apartments, or small communities.
• Environmental Protection: Effective sewage treatment prevents water pollution.
• Resource Recovery: Helps recover non-potable water.
• Disease Prevention: Waterborne infections caused by germs in untreated wastewater can be prevented by treating sewage.
• Safe Disposal: DSTPs clean wastewater before release, reducing contamination.
• Reuse: Treated wastewater can be utilized for irrigation, industrial activities, and toilet flushing, conserving freshwater.

How domestic sewage treatment plants work

Domestic sewage treatment plants remove physical, biological, and chemical pollutants from wastewater. There are various treatment processes it follows:

1. Pre-treatment

• To prevent process clogging, screens or filters remove large solids like sticks, leaves, and plastics.
• Grit Removal: Sand and gravel settle in grit chambers.

2. Main Treatment

• Sludge forms in a primary settling tank as wastewater settles. This method eliminates 50-60% of suspended particulates and a lot of biological oxygen requirements.
• Lighter things like grease and oils float to the surface and are skimmed off.

3: Secondary Treatment

• The biological treatment stage removes dissolved and suspended organic materials. Common methods:
• Aerobic bacteria decompose organic materials in aeration tanks. The mixture settles in secondary clarifiers.
• Biofilters degrade contaminants in wastewater.
• Water pollution can be prevented by adding nitrogen and phosphorus removal steps.

4. Tertiary Treatment

• More filtering can eliminate sediments and bacteria.
• Disinfection: Chlorination or UV light eliminates dangerous germs before discharge or reuse.

5. Sludge Treatment

• Concentrating settling tank sludge reduces its volume.
• Digestion: Anaerobic or aerobic biological digestion reduces sludge volume and produces biogas by breaking down organic matter.
• To make treated sludge easier to handle, centrifuges or belt presses dewater it.

6. Use or Discharge

• Effluent Discharge: Water bodies receive treated wastewater that fulfils regulatory levels.
• Treated water can be reused for agriculture, industrial activities, and toilet flushing.

Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant Installation Benefits

• Environmentally friendly: DSTPs clean and reuse wastewater, lowering freshwater use.
• Low Carbon Footprint: On-site treatment decreases sewage disposal transportation emissions.
• Attractive Feature: Sewage treatment facilities may increase home value and attract environmentally aware purchasers.
• Self-Sufficiency: Rural and developing homeowners can reduce their reliance on municipal sewage systems.
• Lower Disposal Costs: Local sewage treatment eliminates costly transfer to municipal facilities. The initial expenditure may be high, but sewage fee savings can balance it.

Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant Types

1. Septic Tanks: Septic tanks are a conventional way of handling domestic sewage. Anaerobic bacteria decompose organic materials in a wastewater tank.

• Best for: Large, rural areas with effluent-absorbing soils.

1. Activated Sludge Systems, which aerate wastewater, enable the growth of microorganisms that decompose organic matter. The mixture is settling to separate treated water and sludge.

• Best for Homes with high sewage volumes that need extensive treatment.

1. Biofilters/Trickling Filters: Wastewater is dispersed on a microbial-friendly media (e.g., stones or plastic). Water passing through microbes breaks down pollutants.

• Best for areas that need effective treatment with a smaller footprint than activated sludge.

1. Constructed Wetlands: Designed wetlands use plants and soil to filter and treat wastewater through biological and physical processes.

• Best for: Sustainable and attractive landscaping in rural or community settings.

1. Membrane Bioreactors (MBR): MBRs produce high-quality effluent suitable for reuse by combining biological treatment with membrane filtration. Very good at removing pollutants.

• Best for: Urban regions with strict water quality and little space.

1. Aerated Lagoons: Large, shallow ponds that foster microbial activity by aerating wastewater. Effective for large-scale sewage treatment.

• Ideal for wastewater-generating communities or larger residences.

Common issues and troubleshooting tips for domestic sewage treatment plants

Wastewater management requires domestic sewage treatment plants (DSTPs), which can have difficulties. This article covers typical issues and solutions.

1. Odor Issues: Sludge buildup, anaerobic conditions, or aeration system failure.

Solution: Clean and aerate tanks to stimulate aerobic bacteria growth.

2. Clogged Inlets/Outlets Cause: Solid waste, grease, or debris buildup.

Solution: Clean input and outlet pipes regularly and use screens or filters to collect big particles.

3. Mechanical Failures: Failure of pumps, electrical systems, or equipment.

Solutions: Regular maintenance, spare components for easy repairs, and proper electrical connections.

4. System Overload: Cause: Heavy rainfall causes excessive water usage or input in surface water-connected systems.

Solution: Water conservation and a larger treatment system if overloaded are the solutions.

5. Sludge Buildup Cause: Excessive solids from insufficient organic matter breakdown or infrequent pumping.

Solution: Pump and maintain regularly and monitor sludge levels to avoid overload.

6. Biological Process Failure: Chemical imbalances, toxins, or microbial nutrient deficiencies.

Solutions: Use microbial additions to stimulate biological processes instead of washing chemicals down the drain.

7. Low Effluent Quality: Insufficient treatment due to overloading, aeration, or equipment malfunction.

Solution: Check load, aeration, and biological treatment processes.

Domestic sewage treatment plants need frequent maintenance to work well and last. Routine maintenance includes waste removal, component inspection and repair, and system performance monitoring. Homeowners who want to manage wastewater responsibly, comply with rules, and safeguard the environment should invest in a domestic sewage treatment plant. If you value self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability, and can handle a DSTP, it can benefit your home. This involves careful consideration of placement, price, maintenance, and usage patterns. WOG Group offers various wastewater treatment plants including domestic sewage treatment plants & Industrial Effluent Water Treatment as Industrial effluent requires more complex treatment than domestic sewage plants.