Microsoft Word - English for CE

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UNIT 18

Environmental Issues and Engineering

Part 1

What is the environment?
An  environment  represents  the  conditions  and  influences  of  a  place  in  which  an
organism  lives.    The  large  number  of  different  types  of  environments,  e.g.,  urban
environments, tropical rainforest environments, etc., makes it impossible to formulate
a single definition.  The relationship between living organisms and their environment
forms part of the subject of ecology.

All over the  world,  wildlife is being threatened  because  habitats and woodlands are
being destroyed.  Rainforests are being cut down so that people can use the land to
grow crops.  Many animal and plant species have become  extinct, and many more
are endangered, so they need legal protection if they are to survive.  Some people
believe  that  global  warming  will  produce  rising  sea  levels  and  climate  change  and
that carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are contributing to the
greenhouse  effect.    Acid  rain,  which  contains  acid  from  factory  smoke,  causes
damage to trees, rivers, and  buildings.  The world’s population is  growing and  puts
pressure on the limited resources of the Earth.

A.  Choose the correct option.

1. Animals, birds, and plants that live in natural conditions are called:

a) habitats b) woodlands c) wildlife

2. The process in which heat is unable to escape from the atmosphere and

causes the temperature of the Earth to rise is:

a) global warming b) the greenhouse effect c) acid rain

3. A forest in a tropical region of the world where it rains a lot is:

a) a tropical rainforest

b) woodlands

c) forestry

4. The study of the environment and the way plants, animals, and humans live

together and affect each other is called:

a) environmentalism

b) green peace

c) ecology

5. The slow increase in the temperature of the Earth caused by the increased

amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is:

a) global warming b) the greenhouse effect c) global effect

6. The type of place that an animal normally lives in or a plant normally grows in

is its: a) habitation b) habitat

c) habit

7. Many animal and plant species need protection by:

a) the courts and governments b) the Church

c) the media

8. Something that has died out and is no longer in existence is:

a) extinct

b) exit

c) exist

9. Something or someone that is threatened with extinction is:

a) damaged b) destroyed c) endangered

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B. Answer the following questions and discuss.

1. Which of the problems mentioned in the above text do you find the most

serious?

2.  Does education play any role in people’s attitude toward the environment?
3.  Can an individual do anything to protect the environment?
4.  What do you personally do to protect the environment?

Let us give you a few suggestions:
•

••

• Switch the lights off when you leave the room and switch off electric

appliances whenever possible.

•

••

• Do not waste water; let it run only when necessary. Check if your water taps

are leaking.

•

••

• Walk to school or use public transport; it is more environmentally friendly

than going by car.

•

••

• Reuse plastic shopping bags, and when they are too damaged, put them in

the recycling bin.

•

••

• Use “green” products whenever it is possible.
•

••

• Put paper, glass, cans and plastic into special bins to be recycled.

What is environmental engineering?
Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to
improve the environment, provide healthful water, air and land for human habitation
and  other  organisms,  and  investigate  the  possibilities  for  remediation  of  polluted
places.

As long as people have recognized that their health and well-being are related to the
quality  of  their  environment,  they  have  applied  thoughtful  principles  to  improve  its
quality.  The Romans constructed aqueducts to prevent drought and create a clean
healthful  water  supply  for  the  metropolis  of  Rome.    Bavaria  in  the  15

century

created laws restricting the development and degradation of the alpine country that
contained the region’s water supply. Modern environmental engineering began in
London in the middle of the 19

century when it was realized that proper sewerage

could reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases such as cholera or typhoid fever.
The introduction of treatment of drinking water and sewage in industrialized countries
reduced waterborne diseases from leading causes of death to rarities.

These  days  engineers  and  scientists  assess  the  impacts  of  proposed  projects  on
environmental conditions.  They evaluate if there are likely to be any adverse impacts
on  water  quality,  air  quality,  habitat  quality,  flora  and  fauna,  noise  impacts,  visual
impacts,  etc.    If  impacts  are  expected,  they  then  develop  mitigation  measures  to
prevent such impacts.  Engineers and scientists also work to secure water supplies
for potable and agricultural use.  Water is treated to achieve water quality objectives
for  its  end  users.    Most  urban  and  many  rural  areas  no  longer  discharge  human
waste directly on the land through outhouses or septic tanks, but rather deposit such
waste into water and convey it from households by means of sewer systems.

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Say if these sentences are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. The health and well-being of people are not related to the quality of their

environment.

2.  The Romans constructed aqueducts to prevent floods.
3.  In the past people were interested in the quality of their environment.
4.  Typhoid is a waterborne disease.
5.  The impact of new projects on the environment is not taken into consideration.
6.  In developed countries people discharge human waste directly on the land.
7.  Human  waste  should  be  treated  and  detoxified before  it  is  discharged into a

river or ocean system.

D. Match the words in column A to the gaps in column B.

1) potable

a) ___________ is a reduction of an unpleasant, harmful or
serious situation.

2) habitation

b) __________ is a long period of dry weather when there
is not enough water for plants and animals to live.

3) waste

c) _________ is an underground pipe or passage that
carries waste water and refuse.

4) pollution

d) ___________ is the study of the environment and the
way plants, animals, and humans live together and affect
each other.

5) aqueduct

e) __________ is unwanted materials or substances that
are left after you have used something

6) drought

f) __________ is the act of living in a place.

7) mitigation

g) __________ is a structure like a bridge, used to carry a
water supply across valley.

8) sewer

h) __________ water is suitable for drinking.

9) ecology

i) __________ is the process of making air, water, soil, etc.
dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use.

E. Match the synonyms or words with similar meanings.

1) impact

a) supply

2) assess

b) release

3) clean

c) occupancy

4) provide

d) methods

5) habitation

e) carry

6) polluted

f) influence

7) measures

g) uncontaminated

8) treatment

h) consider

9) discharge

i) handling

10) convey

j) contaminated

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Part 2

Waste Management

Waste management  is the process  of  managing  waste  materials that  are  produced
as a result of human activities.  It involves the collection, transport, processing and/or
disposal  of  waste  materials.    Waste  management  practices  are  often  very  different
between  urban  and  rural  areas  and  between  residential  and  industrial  producers,
even in the same local region.  There are various waste management concepts.  One
of  them  is  represented  by  the  term  ‘3Rs’,  or  ‘Reduce  –  Reuse  –  Recycle’,  which
practically  means  to  extract  the  maximum  practical  benefits  from  products  and  to
generate the minimum amount of waste.

There  is  a  new  practice  of  holding  the  producer  of  a  product  responsible  to  some
extent  for  the  management  of  waste  products  associated  with  that  product,  e.g.,
motor  vehicles,  large  appliances,  like  ovens  and  refrigerators,  tyres,  electronic
equipment, including computers,  and mobile phones.

Domestic,  industrial  and  commercial  waste  is  collected  and  then  removed.    The
removal  of  waste  is  called  waste  disposal.    Collection  and  disposal  methods  vary
widely  between  different  countries  and  regions.    In  large  countries  with  a  low
population,  solid  waste is  carried  to landfills.   Disposing of  waste  in  a landfill  is the
most traditional method of waste disposal, and it remains a common practice in most
countries.  Disposed  waste should be compacted and covered to prevent  problems
with pests, rats and wind-blown litter.  A modern and well-run landfill should include
methods  to  prevent  leakage.    In  smaller  countries  with  a  high  population  density,
incineration is the most common method of disposing of waste.  It is the process of
destroying waste by burning it, which might be harmful for the environment if pollution
control measures are not applied.  A relatively recent idea in waste management has
been to treat the waste material as a resource to be exploited, and some developed
countries have developed methods by which resources may be extracted from waste.
The  most  environmentally  friendly  method  of  getting  rid  of  waste  is  to  recycle  it,
which means to reuse the materials that would otherwise be considered waste.  The
most  common  items  recycled  include  glass  and  plastic  bottles,  paper  in  any  form,
aluminium cans and, more recently, obsolete computers, kitchen appliances or other
electronic equipment.

