GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Griffith School of Engineering
INDUSTRIAL WATER AND
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
7409ENG
Study Guide
© Griffith University 2014/1
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photo-copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior
written permission.
These materials may only be distributed to students enrolled in this course.
Published by Digitisation and Distribution, INS, Griffith University
CRICOS Provider: 00233E
7409ENG Study Guide iii
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 1
2. ENQUIRIES …………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
3. COURSE OBJECTIVES …………………………………………………………………………. 1
4. COURSE DESCRIPTION ……………………………………………………………………….. 2
5. ORGANISATION AND TEACHING METHODS …………………………………….. 2
6. ASSESSMENTS ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3
7. MARKING POLICY AND GRADES ……………………………………………………….. 5
8. TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS ……………………………………. 5
9. COURSE NOTES CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………… 6
10. COURSE CONTENTS AND SUGGESTED TIMELINE ………………………….. 7

7409ENG Study Guide 1
1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to 7409ENG Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment. This course is
offered through Griffith University’s flexible delivery system. In the flexible learning
mode students are supplied with a range of resources to enable them to undertake the
study of the course materials in a format that suits their preferred study methods.
The printed materials for this course consist of a Course Profile, this Study Guide, a
set of Course Notes, and a collection of supplementary Set Readings. The materials
are also mostly available online to students enrolled in this course on the course web
site accessible through Learning@Griffith at Griffith University web site
www.griffith.edu.au. Students are also directed to other references resources available
in the University library and/ or Internet web sites.
Students should read the Course Profile (available online through Learning@Griffith)
for details of the course, including assessment details and due dates.
2. ENQUIRIES
Academic enquiries about the course should be directed to the course convenor:
Dr Jimmy Yu N55 Env 1 Room 2.13 Tel: (07 3735 5289)
[email protected]
Administrative inquiries should be directed to:

Tel: (07) 3735 5071
Fax: (07) 3735 7404
Tel: (07) 3735 3619 (Brisbane)
1800 802 042 (Outside Brisbane)
Fax: (07) 3735 6585
3. COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course introduces students to the area of industrial water and wastewater
treatment. The course provides knowledge and skills in industrial water and
wastewater treatment technologies and integrated water and wastewater treatment
processes in selected industries. At the completion of this course, students should be
able to:
2 7409ENG Study Guide
• Identify and describe processes and issues involved in water and wastewater
treatment in industries;
• Describe and evaluate selected technologies used in industrial water and
wastewater treatment;
• Identify and describe water quality requirements and wastewater
characteristics in selected industries;
• Describe and evaluate water and wastewater treatment processes in selected
industries;
• Perform method selection and process design for specific applications in
industrial water and wastewater treatment.
4. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course covers industrial water and wastewater treatment. Topics include water
quality requirements, wastewater characteristics, industrial water and wastewater
treatment technologies and processes, integrated water and wastewater management
strategies, and case studies.
5. ORGANISATION AND TEACHING METHODS
External Study
This course is offered through the flexible delivery mode. Course delivery is through
the study guide, course notes and a collection of readings. The majority of the study is
to be undertaken by the student on an individual basis but small study groups are
encouraged. Continuous assistance will be provided as required by the teaching staff
through email, telephone, and the course website online.
A significant component of the course is a written report on a study of water and/ or
wastewater treatment in an industry of your own choice. This will take the format of a
literature review. Students are advised that this activity requires careful planning in
order to be executed successfully.
On-Campus Study
For students enrolled in the on campus class of the course, additional support is
provided in the form of a weekly on campus session.
7409ENG Study Guide 3
6. ASSESSMENTS
There are three (3) assessment items for this course.
No. Description Due Date* Weighting
1. Problem Assignment week 5 20 %
2. Course Examination week 9 40 %
3. Industry Study Report week 12 40 %
* Please check the course profile for the exact due dates of assessments.
Please note that in order to obtain an overall grade of pass (grade 4) or higher in this
course; students must achieve a minimum mark of 40% in the course examination.
