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Evaluation of Percolation Ponds for Design and Operation

Land application of domestic wastewater effluent by rapid rate infiltration (i.e., percolation ponds) is a very successful and cost-effective method for wastewater management. Municipal percolation pond systems have been successfully operated in the United States for about 100 years. The disposal concept depends on a relatively high rate of secondary wastewater effluent infiltration into the soil by rapid percolation, either vertically or horizontally, away from the application surface area. This study was accomplished to determine infiltration rates at two working percolation pond systems and the variability of these rates, to compare the operating results with the initial design, and to create a stochastic computer based simulation program for design and operation. The initial study site was located west of Orlando, Florida, and consisted of a system of two percolation ponds. Daily readings were obtained on evaporation, rainfall, flow to the ponds, pond depth and groundwater table elevations. A mass balance inventory equation was formulated and the infiltration parameter was determined. A frequency distribution was created for the rainfall, evaporation and calculated infiltration from the initial site, and then a stochastic computer based simulation program was written with this data. The program calculated results which compared favorably with the design for this initial percolation pond site. A second site was chosen, also located in the Orlando area, to confirm the usefulness of the program and its operational capabilities.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:rtd-5775
Date01 January 1985
CreatorsBaar, David A.
PublisherSTARS
Source SetsUniversity of Central Florida
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceRetrospective Theses and Dissertations
RightsPublic Domain

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