A. Find words or expressions in the article which mean:

1.  typical of the countryside   (par. 1)
2.  area in which most buildings are houses   (par. 1)
3.  the control and operation of a business or organization  (par. 2)
4.  made smaller or firmer by pressing it

(par. 3)

5. the process of seeping out, escaping (par. 3)
6. no longer used because replaced by something newer and more effective

(par. 3)

B. Choose the best answer to each question.

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1. What is waste management?

a) It is the process of generating a maximum amount of waste.
b) It is the process of managing waste materials by the collection, transport,

processing and disposal of waste material.

c) It is the transportation of waste to landfills.

2. What are the producers of a product responsible for in terms of waste

management?
a) They are responsible for recycling waste associated with their

production.

b) They are not responsible for anything.
c) They are responsible to some extent for the management of the waste

products associated with that product.

3. What was the traditional way of managing domestic, industrial and commercial

waste?
a) Domestic, industrial and commercial waste was collected and recycled,

respectively.

b) Domestic, industrial and commercial waste was collected and composted,

respectively.

c) Domestic, industrial and commercial waste was collected and sent to a

landfill, respectively.

4. What is the most common method of waste disposal in small and densely

populated countries?
a)  Incineration.
b)  Land fills.
c)  Recycling.

5. Which method is the most traditional and cheapest way of waste disposal?

a)  Composting.
b)  Land fills.
c)  Collecting.

6. Why should disposed waste in landfills be covered?

a)  To prevent people stealing any items from them.
b)  To prevent spreading a bad odour.
c)  To prevent rats, pests and wind-blown litter.

7. Why is recycling considered an efficient method of waste disposal?

a)  Because the waste materials may be treated as a resource to be exploited.
b)  Because recycling is a very cheap method of waste disposal.
c)  Because people cannot do anything else with waste.

C. Mark the odd word in the line.

rats

pests

mice

dogs

incineration

landfill

covering

composting

furniture

magazines

newspapers

paperboard

pollution

contamination

prevention

smog

waste

bin

rubbish

litter

plastic bottles

computers

mobile phones

refrigerators

disposal

removal

elimination

addition

generate

produce

destroy

make

incinerate

extinguish

burn

cremate

reduce

recycle

reuse

reprocess

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D. Read the text again and complete the sentences.

1. Waste management involves ___________, ___________, ___________ and

___________ of waste materials.

2. One concept of waste management is the concept of ‘3Rs’, which means

___________, ___________, ___________.

3. In compliance with a new practice, ____________ of a product are held

responsible to some extent for the ___________ of __________ __________.

4. Managing domestic, industrial and commercial waste has traditionally

consisted of ___________, followed by ___________.

5. _____________ means burying waste in a large hole in the ground.
6. A well-run ___________ can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method

of ___________ of waste materials.

7. Disposed waste should be ___________ and covered to prevent problems

with ________ and ___________ litter.

8. ____________ is the process of destroying waste by burning it.
9. The most environmentally friendly method of __________ ____ of waste is to

___________ it.

10. A relatively recent idea in waste management has been to treat the waste

material as a __________ to be exploited.

E. Decide which waste management practices are more preferable and why.

Waste Management

Practice

Pros

Cons

Open dumps

Covered landfills

Incineration

Composting

Recycling

UNIT 15

Fundamentals of Urban Drainage

A. Read the explanations of these new terms and try to find the correct term in

the Slovak language. Check in a dictionary.

sewage

a mixture of waste from the human body and used water that is carried
away from houses by sewers, e.g., Chlorine is used to treat sewage.

sewer

a pipe or passage under the ground that carries away waste material and
used water from houses and factories

sewerage

the system by which waste material and water are carried away in sewers
and then treated to stop it from being harmful

drainage

a system of pipes or passages in the ground for carrying away water or
waste liquids, e.g., drainage channels

to drain

to make water or liquid flow away from something, e.g., Deep ditches were
dug to drain the fields.

runoff (technical)

rain or other liquid that flows off the land into rivers and streams

sludge (technical)

the solid substance that is left when the liquid waste from houses, factories,
etc., (sewage) has been cleaned

flow

a smooth steady movement or supply of liquid

treatment

a process by which something is cleaned, protected, etc., e.g., the
treatment of waste oils and solvents

B. Fill in the proper word. Choose from the following.

sewage (2), sewers (2x), sludge, runoff, treatment (3x), drains, wastewater

__________ transport _____________ from a building to _____________

facilities.