Late submission of assignments will result in a loss of 10% of the marks for the item
per day, unless a special consideration is approved.
Item 1: Problem Assignment
In the Course Notes a number of questions have been asked at the end of every Unit
under the heading ‘Activities for the Unit’. These are designed to help student
learning in the course. However, these questions are not the assignment itself and they
should not be submitted as the assignment. You will be advised of the details of the
assignment by week 2. The problem assignment will cover topics in Units 1-5 of the
Course Notes and it is be completed and handed in by week 5.
Item 2: Course Examination
The course examination is a closed book examination and it will be held during the
semester in week 9. The time and location are the same for the on-campus sessions.
The examination will cover the topics in all units, with an emphasis on Units 6-9, in
the Course Notes and Readings, as well as testing a general awareness of the course.
The emphasis will be on problem solving more than on theory, as well as on the
abilities of application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and judgement, rather than
memory and reproduction of facts. Students will be allowed to bring in nonprogrammable calculators. The length of the examination will be one and one-half
(1.5) hours.
Arrangements will be made through the Off Campus and Assignment Handling
Services for external students to take the examination on the same date as the OnCampus students.
Item 3: Industry Study Report
In this assessment item, a full report is required as part of the student’s individual
study of the water and wastewater treatment processes in an industry of the student’s
choice. The report will take the format of a literature-based study. The length of the
report should be about 2,000 to 2,500 words, which is equivalent to 4 to 5 typed
pages with 12 point size and single spaced, including figures and tables, but
excluding a reference list. Materials in excess of the required length will not be
4 7409ENG Study Guide
read during marking. Your report should demonstrate an understanding of the
particular problems that arise in the treatment of water and/or wastewater in the
industry you have selected to study and the current or potential technologies that are
used to address these problems. An environmental, social and/or economic assessment
of the treatment processes, reuse and recycling practices, and recovery of any byproducts might be a useful topic to include in your report. The due date for the full
report is in week 12.
Your report will be assessed upon the following criteria:
Research Effort and Quality
• Quality and extent of coverage of literature related to the topic.
• Industrial site visits if relevant.
• Minimal use of web based and not peer reviewed materials.
Technical Understanding
• Accurate description and explanation of the relevant water and wastewater
treatment processes and technologies.
Evaluation and Assessment
• Valid and justified evaluation and comparison of the treatment processes.
• Insightful critic and improvement/suggestions of the processes.
• Evaluation and assessment of the processes can be based on technical,
environmental, social and/or economic aspects.
Writing Style and References
• The report is written to the specified word length (within 10%).
• The report is a simply, but logically, structured.
• There is good organisation with a Title page and a Table of Contents.
• There is an informative ‘summary’, up to half of a page in length at the
beginning of the report.
• There is a conclusion, and recommendations if appropriate.
• The writing is coherent and the argument is logically developed.
• The report should be relevant to all aspects of the topic.
• All aspects of the topic should be covered in appropriate depth.
• The spelling and punctuation are correct.
• The sentences and paragraphs make sense and are logically sequenced.
• There is no unnecessary repetition.
• All sources of information are suitably acknowledged.
• The references are cited correctly in a proper and consistent format.
• The references are listed in a generally acceptable and consistent format
7409ENG Study Guide 5
Cover Sheets and Submission
All assignments should preferably include an assignment cover sheet. An electronic
copy is also available from the university. The coversheet must be attached to each of
the assessment items submitted. Assignments should be submitted as per instructions
detailed in the course profile.
7. MARKING POLICY AND GRADES
Assessment in this course conforms to standard Griffith University policies and
Griffith School of Engineering procedures. These include the following:
For each individual assessment item you will be given a mark by the marker. These
marks are then totalled according to their respective weightings and a recommended
grade is submitted to an Assessment Board. Grades are generally approved by the
relevant Assessment Board from the following range. A pass grade is a grade of 4 or
higher.
