The thickness of the sand layer should not be less than 30 inches to insure complete treatment of the sewage. In shallower beds the sewage might trickle through without adequate treatment. Beds are ordinarily made from 30 to 36 inches deep, but when deeper layers of sand are found in place there is no set limit to the depth which may be used. The shape and overall dimensions of the bed should conform to the topography of the site and the rate of filtration adopted. A plan and cross-section of an intermittent sand filter showing the distribution and under drainage systems are given in Fig. 166 and 175.
The distribution system consists of a system of troughs on the surface of the filter, laid out in a branching form, as shown in the figure. The openings in the troughs should be so located that the maximum distance from any point on the bed to the nearest opening should not exceed 20 to 30 feet. If the filters are small enough, troughs need not be used, the sewage being distributed from one corner, or from mid-points on the sides. Where troughs are used they should be supported from the bottom of the filter in order to prevent uneven settling due to the washing of the sand. The openings in the troughs are made adjustable by swinging gates as shown in Fig. 176, or by other means so that after the filter is in operation the intensity of the dose on any portion of the filter can be changed. The troughs may be placed with their bottoms level with the surface of the sand and with sides of sufficient height to give the required gradient to the water surface, or they may be built up above the surface of the filter and given the required slope so that the surface of the flowing water is parallel to the bottom of the trough. In either case a splash plate should be placed at each opening, so that not less than 2 feet of the surface of the sand is protected in all directions from the opening. A stone or concrete slab 2 to 4 inches thick makes a satisfactory splash plate. Either wood or concrete may be used for the construction of the troughs. The former is less durable, but also less expensive in first cost. The capacity of the troughs may be computed by Kutter’s formula with the quantity to be carried equal to the maximum rate of discharge of the feeding siphon, with a reduction in size below each branch or outlet proportional to the amount which will be discharged above this point.
Fig. 175.—Plan and Section of an Intermittent Sand Filter Showing Central Location of Control House.
The operation of automatic devices for dosing the bed is explained in Chapter XXI. The dosing tank should have a capacity sufficient to cover the bed to a depth of about 1 to 3 inches at one dose, and the siphon should discharge at a rate of about one second-foot for each 5,000 square feet of filter area. A dose should disappear within 20 minutes to half an hour after it is applied to the filter. With the rate stated and four applications per day to a depth of 1 inch at each dose, the rate per acre per day will be 109,000 gallons.
Fig. 176.—Distributing Trough with Adjustable Openings.
The filtration of sewage through sand in a manner similar to the rapid sand filtration of water is being attempted at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. No results of this treatment have been published and the practical success of the method has not been assured.
259. Cost of Filtration.—Only comparative figures can be given in stating the costs of filtration, as most data available are based on pre-war conditions, and are therefore unreliable for present conditions. The variations from the figures given may be very large but in general the relative costs have not changed. The figures given in Table 90 are suggestive of the relative costs of the different forms of filtration.
| TABLE 90 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative Costs of Different Methods of Sewage Treatment | |||
| Costs in Dollars per Million Gallons per Day | |||
| Form of Treatment | First Cost[[166]] | Operation and Maintenance | Total |
| Coarse screens | 0.20 | ||
| Fine screens | 3.00 | ||
| Plain sedimentation | 7.00 | 3.00 | 10.00 |
| Chemical precipitation | 22.00[[167]] | ||
| Septic tank | 7.00 | 1.00 | 8.00 |
| Imhoff tank | 10.00 | 1.00 | 11.00 |
| Contact bed | 8.00 | 2.00 | 10.00 |
| Trickling filter | 4.00 | 2.00 | 6.00 |
| Intermittent sand filter | 15.00 | 10.00 | 25.00 |
| Activated sludge | 6.50 | 8.50 | 15.00[[168]] |