Most __________ are arranged so that gravity moves the ___________.

Storm _________ are large pipes that transport storm-water __________ from

streets to avoid their flooding.

____________ is treated in a _____________ plant.

Chemical _____________ removes bacteria and offensive smells from the

__________ and water.

C. Choose the most logical option.

1. Originally, cities had no sewers. Where did wastewater go?

a) It dried out.

b) Wastewater ran down the streets, which had stepping stones to keep

pedestrians out of muck.

c) People swept it away.

2. Where does untreated sewage go in developed countries?

a)  It is released directly to surface water.
b)  It is conveyed to a treatment plant.
c)  It is kept in enormous septic tanks and later recycled.

3. Most large cities have
a) a single sewer for surface runoff, household and

commercial sewage.

b) separated and combined sewers.

c) open channel drainage.

D. Read the text.

A complete well-functioning urban drainage (sewerage) and treatment system is the
most effective solution to the sewage and urban runoff problem.  Such systems allow
utilization  of  the  most  modern  methods  for  household  and  commercial  wastewater
disposal,  including  flushing  toilets  and  in-sink  garbage  grinders.  The  need  for
cesspools,  septic  tanks,  and  other  on-site  sewage  disposal  systems  is  therefore
eliminated.

A  planning  report  of  an  urban  drainage  system  has  to  contain  drainage  area
characteristics such as topography, drainage patterns, surface conditions, location of
streets  and  existing  drainage  systems  to  which  the  proposed  system  may  be
connected.  It also has flow rates and the quality of the receiving waters, along with
future  developments,  which  include  population  trends,  land  use,  the  present  and
projected quantity and quality of the sewage and storm-water runoff, etc., as well as
the environmental policy and standards information  and the financial aspects of the
planned system.

E.  Match  the  underlined  words  from  the  text  with  their  synonyms  or  words

with similar meaning. Change their grammatical form where necessary

landscape –

strategy –

overflow –

removal –
eradicate –
tendency –
municipal –

F. Answer the following questions.

1.  What is the urban sewerage system a substitution for?
2.  What belongs to an on-site sewage disposal system?
3.  What aspects are important in planning an urban sewerage system?
4.  Why are these aspects important?
5.  Why  do  population  trends  have  to  be  considered  in  urban  drainage  system

planning?

The main types of sewer systems are:

a) separated sewers
b) combined sewers
c) open channel drainage.

a)  Separated  sewers  consist  of  storm  sewer  networks  that  mainly  carry  surface
runoff  from  streets,  roofs,  parking  lots,  and  other  surfaces  toward  the  nearest
receiving  water  body  or  a  man-made  channel,  and  sanitary  sewers  that  carry
household  and  commercial  sewage  and  industrial  wastewater  toward  a  treatment
plant.
b)  Combined  sewers  are  used  for  the  collection  and  conveyance  of  both  surface
runoff  and  sanitary sewage  and  industrial  wastes  in  one conduit.   Combined  sewer
systems are common in older U.S. and European urban centers.  Urban drainage by
separate  systems  is  more  expensive  than  a  combined  sewer  system  since  it  uses
two parallel networks of conduits.
c)  Open  channel  drainage  includes  swales,  roadside  ditches,  and  drainage
channels.    The  channels  should  be  lined  either  with  a  man-made  lining  (asphalt,
concrete,  gabions,  mats)  or  natural  grasses  and  sod.    Grassed,  maintained
waterways  are  an  excellent  and  cheap  alternative  to  underground  storm  sewers,
especially  in  suburban  zones.    They  enhance  the  infiltration  and  attenuation  of
pollutants.

