EdX

Urban Sewage Treatment (edX)

Urban Sewage Treatment (edX)

Learn about urban water services, focusing on basic sewage treatment technologies. This course will focus on basic technologies for the treatment of urban sewage. Unit processes involved in the treatment chain will be described as well as the physical, chemical and biological processes involved. There will be an emphasis on water quality and the functionality of each unit process within the treatment chain. After the course one should be able to recognise the process units, describe their function and make simple design calculations on urban sewage treatment plants.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The course consists of 6 modules:

  1. Sewage treatment plant overview. In this module you will learn what major pollutants are present in the sewage and why we need to treat sewage prior to discharge to surface waters. The functional units will be briefly discussed
  2. Primary treatment. In this module you learn how coarse material, sand & grit are removed from the sewage and how to design primary clarification tanks
  3. Biological treatment. In this module you learn the basics of the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous cycle and how biological processes are used to treat the main pollutants of concern.
  4. Activated sludge process. In this module you learn the design principles of conventional activated sludge processes including the secondary clarifiers and aeration demand of aeration tanks.
  5. Nitrogen and phosphorus removal. In this module you learn the principles of biological nitrogen removal as well as phosphorus removal by biological and/or chemical means.
  6. Sludge treatment. In this module you will the design principles of sludge thickeners, digesters and dewatering facilities for the concentration and stabilisation of excess sewage sludge. Potentials for energy recovery via the produced biogas will be discussed as well as the direct anaerobic treatment of urban sewage in UASB reactors when climate conditions allow.

This course in combination with the courses "Introduction to Water and Climate" and "Introduction to Drinking Water Treatment" forms the Water Management XSeries, by DelftX.

What you'll learn:

  • Recognize the process units in urban wastewater treatment technologies
  • Describe the function of these process units
  • Describe the physical, chemical and biological processes involved
  • Make simple design calculations on wastewater treatment plants
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

The Basics of Transport Phenomena (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

The Basics of Transport Phenomena (edX)

Learn the basic framework to work on a broad spectrum of engineering problems concerning transfer of heat, mass and momentum. Learn through examples of everyday processes at home, in the lab and in industry. Have you ever wondered why ventilation helps to cool down your hot chocolate? Do you know why a surfing suit keeps you warm? Why iron feels cold, while wood feels warm at room temperature? Or how air is transferred into aqueous liquids in a water treatment plant? How can we sterilize milk with the least amount of energy? How does medicine spread in our tissue? Or how do we design a new cooling tower of a power plant? All these are phenomena that involve heat transfer, mass transfer or fluid flow.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Decision-Making for Autonomous Systems (edX) EdX
Chalmers University of Technology,ChalmersX

Decision-Making for Autonomous Systems (edX)

Learn effective tactics for making key decisions when working with autonomous, self-driving vehicles. In autonomous vehicles such as self-driving cars, we find a number of interesting and challenging decision-making problems. Starting from the autonomous driving of a single vehicle, to the coordination among multiple vehicles. This course will teach you the fundamental mathematical model for many of these real-world problems.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Solar Energy: Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies (edX)

Explore the main PV technologies in the current market. Get in-depth knowledge on the design and processing methods of solar cells. The technologies used to produce solar cells and photovoltaic modules are advancing to deliver highly efficient and flexible solar panels. In this course you will explore the main PV technologies in the current market.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Water and Climate (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Introduction to Water and Climate (edX)

Water is a crucial element in climate and for society. Find out about the latest engineering interventions for water management in rivers, coasts and the urban environment. Water is essential for life on Earth and of crucial importance for society. Water also plays a major role in affecting climate. Its natural cycle, from ocean to atmosphere by evaporation, then by precipitation back to land returning via rivers and aquifers to the oceans, has a decisive impact on regional and global climate patterns.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering: Physicochemical Technology (edX) EdX
Tsinghua University,TsinghuaX

Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering: Physicochemical Technology (edX)

Learn the basic principles and characteristics of physicochemical technology in water and wastewater treatment engineering. This course mainly talks about the basic principles, process composition, operation characteristics, process calculation methods and some engineering examples of the main physicochemical treatment methods in water and wastewater treatment.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Engineering Drawing | 工程制图 (edX) EdX
Tsinghua University,TsinghuaX

Engineering Drawing | 工程制图 (edX)

“Engineering Drawing” is a fundamental course of engineering technology, including two parts: basic theories and advanced practices. The first part will introduce the theory of projection and its application on drawings. The second part is to give students general experience in producing a variety of mechanical drawings.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Fundamentos de Mecánica para Ingeniería (edX) EdX
Universitat Politècnica de València,UPValenciaX

Fundamentos de Mecánica para Ingeniería (edX)

Estudiaremos la cinemática y la dinámica del punto, los conceptos de trabajo y potencia y la energía mecánica. Se aborda el estudio del universo físico analizando objetos en movimiento. Se definen y analizan todas las magnitudes y leyes físicas que permiten describir geométrica y causalmente el movimiento de cuerpos representados por un punto.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Forensic Engineering: Learning from Failures (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Forensic Engineering: Learning from Failures (edX)

Don’t let good failures go to waste! Identify the causes of failure and use this knowledge to enhance safety and improve performance. What do collapsed buildings, infected hospital patients, and crashed airplanes have in common? If you know the causes of these events and conditions, they can all be prevented. In this course, you will learn how to use the TU Delft mind-set to investigate the causes of such events so you can prevent them in the future.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Logistics Fundamentals (edX) EdX
LOGYCAX

Logistics Fundamentals (edX)

Have you ever wondered how products arrive at your hands? From the clothes we wear to the food we consume, they have been through a series of links, processes, operations and flows we know as logistics. Logistics are the first trait for a company’s success! Learn all about logistics and how you can use it to achieve every goal in your organization. In this online course you will gain a holistic view of logistics and transportation within your company, which is useful to understand how a company can thing strategically thanks to basic but essential content.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Introduction to Discrete Choice Models (edX) EdX
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,EPFLx

Introduction to Discrete Choice Models (edX)

The course introduces the theoretical foundations to choice modeling and describes the steps of operational modeling. Human behavior is complexand unpredictable. Or is it? The focus of this course is methods for predicting the behavior using mathematical models. More specifically, we'll explore choice modeling in order to obtain disaggregate demand models.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering: Biochemical Technology (edX) EdX
Tsinghua University,TsinghuaX

Water and Wastewater Treatment Engineering: Biochemical Technology (edX)

Learn the basic principles and characteristics of biochemical technology in water and wastewater treatment engineering. Biochemical technology in water and wastewater treatment engineering is essential in the field of water treatment. In this environmental studies course you will learn the basic principles and characteristics of biochemical technology.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Railway Engineering: An Integral Approach (edX) EdX
Delft University of Technology,DelftX

Railway Engineering: An Integral Approach (edX)

Discover the science and complexity behind the exciting world of metro, tram and railway systems. Have you ever wondered what it takes to get your train on the right platform at the scheduled time every day? Understanding the complexity behind today’s sophisticated railway systems will give you a better insight into how this safe and reliable transportation system works. We will show you the many factors which are involved and how multiple people, behind the scenes, have a daily task that enables you to get from home to work. Journey with us into the world of rail - a complex system that connects people, cities and countries.

Oct 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks