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GSJ: Volume 7, Issue 5, May 2019, Online: ISSN 2320-9186

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THE IMPACTS OF SEWAGE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

IDRIS HUSSAINI 1 AND STEPHEN ABEDNEGO .O.2 ALHASSAN AHMED .I.3

Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics1, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
[email protected]

Department of Civil Engineering2, 3 Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State,

[email protected]
ABSTRACT

Over the years and ages, the environment has experienced a rapid growth with respect to
population and advancement in technological facilities which in return have resulted to much
impact on the present-day environment. This paper critically examines the impacts of sewage on
the entire environment in which man and other living things inhabit. It is indubitable to say that
the impacts of sewage on man and his environment are indispensable and quite dynamic in nature.
The impacts may be negative or positive. Constructive or destructive depending on the knowledge
of Sewage; its treatment and pollution control in the Environment. On the other hand, the
Environment is very important to man, hence, the need to make it sanitary. This paper revealed
the physical, chemical and the biological tests as parts of the parameters used for determining the
organic matter in waste water (sewage) .The physical test includes: Temperature, Colour, Odour
and turbidity parameters while the chemical test includes test for PH, Sulphides, Chlorides etc
Principal Parameters such as: Dissolved oxygen (DO), Bio-chemical Oxygen demand (BOD) and
Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) were also highlighted. This paper unfolds that sewage is
indispensable and unavoidable in the environment as long as people demand and utilize water for
various purposes: domestic, industrial, institutional etc.
Keywords: Sewage, Environment, Sewage treatment plant etc.

INTRODUCTION

Sewage as the term implies is a very important subject matter to consider. It is indispensable
in its study and nature. It is connected to water-which can be described as highly essential and
central to the sustainability of man and his environment. According to Park (2009), the key to
man’s health lies largely in his environment. In fact, much of man’s ill health can be traced to the
adverse environmental factors such as :water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution, poor housing
condition which is tied to poverty, animal reservoir and insect vector which altogether poses a
constant threat to man’s health. However, man is responsible for the pollution through

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urbanization, industrialization and other human activities. The environment without any iota of
doubt is very important and dynamic .Therefore, it is imperative to protect and preserve the
environment from negative impacts that can further destroy the environment. This is possible by
incorporating Engineering skills and the technical know-how in solving many environmental
problems. It is noteworthy that Engineering and the Environment are directly related to each
other. Without the Environment, there is no Engineering since Engineering is a tool for national
and sustainable development. Interestingly, Man cannot do without the environment and the
environment also needs the impacts of man to enhance its growth and fortification using
Engineering and Management skills as essential tools. Besides, the environment comprises
important constituents or components which also have contributory impacts on the environment.
From the basic knowledge of Geology, it is understood that the solid earth and its interior is
known as “Lithosphere” while the gaseous layer surrounding the earth at a distance of about
500Km is made up of what is collectively referred to as the “Atmosphere”. The atmosphere is
further sub divided into: Troposphere, Stratosphere and Thermosphere. Moreover, other
components include: the “Hydrosphere” which is the entire collection of water and the
“Biosphere” which is referred to as that particular zone of the earth; where other layers such as:
the lithosphere, hydrosphere and the atmosphere come into contact with one another. In a nutshell,
the Biosphere is that portion of the earth where life is in existence. The resultant effect is that
there is a continuous exchange of matter between the three other layers or elements which are:
lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. For example, plants draw their food from the nutrients
and moisture found in the soil layers of the Lithosphere. Similarly, plants use the Carbon dioxide
(CO2) from the atmosphere and sunlight for their growth. Dead plants and animals are
decomposed by bacterial and become soil nutrient. This description implies a symbiotic
association taken place in the environment. Furthermore, the Environment is divided into:
Physical and Biological. In these two types of environment, there are four major elements which
include: Land, Water, Air and Living organisms (plant and animal). All these as enumerated
constitute what is known as the ‘Environment or the Ecosystem’. The Physical environment
(Land, Water and Air) is essential for the existence of life in diverse forms. In respect of water,
according to a postulated slogan “Water is life” This assertion is factual because water is a useful,
reliable and an indispensable resource for all ages and generations. Its usefulness cut across:
domestic, industrial, commercial and agricultural purposes. Not only that, geographically, about
seventy-five percent (75%) which is three-quarters of the earth is made up of water (W.G Stone
1975). Besides, the map of the world also revealed that the largest percentage of the earth is
surrounded by water bodies. In fact, improper sewage disposal leads to substantial negative
environmental impacts such as: pollution of air, soil and water as well as the generation of
greenhouse gases such as: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrogen (IV) Oxide, Ozone
(O3) etc.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is palpable that sewage if not controlled, properly treated and managed as expected poses a lot
menaces to public health which in return is hazardous to human beings living in a particular
environment. A lot of people due to poverty and ignorance with respect to Sewage and its impacts
on the environment have fallen as victims. Therefore, the need to curb the problems generated as a
result of the negative impacts of Sewage on the environment.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper is to unveil the possible impacts (positive and negative) of sewage on
the entire environment and to also suggest possible solutions to the problems.

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MULTIFARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF SEWAGE.

Sewage is the end product of water utilized in a community. Sewage may be defined in diverse
ways with respect to different researches, views and understandings. However, these definitions
may be referred to as the same as they revolve around the same orbit. From web research, Sewage
may be defined thus:

 Waste matter carried away in Sewers or drains.

 The main liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically
consists of washing water, faeces, urine, waste and other materials which go down the
drains and toilets from households and industry.
 A suspension of liquid, solid wastes and water runoff transported by sewers to be disposed
off or processed.
 The used water and water-carried solids from homes that flow in sewers to a waste water
treatment plant.
 The waste water from community including all fiscal matters, urine, household and
commercial waste water that contain human wastes.
 Any liquids containing animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution including
liquids containing chemicals in solution.
 The spent water of a community.

In a nutshell, from the definitions above, Sewage may be referred to as “waste water”
from homes, industries, commercial centres and institutions.

TYPES OF SEWAGE.

There are different types of sewage depending on the sources and locations. Classically, there
are these types of sewage viz:

 Industrial Sewage which is mainly generated from the industries and factories.
 Domestic Sewage which is waste water from homes due to domestic uses such as:
washing, bathing, flushing, etc.
 Institutional Sewage from Institutions such as: hospitals, schools (Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary).
 Commercial Sewage which is usually generated from commercial centres such as: shops,
market places etc.

COMPOSITION OF SEWAGE

Sewage contains ninety-nine percent (99.9%) of water and one-tenth percent (0.1%) of
Solids usually referred to as “Sludge” The one-tenth percent (0.1%) of solids in sewage is
made up of partly organic and inorganic matter. Besides, they are partly in suspension and
partly in solution. The offensive nature of sewage is mainly due to the organic matter which it
contains. Sewage is charged with numerous living organisms derived from faeces, some of
which are agents to diseases. Moreover, it is estimated that one gram of faeces may contain
about 1,000 million of E.coli,10 to 100 million of faecal streptococci. The average adult
person defecates daily about 100 grams of faeces.

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CHARACTERISTCS OF SEWAGE (WASTE WATER)

In addition to the impurities found in water supply, waste water contains a large quantity of
impurities added as a result of industrial, commercial and domestic uses of water.

The characteristics of wastewater are classified into: physical, chemical and biological. The
principal physical characteristics of wastewater are: the solid content, colour, odour and
temperature. The chemical and biological characteristics of wastewater are also briefly
outlined.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Solid content: The total solids in wastewater consist of the insoluble or suspended solids and
the soluble compounds dissolved in water. Suspended solids content is found by drying and
weighing the residue removed by filtering the sample. When this residue is ignited, the
volatile solids are burned off. Significantly, about forty-percent (40%) of the solids in an
average waste water are suspended. These solids either floating or settleable may form
objectionable sludge banks if discharged into a river. Conclusively, settleable solids are those
that can be removed by sedimentation.

Colour: is a qualitative characteristic that can be used to assess the general condition of
waste water. If light brown in colour, the waste water is six (6) hours old. A light to medium
grey colour is a characteristic of waste water that has undergone some decomposition in the
collection system for some time. Lastly, if the colour is dark grey or black, the waste water is
typically septic; having undergone extensive bacterial decomposition under anaerobic (i.e in
the absence of oxygen) conditions.