G.  In the text about sewer systems find the words with the following meanings:

1. a long narrow passage for water or other liquids to flow along

_______________ (par. a)

2. relating to people’s health especially to the system of supplying water and

dealing with human waste _____________ (par. a)

3. the process of transporting something or someone from one place to another

_______________ (par. b)

4. a pipe or passage that water flows through to go from one place to another

________________ (par. b)

5. reduction of the strength, amount or size of something ______________

(par. c)

6. a long narrow hole dug along the side of a road or field, so that water can run

into it ______________ (par. c)

H. Read the part about sewer systems again and explain the difference

between them. Then read about the sewer types.

Sewer types.
Sewers can be divided into:
a) building sewers
b) lateral (branch) sewers,
c) main (trunk) sewers
d) interceptors and outfall (relief) sewers.

a)  Building  sewers  connect  a  building’s  plumbing  to  the  nearest  lateral  (branch)

public sewer line. The minimum recommended size of building connections is

100 mm for single-family homes, and the minimum slope should be 2 %. The
building connection should be equipped with backwater gates if there is a danger
of sewer backup and basement flooding.

b) Lateral (branch) sewers are used to collect wastewater from building

connections and convey it to a main sewer.  A lateral sewer has no other sewer
tributary except building connections.  The minimum diameter of lateral (branch)
sewers should be 200 mm.

c) Main (trunk) sewers accept flow from several lateral (branch) sewers and convey

it to a treatment plant or to an intercepting sewer.

d) Interceptors are large sewers that were originally designed to accept dry weather

flow from a number of trunk sewers and carry the flow to a treatment facility. In
more recent systems large interceptors are used for storage of combined sewer
overflows (in-line storage).

Common  sewer  materials  include  concrete  (plain  or  reinforced),  vitrified  clay,  iron
and  steel  (cast  iron,  ductile  iron,  corrugated  steel),  and  polyvinyl  chloride  (PVC).
Small and medium-sized sewers are assembled mostly from concrete or vitrified clay
pipes.  In general, both materials are similarly economic and, when installed properly,
infiltration  should  be  minimal.    For  larger  flows,  cast-in-place  concrete  sewers  are
used  when  standard  concrete  pipes  are  not  available.    Practices  differ  for  different
types of sewers.

I.  Say if the sentence is true or false.  Correct the false sentences.

1.  Separated sewers consist of storm sewer networks and sanitary sewers.
2.  Sanitary sewers mainly convey surface runoff.
3.  Combined sewers are used for collection and conveyance of industrial wastes

and sanitary sewage in two conduits.

4.  A conduit is a pipe.
5.  Population trends are important for the planning of an urban drainage system.
6.  Building sewers are connected directly to main sewers.
7.  Main sewers convey wastewater to a treatment plant or an intercepting sewer.
8.  A well-functioning urban drainage system eliminates the need for cesspools or

septic tanks.

Compound Nouns

A compound noun consists of two or more nouns joined together.  Compound nouns
occur frequently  in scientific and technical  writing precisely  because they give them
conciseness.  The more technical and specialized the subject, the more frequent and
more  complicated  the  compound  nouns.    The  most  complicated  compound  nouns
occur in newspaper headlines and technical advertisements.  Compound nouns are
sometimes difficult to understand.   However, they  are not as difficult as they look if
you always follow this principle:  begin at the end and then work backwards!
E.g., wastewater disposal, in-sink garbage grinders, on-site sewage disposal system
There are three things to notice about compound nouns:
1.  Some compounds are joined by a hyphen and some are not.  There are no rules

for the use of hyphens, e.g. wastewater, waste water, waste-water.

2. The first half of a compound is never plural, e.g., a student hostel, a 50-centimeter
ruler.

3. The relationship between the two nouns forming the compound can take many

different forms, e.g., an oilcan, oil exports, an oilfield, oil pollution, an oil heater,
an oil expert.