• 7 85 to 100%
• 6 75 to 84%
• 5 65 to 74%
• 4 50 to 64%
• 3 45 to 49%
• 2 25 to 44%
• 1 0 to 24%
• FNS fail without submission
Please note that the percentage range of grades is a guideline only and variations to
this may be recommended and/ or approved by Assessment Board.
In some instances, a supplementary assessment (SUP or SSP) may be awarded to
those with a grade of 3, and the student will have an opportunity to re-do an
assessment item (usually the course examination) to obtain grade of 4 for the course.
Please refer to the course profile for more details on assessments.
8. TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Students are supplied with the learning materials, which consist of the study guide,
course notes, and supplementary set reading materials. The course notes present an
overview on industrial water and wastewater treatment with some case studies at the
end. The readings provide some additional information on selected topics.
Supplementary materials such as selected lecture notes and lecture capture files are
also available at the course website through Learning@Griffith. These are uploaded as
they become available throughout the teaching semester.
6 7409ENG Study Guide
There is no prescribed textbook for this course due to the wide range of topics
covered. The course notes contain lists of references for further readings. Students
may also find the following references useful (always look for ewer editions if
available).
Reference Books
1. Cheremisinoff, PN (1995): Handbook of Water and Wastewater Treatment
Technology, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1995.
2. Nemerow, L. Nelson and Agardy, J. Franklin (1998): Strategies of Industrial and
Hazardous Waste Management (2nd Edition); Van Nostrand Reinhold
3. Metcalf and Eddy (2003): Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse;
McGraw Hill (4th Edition).
4. Corbitt RA [ed] (1999): Standard Handbook of Environmental Engineering
2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1999 {Chapters 5 and 6}
5. Droste RL (1997): Theory and Practice of Water and Wastewater Treatment,
Wiley, New York, 1997.
6. Davis ML and Cornwell DA (1991): Introduction to Environmental
Engineering, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1991.
7. Degremont (1991): Water Treatment Handbook; Volumes I & II (6th edition);
Lavoisier Publishing, Rueil-Malmaison, Cedex, France
8. Peavy HS, Rowe DR and Tchobanoglous G (1986): Environmental
Engineering, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1986.
9. COURSE NOTES CONTENTS
Unit 1 Introduction: Process and Issues
1.1 Water and Water – Wastewater Cycles in Industries
1.2 Economic Aspects of Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment
1.3 Health and Environmental Concerns of Industrial Water and Wastewater
1.4 Current Issues and Future Trends
Unit 2 Water and Wastewater Quality Parameters
2.1 Water Quality Parameters
2.2 Wastewater Quality Parameters
Unit 3 Water Quality Requirements in Industries
3.1 Water Quality Requirements for Specific Applications
7409ENG Study Guide 7
3.2 Water Quality Requirements in Key Industries
3.3 Water Quality Adversely Affecting Industries
Unit 4 Industry Wastewater Characteristics
4.1 Wastewater Characteristics of Cooling and Boiler Systems
4.2 Wastewater Characteristics of Key Primary Industries
4.3 Wastewater Characteristics of Key Manufacturing Industries
4.4 Wastewater Characteristics of Key Service Industries
Unit 5 Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies
5.1 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
5.2 Conventional Treatment Technologies
5.3 Advanced Treatment Technologies and Future Trends
5.4 Recent Advances in Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies
5.5 Common Chemicals Used in Water and Wastewater Treatment
Unit 6 Water Treatment in Industries
6.1 Method Selection and Process Design
6.2 Water Treatment for Specific Applications
6.3 Water Treatment in Key Manufacturing Industries
Unit 7 Wastewater Treatment in Industries
7.1 Method Selection and Process Design
7.2 Wastewater Treatment from Specific Applications
7.3 Wastewater Treatment in Key Primary Industries
7.4 Wastewater Treatment in Key Manufacturing Industries
7.5 Wastewater Treatment in Key Service Industries
Unit 8 Integrated Water and Wastewater Management in Industries
1.3 Water Reduction and Water Conservation in Industries
1.4 Industrial Reuse of Wastewater
