Date of Award

2021

Degree Name

Environmental Science

College

College of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Type of Degree

M.S.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Scott Simonton, Committee Chairperson

Second Advisor

Dr. Mindy Armstead

Abstract

The treatment of household waste and water via wastewater treatment plants is an extremely important process that helps to keep humans and animals healthy and safe (Environmental Protection Agency, 2019). With so many ways to treat wastewater, it is difficult to know which treats most effectively. Most treatment is done through the introduction of air which serves to evenly distribute oxygen for aerobic biodegradation in the wastewater. The effectiveness of the treatment is directly related to the process upon which air is introduced. The different ways of injecting air into the treatment process makes a significant difference in treatment outcome. The focus of this paper will be on the differing aeration systems in three separate plants and how they treat for fecal coliforms. The three facilities chosen for this study were the City of Charleston, the City of South Charleston, and the City of Dunbar. The three plants discharge into the Great Kanawha River in central West Virginia, which means they will have the same limits for discharging fecal coliforms set by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP). The results from this research could help determine the best type of wastewater treatment systems for future upgrades and installations. To conduct this research, scholarly articles, and papers on the topic of aeration in wastewater treatment facilities were investigated. Afterward, fecal coliform effluent limits for each of the three plants for the last five years (2014- 2018) were examined. The conclusion from the analysis of the data of the three plants is out of them, Dunbar’s Vertical Loop Reactor wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) produced the best results for removing fecal coliforms from wastewater.

Subject(s)

Sewage disposal plants -- Environmental aspects -- West Virginia.

Kanawha River Watershed (W. Va.)

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