1.  Find the compound nouns in the text and underline them.

2.  See  the  word  explanations  in  the  pre-reading  part  of  this  unit  and  the

vocabulary at the end of this unit and try to explain the meanings of the
following compounds by using similar defining clauses.
E.g., A sewage treatment facility is a facility for processing sewage.

storm runoff

on-site sewage disposal system

channel drainage

backwater gate

surface water

sludge digestion

runoff problem

household wastewater plumbing

wastewater disposal

sewage treatment facility

3. Explain the difference in the meaning of these expressions:

channel drainage and drainage channel

surface water and water surface

treatment facility and facility treatment

UNIT 16

Wastewater Treatment

A. Read the article (Part I.) briefly and underline the key words in the text.

Explain their meaning.
wastewater, pollution, contamination, damage, sewage treatment plant, solid,
disposal, disease-producing organisms

B. Discuss.

1. Are natural water resources safe? Can you eat fish caught in the river

Danube?

2. Have you heard of a case of natural water (streams, lakes, ponds or oceans)

contamination? If so, where was it? Was there any damage to the water
fauna or flora?

3. Where can the leakage of chemicals be critical? What can be done to prevent

it?

4. Do you think treatment plants might help prevent such cases?
5. What are the conditions of wastewater treatment if you compare developed

countries and developing ones?

Read the text.

Part I.
All  municipal  sewage  and  wastewater  must  eventually  find  their  way  into  water
courses or other bodies of water that constitute the natural drainage of a region.  This
can  cause  damage,  including  contamination  and  pollution  of  water  supplies,
swimming and bathing beaches; shellfish contamination, killing of fish, the creation of
conditions offensive to sight or smell, and impairment of the use of natural waters for
recreation, agriculture, commerce, or industry.  The primary objective of sewage and
wastewater treatment is to prevent such damage to receiving waters.

However,  only  conveying  the  wastewater  to  the  nearest  treatment  plant  can  solve
this  problem.    Treatment  plants  are  an  integral  part  of  an  entire  sewerage  system.
Thus,  planning,  development,  and  operation  of  sewage  treatment  plants  depend
upon the character of the collecting system and upon the means for ultimate disposal
of  the  wastewaters.    In  choosing  the  treatment  process  to  be  employed  and  in
determining the degree of treatment, consideration must be given to the location of
the plant, the nature of its present and anticipated future surroundings, the character
and waste assimilative capacity of the available receiving water body, and the uses
to  which  these  waters  are  to  be  put.    The  engineer  who  designs  a  treatment  plant
should  be  familiar  with  the  regional  water  development  and  wastewater  disposal
plans.  Civil and environmental engineers must master not only the technical details
but also the economic and social implications of their planning.  Therefore, they have

100

to  seek  the  most  economical  and  objective  solutions  to  all  the  problems  that  are
presented to them.

The pollution content of sewage consists of organic and inorganic compounds, which
exist  partially  as  suspended  solids  (settled,  suspended,  or  floating)  that  move  with
the  water  and  partially  as  dissolved  solids.    There  are  also  small  living  organisms
(e.g. bacteria) that find nourishment in the sewage’s organic matter and may cause
uncontrolled  decomposition  of sewage,  resulting  in  offensive odor  problems  and an
unsightly  appearance.    There  is  also  the  potential  for  the  presence  of  disease-
producing organisms.

C.  Match the following phrases from the article.

1.  Municipal sewage and wastewater

must find

a) to the nearest plant

2. contamination and pollution

b) of the available receiving water

body

3. conveying the wastewater

c) the most economical and

objective solution

4. operation of sewage treatment

plants

d) their way into water courses.

5. the

character

and

waste

assimilative capacity

e) should

familiar

with

wastewater disposal plans

6. The engineer who designs a

treatment plant

f) of water supplies

7. engineers have to seek

g) may

cause

uncontrolled

decomposition of sewage

8. small living organisms

h) depend upon the character of

the collecting system

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D.  Fill in the gaps with appropriate words

However,  only  _________  the  wastewater  to  the  nearest
treatment  plant  can  solve  this  problem.    Treatment  plants
are  an  integral  part  of  an  entire  ___________  system.
Thus,  planning,  development,  and  operation  of  sewage
___________  plants  depend  upon  the  character  of  the
collecting  system  and  upon  the  means  for  ultimate
__________ of the wastewaters.  In choosing the treatment
process  to  be  employed  and  in  determining  the  degree  of
treatment, consideration must be given to the _________ of
the  plant,  the  nature  of  its  present  and  anticipated  future
surroundings,  the  character  and  waste  ___________
capacity of the available receiving water body, and the uses
to  which  these  waters  are  to  be  put.    The  engineer  who
designs  a  treatment  plant  should  be  familiar  with  the
regional  water  development  and  __________  disposal
plans.  Civil and environmental engineers must master  not
only the technical details but also the economic and social
__________of their planning.  Therefore they have to seek
the  most  economical  and  __________  solution  to  all  the
problems that are presented to them.