Odour: The odour of fresh wastewater is usually offensive. A variety of odourous compound
are released when sewage (wastewater) is decomposed biologically under anaerobic
conditions. The principal odourous compound is Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) which smells like a
rotten egg. From the knowledge of chemistry, Hydrogen sulphide is responsible for acid rain
which has negative impact or effect on buildings and the environment at large. However,
special precaution should be taken in the design of sewage treatment plant facilities in order
to avoid the conditions that will allow the development of odour which is unfriendly to the
environment.

Temperature: The temperature of waste water is higher than that of water supply because of
the addition of warm water from municipal uses. The measurement of temperature is
important because most wastewater treatment schemes include biological processes that are
temperature dependent. The temperature of wastewater varies from season to season and also
with respect to geographic location.

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The principal chemical test for wastewater includes: freeammonia (NH3), organic nitrogen,
nitrites, nitrates and organic phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus are important because
these two elements have been identified most commonly as being responsible for the growth
of aquatic plants. Other tests such as: Chloride, Sulphides, PH and alkalinity are carried out
to assess the suitability of re-using treated wastewater as well as controlling the various
treatment processes.

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BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The biological characteristics of wastes are sometimes of importance. Tests for

“COLIFORMS” in plant effluent are sometimes made to assess the efficiency of the treatment
processes in reducing bacteria and the determination of the suitability for discharge into
recreational waters. Several types of bacteria found in wastewater are dangerous because they
produce disease e.g Salmonella typi (causing Typhoid fever) Salmonellaparatypi (causing fever),
Schistosoma (Schistomiasis), Vibrio cholera (Cholera), Mycobacterium tubeculvis (Tuberculosis)
etc. However, most bacteria found in waste water are important aids in the process of organic
decomposition.

SEWAGE STRENGTH

The sewage strength is determined by the principal parameters which are used to characterize
organic matter in waste water. These major parameters are:

 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
 Dissolved Oxygen

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): The strength of sewage is expressed in terms of

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).It is the most important test done on sewage. It is
defined as the amount of oxygen absorbed by a sample of sewage during a specified period,
generally 5 days at a specified temperature, generally 200C for the aerobic destruction or
use of organic matter by living organisms. Therefore, BOD of sewage gives the amount of
biologically active matter present in sewage. Generally Sewage may be classified as strong
or weak. Strong if it ranges between 200-500 milligram/litre but weak if is less than or
equal to 100 milligram/litre.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): The organic matter present in water can be measured
in a number of ways; volatile solids determination being crude measure of organic matter.
Actually, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is the measure of total organic matter
(biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable) present in sewage. The Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD) of a raw water or waste water is determined by performing a laboratory
test on the given water with a strong oxidant such as dichromate solution. The theoretical
computations of COD are only performed on water solutions prepared with the known
amounts of specific organic compound in laboratory situations to compare the theoretical
test results which further help to establish the limitations of the test procedures.

Dissolved Oxygen (D.O): The determination of dissolved oxygen present in sewage is very
important. While discharging the treated sewage into some water bodies e.g rivers or
streams, it is necessary to ensure at least four parts per million(4ppm) of D.O in it;
otherwise ,fish and some other aquatic organism may likely be mutilated or killed, thereby
creating nuisance near the vicinity of disposal. Furthermore, the D.O test performed on
sewage before treatment helps to indicate the condition of sewage. It is well known that
fresh sewage contains some dissolved oxygen which is soon depleted by aerobic
decomposition. Moreover, the dissolved oxygen is inversely proportional to temperature;
that is if the temperature of sewage is more, the dissolved oxygen content will be less.
Specifically, the D.O content is generally determined by the Winkler’s method which is an

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oxidation-reduction process carried out chemically to liberate iodine in an amount

equivalent to the quantity of dissolved oxygen present originally present.

THE IMPACTS OF SEWAGE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

The impact of sewage on the environment is quite indispensable and inexorable. It is

mainly negative and to a small extent positive. The positive impact is revealed in some
countries of the world, e.g Indian and Nigeria where sewage is used for what is referred to
as sewage farming or Broad Irrigation; a practice in which sewage is fed into the furrows
intermintently and crops are grown on the ridges. The crops that are found suitable to grow
are those which do not come in contact with sewage and are likely to be eaten raw e.g
fodder grass, potatoes, plantain. But sugarcane, tomatoes, onion etc should not be grown.
However, important precaution should be taken as the farm should be under the direction of
a competent agricultural expert. On the other hand the negative impacts are more and
enumerated thus:

 Creation of nuisance as shown in figure 1, unsightliness and unpleasant odours.

