What are Maturation ponds in Sewage Treatment Plants?
Man-made basins with a single or many series of anaerobic, facultative, or maturation ponds make up waste stabilisation ponds!
The quantity or absence of oxygen varies depending on which of the three types of ponds is used first. Because there is extremely little dissolved oxygen in anaerobic waste stabilisation ponds, anaerobic conditions prevail. Facultative stabilising ponds, on the other hand, maintain an aerobic surface habitat over an anaerobic benthic ecosystem. From the surface to the bottom, maturation ponds provide aerobic conditions.
What are Maturation ponds?
In maturation ponds, some extra organic waste and other contaminants may be removed. These ponds are only added to the treatment line when high pathogen removal efficiency are required, either for release of treated effluent into surface water bodies or for irrigation or aquaculture. They are typically employed after facultative ponds, although they may also be used after other treatment methods, such as UASB reactors (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket). They could potentially be used following the activation of sludge.
Maturation ponds must be shallow (less than 1.0 m deep) and have a large surface area so that more oxygen can dissolve into the water, allowing bacteria to function correctly. Shallow ponds benefit from increased photosynthetic activity caused by solar energy penetration. Because of the strong photosynthesis, the pH levels are high, and UV radiation penetrates the higher layers. Both of these variables aid in the elimination of germs and viruses that are harmful to humans. The maturation ponds' large surface area, protozoan cysts, and helminth eggs are all eliminated, with sedimentation serving as the primary method.
The tertiary stage in maturation ponds is mostly responsible for pathogen clearance, while it may also help with nutrient reduction (i.e. nitrogen). However, nitrogen fixation by algae in stabilisation pond systems may result in an increase in nitrogen levels in the effluent.
In maturation ponds, sludge accumulation is minimal!
Temperature, hydraulic retention time (the span of hours the liquid remains in the system - from entrance to exit), the number of ponds in the series, the presence of baffles, and the depth of the ponds are all factors that can affect pathogen removal efficiency.
Maturation ponds can be used with a rainwater reservoir to create an environmentally friendly, self-purifying irrigation system.
Maturation ponds: their use and suitability
Maturation ponds can treat almost any sort of wastewater and function effectively in almost any environment. Because the intensity of sunshine and temperature are essential variables in the efficiency of the elimination processes, they are particularly well-suited for tropical and subtropical nations. Ponds are found all over the planet. Ponds are the most extensively used treatment method in many countries and locations.
As a result, they are one of the WHO-recommended procedures for treating wastewater for reuse in agriculture and aquaculture, owing to their efficacy in eliminating nematodes (worms) and helminth eggs.
Conclusion
Maturation Ponds are not very efficient in removing organic debris, and they have limited capacity for eliminating nitrogen and phosphorus. Because of the algal production in the ponds, the effluent frequently contains high suspended solids concentrations. As a result, unless extra stages of post-treatment are included, ponds are not a suitable technology in places with severe discharge criteria.
What do we offer?
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