Is a treatment plant with a capacity of 1500 gallons per day sufficient for handling wastewater from a washateria with BOD of 280 mg/L?

To determine if a treatment plant with a capacity of 1500 gallons per day is sufficient for handling wastewater from a washateria with a Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 280 mg/L, it is essential to analyze the relationship between the flow rate and the BOD concentration.

The capacity of the treatment plant must be evaluated against the expected BOD load from the washateria. BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen that microorganisms will consume while decomposing organic matter in the water. In this case, a BOD of 280 mg/L is considered.

To assess the plant's ability to handle this load, the total BOD reaching the treatment facility per day can be calculated using the formula:

Total BOD (lbs/day) = Flow (gallons/day) × BOD (mg/L) × Conversion Factor

For 1500 gallons per day with a BOD of 280 mg/L, the conversion factor converts milligrams per liter to pounds per day (1 mg/L = 0.00000834 lbs/gallon).

Calculating this gives:

Total BOD = 1500 gallons/day × 280 mg/L × 0.00000834 lbs/gallon = 3.51 lbs