 Breeding of flies and mosquitoes which are potential vectors of diseases such as: Malaria,
Cholera, Typhoid e.t.c.
 Pollutions of soil and water which implies a great deal of environmental pollution.
 Contamination of food.

Figure1: Domestic solid waste in part of Auchi typical of sewage creating nuisance to the environment.Source: Galaxy
Motion Pictures 2018.

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Figure1: Domestic solid waste in part of Auchi typical of sewage creating nuisance to the environment.

Source: Galaxy Motion Pictures 2018.

THE PROBABLE SOLUTIONS

As long as man uses water in the environment for various purposes viz: domestic,

industrial, institutional etc, sewage will always be generated. From the previously outlined

negative impacts sewage posed to the environment, it is important to proffer probable

solutions which will help to attenuate the negative impacts of sewage on the environment.

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The probable solutions lie in the detailed study and design of a typical Sewage treatment

plant. Fig 2 shows a section of an existing but abandoned Sewage Treatment plant located

at a particular industrial area in Ibadan.

Fig 2: A typical Sewage Treatment plant with various components.

SEWAGE TREATMENT METHOD

Sewage Treatment is the process of removing contaminants from waste water and

household sewage; both runoff (effluents) and domestic. It includes: physical, chemical and

biological processes which help to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants.

Generally, there are three methods viz: Primary treatment, Secondary Treatment and

Tertiary treatment methods.

PRE-TREATMENT
Pre-Treatment removes the materials that can be easily collected from the raw waste water

and disposed off. The typical materials that are removed during pre-treatment include fats,

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oils and greases (also referred to as Fog), sand, gravels and rocks (also referred to as grit),

large settle able solids and floating materials (such as rags and flushed feminine hygiene

products). In developed countries, sophisticated equipment with remote operation and

control are employed. The developing countries still rely on low cost equipment such as

manually cleaned screen etc.

SCREENING
The influent sewage water is strained to remove all large objects carried in the sewage

stream, such as rags sticks, tampons, cans, fruit etc. This is most commonly done with a

manual or automated mechanically raked bar screen. The raking action of a mechanical bar

screen is typically paced according to the accumulation on the bar screens and /or flow rate.

The bar screen is used because large solids can damage or clog the equipment used later in

the sewage treatment plant. The large solids can also hinder the biological process. The

solids are collected and later disposed in a land fill or incinerator.

SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT

The sewage treatment plant is an essential structure built with the sole purpose of treating

the sewage conveyed and discharged from different buildings in a particular community

(commercial, institutional and industrial) via sewer networks. In reality, the Sewage

treatment plant consists of the pump house, the aeration chamber, the Sedimentation

chamber, the effluent chamber and the digester chamber where the treated effluent is made

ready for discharge via the outlet sewer connected to the sewage treatment plant. Besides,

each of these chambers consists of manholes which are also referred to as assess points or

chambers for the inspection or observation and maintenance. In summary, one of the major

probable solutions to the negative impacts posed to man and his aesthetic environment is to

put in place a well-designed and adequately constructed Sewage Treatment Plant.

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DESIGN PROCEDURES

The proposed area or location of the sewage treatment plant (S.T.P) must be studied. This

can be achieved using a detailed topographical map showing the elevations as well as the

nature of terrain (i.e. Flat or Sloping). Besides, the population data must be known as this is

an important factor for a properly designed sewage treatment. Subsequent to this is a

detailed survey which aid in the design of the sewage treatment plant and the establishment

of the network between sewers and the Sewage treatment plant. The operation of the

Sewage Treatment is in connection with Sewers ( sewage conveyance structures) with

different sizes; ranging from a minimum of 50mm to 300mm or more depending on the

purpose for which it is designed.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT.

In general, the method of estimating sewage flows for large commercial/industrial areas is
to estimate a population equivalent to the hectarage covered by the development which is
then followed by the calculation of the sewage flows. A population equivalent of 85
persons per gross hectare is often used.Besides, it is also necessary to calculate an
appropriate peaking factor as well as select a representative unit of peak extraneous flow.
However, for individual commercial and institutional uses, the following average daily
sewage flow rates are commonly used for design thus:

Shopping centres - (2500-5000L/1000m2 –day)

Hospitals - (900-1800L/bed-day)
Schools - (70-140L/student-day)

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It is noteworthy that Industrial flows vary with the type and size of industry. Hence,
where the specific type of industry is unknown, an allowance of 50m3/hectare/day is often
used.

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Figure 3: Base map of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State. Source: Digitized Google Earth Imagery 2014.

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However, the preliminary sewage treatment plant design of three Schools at Auchi
Polytechnic; projected for the next ten years. This was done by taken the population of the
three Schools thus:
School of Engineering- 5300 persons (students and staff).
School of Art and Design-2800 persons (students and staff).
School of Information & Communication Technology (I.C.T)-6300 persons.
Total population of the three schools is equal to 14,400 persons. (Students and staff).
The population forecast for the next Ten (10) years is estimated using the geometric
method of population forecasting which is given as:
Pt=Po(1+ r/100)t
Where Ptis population of persons for a given or projected number of years
Po is the present or initial population
R is the rate of population growth in percentage (%)
T is the number of years
Therefore, the projected population of the three schools in the next ten (10) years, say year
2025 is calculated thus:
P10=14,400(1+ r/100)10 but r=3%
Hence, P10=14,400(1+ 0.03)10, P10=19,353 persons
Design parameters showing: Sewage flow, peak flow and organic load, air requirement of

the estimated population in the next ten (10) years is given below:

Hecterage for the estimated population = 160 hectares which in square metre is given as

160x10,000 which is equal to one million and six hundred thousand square metres

(1,600,000 m2).

Given that the water demand per capita per head on the average =100 litres/day

Total water demand for the projected population = 100 x 19353

= 1,935300litres/day or 1,935.3m3/day

Quantity of Sewage or Sewage flow = 75% of the total water demand

= 0.75 x 1,935 m3/day

= 1451.475m3/day, say 1451.5m3/day,

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Peak flow= DWF X Peak factor.DWF is taken as the daily water demand as calculated

above and the peak factor is a function of the peak factor. Therefore, because the estimated

population is less than 100,000 persons,3.5 is taken as the peak factor.

Peak flow= 1451.5 X 3.5

= 5080.25m3/day

Organic load =0.055kg BOD/person/day

= 0.055 x 19353

= 1064.4Kg BOD/day.

Air requirement = 156m3 air /kg BOD/day

=156 X 1064.4

= 166046.4m3 of air /day

Retention Time

Aeration Chamber -24 hours

Sedimentation Chamber -2 hours

Effluent-2 hours

Digesters-5 days (5 x 24)=120 hours.

Moreover, the sizing of the treatment plant is done according the shape of the treatment

plant and the british standard code(B.S code), The capacity of the Treatment plant for this

the three schools as mentioned above is already calculated per day which is =

1,935300litres/day which is equivalent to 430067 gallons/day.

According to the design guide for a rectangular shape Sewage Treatment Plant, the

length is usually twice the breadth i.e L=2B.The depth ranges from1.5 to 2m or more. The

retention period is usually not more than twenty-four (24) hours. Note: too long retention

will result in undue septicity or toxicity of the effluent while too short period of retention

results in insufficient treatment.

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CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The conclusion for this paper unfolds that sewage is indispensable and inexorable in the
environment as long as people demand and utilize water for various purposes: domestic,
industrial, institutional etc. Suggested recommendations aimed at attenuating the

negative impacts of sewage on the environment are briefly enumerated thus:

1. Public Health Enlightenments via lectures on proper environmental sanitation,

magazines and other information media.
2. Construction of Modern and adequately designed sewage treatment plant.
3. Constant and Consistent maintenance culture with respect to the constructed
sewage treatment plant should be inculcated as this will help to prevent the
negative/hazardous impacts of sewage in the environment.
4. Provision of sufficient funds by the three arms of government (local, state and
federal) and well-meaning philanthropist in the society.

REFERENCES

Idris, H (2015), Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the Management

of Electricity Distribution Network in Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State.

K. Park (2009), 20th Edition of Preventive and social Medicine.Publicaion:Jabalpur M/S

Banarsidas Bhanot

Santosh Kumar Garg (2010), Sewage Disposal and Air Pollution Engineering.

Stephen Abednego.O (2009), Current Procedures in Sewage System Design

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