Abstract:
This study is to evaluate the design and performance of stabilization ponds system applied for municipal wastewater treatment in Thailand. The work has been divided into 2 parts as follows: first, the influent BOD as well as actual flow of inlet treatment wastewater were assessed by using data from 38 municipal wastewater systems collected by Pollution Control Department in 2002. Second part, the performance of pond system was analyzed by using data from Petchaburi Municipality, PM and Hatyai Municipality, HM. After assessment of the first part, it was found that BOD concentration in the inlet water of stabilization pond system was lower than other treatment systems. Large area is required for construction of stabilization pond system therefore treatment plant has to be settled far away from community or BOD generated source and some BOD can be degraded in the collecting wastewater ducts. On evaluation of pond treatment performance, anaerobic pond was the most effective among stabilization ponds. The average BOD effluent and BOD removal in PM anaerobic pond with retention time of 3.79 days were 67.1 mg/l and 61 percent respectively while in HM anaerobic pond with retention time of 4.16 days were 37.9 mg/l and 53.6 percent respectively. In both PM and HM treatment plants, low influent BOD and large volume or high retention of facultative ponds resulted to a lot of algae in pond and high BOD as well as suspended solids were found in the effluent. However in HM treatment plant, wetland is applied following stabilization pond system and can reduce discharged BOD and suspended solids. Even treatment plants usually are designed to receive wastewater for next twenty years; the construction should be divided into multiphase to prevent too large volume for low flow in the first few years. Moreover, it should be more flexible by design the bypass duct from anaerobic pond to receiving water that can be used in the circumstance of BOD in the anaerobic pond outlet achieved to effluent standard.