1.5 Recycling of Industrial Wastewater and Resources Recovery
1.6 Cleaner Production in Industries for Sustainable Industrialization
Unit 9 Case Studies
9.1 Case Studies of Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment
9.2 Case Studies of Reduction of Water Use in Industry
9.3 Case Studies of Waste Reuse by ‘Industrial Complexing’
9.4 Case Studies of Recycling and Recovery of Byproducts from Wastewater
9.5 Case Studies of Cleaner Production
10. COURSE CONTENTS AND SUGGESTED TIMELINE
8 7409ENG Study Guide
The contents of the course can be broadly divided into three parts. Part 1 (Processes
and Issues) covers the introductory topics including the water and wastewater cycle in
industries, properties and industrial uses of water, water and wastewater quality
parameters, basic concepts of process flow diagrams and materials balance, concepts
and strategies for simple process selection and design, and current issues in industrial
water and wastewater treatment and management. Part 2 (Water and Wastewater
Treatment Technologies) gives an overview of the various treatment technologies in
terms of their principles and applications. Part 3 (Water and Wastewater Treatment
Processes) focuses on the water and wastewater treatment practices in selected key
applications and/or industries. For each application and/or industry, some or all of the
following areas are covered: water uses, sources and quality requirements, wastewater
sources and characteristics, water and wastewater treatment processes and
management strategies, and case studies.
The following is a suggested timeline only to enable you to complete the course of
study and submit all assessment items by their respective due dates. You are free to
set your own study schedule depending on your prior knowledge and individual
requirements or situation. However, assessment items must be submitted by the
due dates.
Part 1 Processes and Issues
Week 1 Course Notes: Unit 1.1 and Unit 2.1 – 2.2*
Lecture Notes: Lecture 1.0 – 1.3
* For each Unit, also refer to the relevant Reading Materials and the
questions in the activities to do.
Week 2 Course Notes: Unit 1.2 – 1.4
Lecture Notes: Lecture 1.4 – 1.5
Also simultaneously start work on Problem Assignment. You will
need to do some literature search for additional materials that is
specifically relevant to your assignment topic.
Part 2 Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies
Week 3 Course Notes: Unit 5.1 – 5.3
Lecture Notes: Lecture 2.0
Continue work on Problem Assignment.
Week 4 Course Notes: Unit 5.4 – 5.5
Lecture Notes: Lecture 2.1
Continue work on Problem Assignment.
Week 5 Course Notes: Unit 5 (review and selected technologies of interest*)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 2.2
7409ENG Study Guide 9
Continue work on Problem Assignment.
* You may need to do some literature search for additional materials
that is relevant to your interested technologies for in depth study.
Week 6 Course Notes: Unit 5 (review and selected technologies of interest*)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 2.3
Complete Problem Assignment and submit by due date.
Start planning for industry study report.
Start preparing for course examination. Download a practice exam paper
from the course website to get yourself familiar with the exam format.
Part 3 Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes
Week 7 Course Notes: Unit 6.1 and Unit 7.1
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.0 – 3.1
Start participating in a non-assessable design exercise online.
Week 8 Course Notes: Unit 6 and Unit 7 (selected applications/ industries)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.2
Week 9 Course Notes: Unit 6 and Unit 7 (selected applications/ industries)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.3 – 3.5
Week 10 Course Notes: Unit 8
Course Examination
Start preparing for the industrial study report
Week 11 Course Notes: Unit 9 (selected case studies)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.6 (additional case study)
Week 12 Course Notes: Unit 9 (selected case studies)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.7 Part 1 (additional case study)
Complete a first draft for the industrial study report
Week 13 Course Notes: Unit 9 (selected case study)
Lecture Notes: Lecture 3.7 Part 2 (additional case study)
Complete and submit the industry study report by due date
You have made it!