Water Treatment
Code: 106064 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | OT | 4 |
Contact
- Name:
- Oscar Jesús Prado Rubianes
- Email:
- oscarjesus.prado@uab.cat
Teachers
- Jeronimo Hernandez Sicilia
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
None
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main objective of the course is that the student is able to integrate the previous knowledge of chemical
engineering and environmental engineering to design the most common operating units in the processes of
wastewater treatment. In addition, the student must acquire a critical spirit to be able to assess the different
alternatives that exist in these treatments and to know how to propose the best option under different
scenarios.
Competences
- Communication
- Develop personal work habits.
- Develop thinking habits.
- Show an understanding of the role of chemical engineering in the prevention and resolution of environmental and energy problems, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.
- Understand and apply the basic principles on which chemical engineering is founded, and more precisely: balances of matter, energy and thermodynamic momentum, phase equilibrium and kinetic chemical equilibrium of the physical processes of matter, energy and momentum transfer, and kinetics of chemical reactions
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse and evaluate processes in observance of sustainability criteria.
- Apply chemical engineering to the prevention of environmental and energy problems in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and applied to the different production processes of the main inorganic and organic products in the different sectors of industrial chemistry.
- Apply environmental and technological risk the evaluation procedures.
- Apply matter and energy balance to typical continuous and discontinuous environmental engineering systems.
- Communicate efficiently, orally and in writing, knowledge, results and skills, both professionally and to non-expert audiences.
- Develop scientific thinking.
- Enumerate and describe the social factors involved in environmental solutions.
- Identify the applicable environmental legislation on a local, regional and global scale.
- Propose a logical sequence of technologies applicable to the resolution of an environmental problem.
- Work autonomously.
Content
This course is divided in nine parts:
1. Introduction to the problem of wastewater
2. Water purification
3. Pipes and pumping
4. Pretreatment
5. Primary treatment
6. Secondary treatment
7. Sludge management
8. Treatment of odours
9. Tertiary treatment and potabilization
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| WWTP systems design | 28 | 1.12 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| WWTP visit | 4 | 0.16 | 6, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Problems resolution | 14 | 0.56 | 4, 2, 6, 9 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Group work. WWTP elements design | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Problems resolution | 25 | 1 | 1, 4, 2, 6, 9, 10 |
| Theoretical fundamentals study | 49 | 1.96 | 4 |
Theory classes. The basic theoretical concepts for the subsequent practical development are introduced in an
orderly and concise manner.
Classes of problems. A series of problems is selected from the collection of each theme. The resolution step
by step of the most representative problems is shown and the resolution scheme of other problems is
presented. Resolution of problems by the students.
Seminars 1) Sludge line of a WWTP. 2) Disinfection processes
Visit to WWTP, non mandatory
Note: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be
reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group work. WWTP elements design | 30 | 2 | 0.08 | 4 |
| Partial exam 1. Design of waste water purification processes | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Partial exam 2. Design of drinking water production systems | 35 | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Recuperation exam | 70 | 4 | 0.16 | 1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
This subject does not contemplate the single assessment system.
The evaluation will consist of two parts:
Two written partial examinations (70%: 35% each partial) that can include a part of theory and one of problems. A
minimum mark of 3.5 is needed in each one of the partial exams. Otherwise, it will be necessary to recover the
partial suspended in the recovery exam.
Written assay that will have to be presented orally in which some of the main units of a sewage treatment plant
(30%) will be designed. The use of AI is allowed for the completion of written assay.
To participate in the recovery exam the students must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities
whose weight equals to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject.
Awarding an honors grade is the decision of the teaching staff responsible for the subject. The HG can only be awarded to students who have obtained a final grade equal to or greater than 9.00. Up to 5% of the total number of students enrolled can be awarded.
A student will be considered non-assessable (NA) if he/she has not presented a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject.
Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures that may be deemed appropriate, irregularities committed by the student that may lead to a variation in the grade of an evaluation act will be graded with a zero. Therefore, copying, plagiarism, cheating, allowing copying, unauthorized use of AI (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT or equivalents), etc. in any of the evaluation activities will imply failing it with a zero. Assessment activities graded in this way and by this procedure will not be recoverable. If it is necessary to pass any of these assessment activities to pass the subject, this subject will be suspended directly, without the opportunity to recover it in the same year.
Repeating students may be exempt from carrying out the written assay, maintaining their grade, provided that it is higher than 5.
The review of exams and assignments will be carried out in person, on a date agreed with the teaching staff.
Bibliography
APHA/AWWA/WPCF. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 19th Ed.
American Public Health Association, Washington, D. C. 1995.
N.P. Cheremisinoff. Handbook of Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies.
Butterworth-Heinemann. Boston. 2002
J.C. Crittenden, R.R. Trussell, D.W. Hand, K.J. Howe, G. Tchobanoglous. Water treatment: principles
and design. John Wiley & Sons. Hoboken. 2005
M.L. Davis, D.A. Cornwell. Introduction to Environmental Engineering, 5 Ed. McGraw Hill Inc. Editions. th
New York. 2008.
C. Kennes, M.C. Veiga. Air Pollution Prevention and Control: Bioreactors and Bioenergy John Wiley &
Sons Inc., Chichester. 2013.
C. Menéndez-Gutiérrez, J.M. Pérez-Olmo. Procesos para el Tratamiento Biológico de Aguas
Residuales Industriales. Ed. Universitaria. La Habana. 2007.
Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse.McGraw-Hill Inc. Editions. Boston.
2003.
H.S. Peavy, D.R. Rowe, G. Tchobanoglous. Environmental Engineering. McGraw Hill Inc. Editions. N.Y.
1985.
R.S. Ramalho. Tratamientos de Aguas Residuales. Editorial Reverté. Barcelona. 1993.
M.C.M. van Loosdretch, P.H. Nielsen, C.M. López-Vázquez, D. Brdjanovic. Experimental Methods in
Wastewater Treatment. IWA Publishing. London. 2016.
Software
No specific software will be required. Communication with the students will be carried out through the Virtual Campus.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 211 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 211 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 21 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |