Course Catalogue.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental chemical and biological mechanisms used to remove contaminants from water and wastewater.
• Evaluate common treatment technologies based on process performance, design considerations, and operational constraints.
• Distinguish between suspended‑growth and attached‑growth biological treatment systems and their appropriate applications.
• Apply chemical and biological treatment principles to industrial, municipal, and environmental engineering projects.
• Interpret real‑world case studies to support sound engineering decisions in water and wastewater treatment design and operation.

Description

Effective water and wastewater treatment is essential for protecting public health, preserving natural ecosystems, and supporting sustainable industrial and municipal operations. This course provides a practical, engineering‑focused overview of the chemical and biological processes commonly used to treat water and wastewater across a range of applications.

Participants will examine key chemical treatment processes such as coagulation and flocculation, oxidation‑reduction reactions, chemical precipitation, and ion exchange, as well as biological treatment systems including activated sludge, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, moving bed biofilm reactors, and lagoon systems. Emphasis is placed on understanding process mechanisms, design considerations, and operational performance rather than rote theory.

Through applied examples and real‑world case studies, the course connects treatment principles to practical decision‑making in industrial, municipal, and environmental contexts. By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to assess treatment options, support system design and troubleshooting, and contribute effectively to water and wastewater treatment projects.

Who Should Attend

This course is well suited for:

• Environmental, civil, and consulting engineers involved in water or wastewater projects
• Industrial engineers and technical professionals responsible for treatment system operation or optimization
• Technicians, technologists, and plant operators seeking a stronger process‑level understanding
• Municipal staff and planners involved in treatment infrastructure decision‑making
• Regulators, environmental consultants, and graduate‑level students in environmental or water engineering disciplines

Course Syllabus

Day 1

Fundamental Chemical Concepts

• Chemical kinetics
• Chemical reactions and equilibrium
• Catalytic reactions

Oxidation-Reduction Processes

• Oxidation-reduction reactions in water treatment
• Oxidizing and reducing agents
• Metals precipitation by oxidation-reduction processes
• Oxidation-reduction reactions in wastewater treatment: removal of organic and inorganic contaminants

Coagulation and Flocculation

• Characteristics of colloids and suspended particles
• Theoretical aspects of coagulation and flocculation processes
• Type of coagulants and flocculants used in industrial processes
• Mechanisms of colloids and suspended solids removal during coagulation and flocculation processes
• Design of coagulation-flocculation reactors: calculation of mixing power input and reactor dimensions

Chemical Precipitation

• Removal of metals from a solution by chemical precipitation
• Hydroxide precipitation of metals
• Carbonate precipitation of metals
• Sulfide precipitation of metals
• Removal of phosphorus from water by chemical precipitation

Water Softening

• Environmental impacts of water hardness
• Concept of chemical equivalence
• Water softening by chemical precipitation: Lime-soda process
• Water softening operations and design examples of lime-soda water softening process
• Estimation of chemical consumption and solids production during softening processes

Ion Exchange

• Mechanism of ion exchange and applications of ion exchange processes in water treatment
• Ion exchange resins and principles of ion exchange in resins
• Ion exchange resin selectivity and affinity
• Water demineralization by ion exchange
• Resin regeneration after water demineralization
• Water softening by ion exchange
• Design of Ion exchange processes

Day 2

Chemical Disinfection

• Mechanisms of disinfection processes
• Properties of appropriate disinfectants used in water treatment operations: advantages and limitations
• Design of disinfection systems
• Mechanisms of microbial elimination during disinfection processes
• Chlorination
• Ozonation
• UV disinfection

Fundamental Aspects of Biological Processes

• Principles of microbial processes
• Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation
• Microbial kinetics

Biological Treatment Systems: Applications and Operation Principles

• Primary, secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment systems
• Design parameters in wastewater treatment processes
• Operation principles of suspended-growth and attached-growth treatment processes
• Activated sludge process
• Trickling filters
• Rotating biological contactors
• Moving-bed biofilm reactors

 Nutrient Removal Processes

• Biological nitrogen removal by nitrification-denitrification processes
• Types of nitrification and denitrification processes used in industrial systems
• Denitrification reactor design
• Biological phosphorus removal process
• Chemical phosphorus removal process

Treatment Ponds or Lagoons

• Lagoon systems and their operation principles
• Operating parameters in lagoons
• Naturally-aerated and mechanically-aerated lagoons: biochemical reactions and design
• Anaerobic and facultative lagoons: biochemical reactions and design

Questions and Answers, Feedback on Achievement of Learning Objectives