1. Assessment in Science Education Dr. Craig
Fall ‘06
Unit Plan-WASTE WATER SYSTEM
New York City’s Wastewater Treatment System:
History and development
Rachell Gordon
Angie Palancios
Beilka Diaz
Bingyi Wang
Rational and Purpose Statement:
This is a 15 day lesson for students (and faculty) to
explore the facets of city planning and disaster planning
Adapted from:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/wastewatermonth.cfm
Earth Science topics: Global Warming, Photochemical Smog, Urban Heat Islands, Acid
Rain
Trips: Trips to the Bronx River Alliance, Beats avenue Incinerator (Green Point,
Brooklyn), Green Point Sewage Plant would be convenient to qualify lessons.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Aim: How do we
read an
topographical map
What is an
aquafier system??
Aim: what
is
Wastewater
Treatment –
Aim:
Wastewater
Treatment –
Past and
Present?
Aim:
Modeling of
Wastewater
Aim: Waste
Water
Treatment:
what is
industrial

2. Treatment
Processes
waste??
Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10
Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15
Aim: Student
Presentations
Glossary of Chemical Terms
• biochemical oxidation,
• biomass decay,
• hydrolysis of particulate matter,
• chemical oxidation,
• photolysis,
• adsorption on particulate matter
Combined Sewer Overflows
Digestion
Disinfection
Dry Weather Discharges
Floating Debris
Grease
Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP)
Perchloroethylene Program (PERC
Persistent Pollutant Track-down Program
Pollution Prevention Program
Preliminary Treatment
Primary Treatment
Pumping Station Telemetry

3. Secondary Treatment
Sludge Treatment
Thickening
Water Quality Monitoring
Regulatory Telemetry System / Enhanced Beach Protection Program
Nutrients
Water Waste
Day 1:
Activity Set-Up: Ward Treatent facility-Map of New York Harbor and Historical
Sampling Sites Demonstration video-waster water system: developed of from Dutch era
in New York
Aim: How do we describe a waste water system? How do we read an topographical map
What is an aquafier system??
Adapted fro
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/wastewatermonth.cfm
I.O./SWABT 1. Draw the parts of waste water system
2. Express the terms needed in the digestion of sewage
3. Make reasonable drawing and know the systemic parts of a Waste
Water System
4. explain the new SEWAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL system
PROCESS STANDARDS:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/sciencestand/physset13.html
New York State Learning Standards:
The following are addressed in this lesson.

4. Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry and Design
Mathematical Analysis
Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as
appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Standard 4: Science
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining
to physical setting and physics.
Standard 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics,
and science, and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
Materials: OAK TAG -4’ BY 6’ BOARDS-markets- Computer on Wheels, if available
laptops-handout of maps of New York
Aquifier system
Hudson river Morraine
Procedure: students will review topographic maps, aquifer system, sewage plant
design them in groups of 3-4- will draw the waste water systems
Motivation student’s will watch a video about the damage Hurricane Sandy has recently
done to new York
They will isolate and be ready to next read the below passage and isolate relavent
vocubulatary from
Question: do you know why sewages systems were developed and by who?/
Stimulate interest( lead topic)
How did the engineers assess the damage done by hurricane sandy to the Staten Island
Ferry operation-foremost-our sewage system in wall street area is too flooded to be use
what and who are needed?
Students will be handed the below passage

5. “””Each day New York City delivers about 1.3 billion gallons of safe drinking water to
over 8 million City residents and another 1 million consumers who live in Westchester,
Putnam, Ulster and Orange Counties north of the City.
The source of New York City’s drinking water is suppliedby a network of 19 reservoirs
and three controlled lakes ina 1,972 square-mile watershed that extends 125 milesnorth
and west of New York City.
Between the water supply and wastewater treatment systems are millions of New Yorkers
and visitors to the City and an elaborate network of sewers and water mains.
Each person can help these systems run better byconserving water, disposing of garbage
and household chemicals properly and being concerned about water
quality in the City’s surrounding waters.
Where does used water go?
Used water goes into New York City’s extensive wastewater treatment system. This
amazing network system that cleans our wastewater consists of: over
6,000 miles of sewer pipes; 135,000 sewer catch basins; over 494 permitted outfalls for
the discharge of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater; 93 wastewater
pumping stations that transport it to 14 wastewater treatment plants located throughout
the five boroughs.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of
Wastewater Treatment (BWT) is responsible for the operation and maintenance
of all facilities related to the treatment of sewage. The Bureau of Wastewater Treatment
has 1,900 employees, an annual operating budget of $262 million, and an annual
capital budget of $114 million. With these resources, the 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater
discharged by eight million residents and workers in New York City each and
every day is processed at the treatment plants. After the treatment process is completed,
the plants release high- quality, treated wastewater, called effluent, into the
waterways surrounding New York City
go to diagram of system-have students draw this system on oak tag boards
INTRODUCTION-(pass out markers and boards now)
(read aload):
This lesson covers design and Industrial sewage is the waste from an
maintenance of sewage systems and industrial process such as dyeing,