The  pollution  content  of  sewage  consists  of  organic  and
inorganic ___________, which exist partially as suspended
solids  (settled,  suspended,  or  floating)  that  move  with  the
water  and  partially  as  __________  solids.    There  are  also
small  living  organisms  (e.g.  bacteria)  that  find
____________  in  the  sewage’s  organic  matter  and  may
cause  uncontrolled  ____________  of  sewage,  resulting  in
__________  odor  problems  and  an  ___________
appearance.  There is also the potential for the presence of
disease-producing organisms.

sewerage

treatment

location

assimilative

conveying

disposal

implications

objective

wastewater

compounds

nourishment

offensive

unsightly

dissolved

decomposition

Part II.
The removal and stabilization of sewage materials is accomplished in treatment work
that can be categorized into the following groups:

1. Mechanical processes:
a) Screening: Because of their size the particles will be trapped on screens or

bar racks. Sand filters work predominantly in the same fashion.

b) Flotation units: As a result of their buoyancy, pollutants will rise to the surface

where they can be skimmed off, for example, as in grease traps and skimming
tanks.

c) Sedimentation tanks and clarifiers: Particles sink to the bottom of the tanks

because of gravity.

2. Chemical processes: chemical additives enhance the ability of particles to

settle or kill microorganisms (chlorine).

102

3. Biological processes: The life processes of nature are used in sewage

purification:

a) naturally in the soil or ponds and lagoons
b) artificially on trickling filters, activated sludge units, or septic tanks.

The efficiency of the treatment plant as well as the effects on the environment and on
the  surrounding  residential  areas  must  be  considered.  Modern  treatment  plants  are
often  partially  automated  and  equipped  with  a  number  of  telemetric  sensors  and
measuring devices.  The signals reflect the operating conditions of various units and
are transmitted to a centrally located control room.

E. What kind of process do the following words describe?

Screening is the process of...
Floating...
Skimming...
Sedimentation...
Purification is the act of...

Fill in the gaps in the following paragraph with the correct word from the

following word couples.

power/treatment,

current/volume,

charge/pay,

money/charge,

bills/material,

sludge/water

sewage/stormwater, ,

fares/fees,

consumption/waste,

irrigation/drying

out

_________ plant measures the incoming

_________ from major pipes in

order to track and

________ customers. Generally the sewage

__________ is

actually paid as a surcharge on customers’ water

________. The difference

between incoming

_________ and outgoing

_________ is used to establish the

sewage rate

________ as a percentage of water use. The metering also gives

administrators a means to measure water

_________ and

_________ of lawns

and other diversions to the storm sewers.

G. Answer the following questions or follow the tasks.

1. What is the primary objective of sewage and wastewater treatment?
2. What can be damaged due to untreated wastewater getting into the bodies of

water?

3. What is an integral part of a sewerage system?
4. What do civil and environmental engineers need to consider in planning the

treatment process?

5.  What substances can be found in sewage?
6.  How are they treated?
7.  What are the categories of sewage treatment work?
8.  Describe the three types of mechanical processes.
9.  Is implementing treatment plants in the sewerage system obligatory in our

country?

10. Why is it important to use a wastewater treatment plant as a part of the

sewerage system?

103

Technical  texts  contain  a  number  of  reductions  that  make  them  more
concise.  Gerunds  (e.g.  swimming),  forms  of  the  past  participle  (e.g.
suspended),  abstract  nouns  (e.g.  contamination)  and  compound  nouns
(e.g. treatment plant) are used for this purpose.

H. Find as many of them as possible in both parts of the text.

Gerunds

Past participles

Abstract nouns

Compound nouns

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