6. treatment facilities. Storm sewage operations, engineer units are is the water and
particles carried due responsible for waste disposal when to rainfall.
Infiltration is the waterborne sewage-disposal systems are ground water and particles
which leak practical and authorized. Decision as into a sewer through joints or breaks.
To whether waterborne sewage
Medical units are responsible for racks, garages, and shop floor drains
investigating, reporting and making also should be excluded.
Waste from recommendations on all matters laundries, however, is usually affecting
the health of Army discharged into the TO sewer system. personnel.
Other types of industrial waste may bedischarged into the system, depending
Assessment:
1. Will be the student projects
2. Will be student presentations to the class at the end of the 15 day period

7. Student will read the below passage at the beginning of class –then they will go over the
parts of sewage system and describe them to the best of there ability
Treatment Process
WHAT IS WASTEWATER?
Wastewater is liquid waste. It is animal, vegetable, mineral or chemical matter in solution or in
suspension that residents and businesses flush down their toilets and pour down their sinks and
drains.
Wastewater drains into a network of pipes maintained by sewer serviced municipalities and the
Regional District of Nanaimo. Sewer systems are built to follow the natural slope of land, generally
flowing towards the sea front. This design allows gravity to do most of the work transporting the
wastewater to one of four wastewater treatment plants. For residential areas that are lower than
adjacent lands or treatment plants, the wastewater must pass through a pumping station to pump
the liquid into the plants. Treatment of our wastewater is an essential process that prevents
contamination and destruction of our waterways, and our natural water resources.
HOW IS WASTEWATER TREATED IN THE RDN?
Generally wastewater treatment involves the following processes:

8. 1. Preliminary treatment - The velocity of the wastewater from the sewer lines is reduced as it
enters the treatment plant. This allows sand, gravel and other heavy materials to settle out
into grit tanks. Mechanical cleaning bar screens then remove rags, sticks, plastic and other
foreign objects from the wastewater; this part of the treatment plant is called the headworks.
Bar screens may be used before or after the grit tanks. All removed material collected by grit
tanks and bar screens is washed and then taken to a sanitary landfill for disposal.
2. Primary treatment - Primary treatment allows for the physical separation of solids and grease
from the wastewater, and removes between 30-40 percent of Biological Oxygen Demand and
50 per cent of Total Suspended Solids.
The screened wastewater flows into a primary settling tank where it is held for several hours
allowing solid particles to settle to the bottom of the tank. Fats, oil and grease (FOG) are
skimmed from the tanks, dried and sent to the landfill. The settled particles are known as
primary sludge, which is collected and pumped to large digestion or holding tanks for further
treatment and solids processing.
Presently, Greater Nanaimo and Nanoose Wastewater Treatment Plants provide primary
treatment and discharge treated effluent to the ocean.
3. Secondary treatment - Secondary treatment is a biological treatment process that removes
up to 90 percent of BOD and TSS. Following primary treatment, effluent is pumped to the
secondary treatment stage. It may take one of several forms; for example, either a trickling
filter or a sequencing batch reactor. The growth of microorgisms results from the
consumption of organic matter in the wastewater as their food supply.

9. The micro-organisms create a solid organic material (sludge), which just like the sludge from
primary treatment. Secondary sludge is thickened and pumped to digesters for processing and
solids processing.
The French Creek and Duke Point Treatment Plants discharge secondary treated effluent into
the Strait Georgia.
4. Final treatment - The wastewater that remains can be disinfected to kill harmful micro-
organisms before being released into receiving waters. Although there are many methods
available to kill these micro-organisms, ultraviolet disinfection is the method used at Duke
Point Pollution Control Centre. This is the only treatment plant in the RDN with this
technology. At this stage, the treated wastewater, now called final effluent, is discharged into
the marine environment.
5. Solids processing - Primary solids from the primary settling tank and secondary solids from
the clarifier are sent to digesters for solids processing. During this process, micro-organisms
use the organic material present in the solids as a food source and convert it to by-products
such as methane gas and water. Digestion results in a 90% reduction of pathogens and the
production of a wet soil-like material called "biosolids" that contain 95-97% water. In order to
remove some of this water, mechanical equipment such as a belt filter press or centrifuge are
used to squeeze water from the biosolids, reducing its volume prior to being used in soil
amendment or composting.
A more advanced look at the system would be:
MINI GLOSSARY
BOD5 (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) is a measure of the quantity of oxygen consumed by
microorganisms to break down organic matter in water. A high BOD means that there will be less
oxygen; and oxygen is essential for the survival of aquatic life. Thus, high BOD levels result in the
contamination of the receiving (marine) environment.
TSS (Total Suspended Solids) are solid pollutants that would be captured on a fine filter paper. They
are visible in water and decrease water clarity. High concentrations of TSS can cause many problems
for aquatic life.

10. Day 2:
Activity Set-Up: Demonstration
(Authority: Robert Craig)
Activity Set-Up: students review and take notes on power point one and two
Aim: Wastewater Treatment – Past and Present?
I.O./SWABT 1.
CONTENT STANDARD: (THE PHYSICAL SETTING)
www.nysed.gov
PROCESS STANDARDS:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/sciencestand/physset13.html
New York State Learning Standards:
The following are addressed in this lesson.
Standard 4: Science
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining
to physical setting and physics.
Standard 6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics,
and science, and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, and science, to
address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

11. Materials: