Wastewater is created by several domestic, commercial, and industrial activities. It includes certain substances, such as food scraps, oils, human waste, and chemicals. However, releasing wastewater back into the environment can have some negative consequences. Excessive exposure or consumption of this used water can adversely affect wildlife habitats, fisheries, people’s health, and quality of life.
This is where the process of wastewater treatment comes into play. It’s designed to remove the pollutants or suspended solids from the water before discharging them into the environment. When wastewater is treated correctly, human health and the environment can benefit.
Read on to learn some ways how wastewater is treated.
1. Apply Physical Treatment Processes
Wastewater can be treated through physical processes. At this stage, no chemicals are involved in treating wastewater. Instead, the following procedures are used to eliminate the pollutants in the water:
• Sedimentation: This is one of the common physical processes used in treating wastewater. Under this procedure, the heavy particles are suspended from the wastewater. You need to wait for the insoluble materials to settle down at the bottom before you can separate the pure water. You can also add certain coagulants to aid the sedimentation process and make the treatment much easier and faster.
• Aeration: This is another physical treatment used for wastewater. It involves pumping air into the water to enable the biological degradation of the pollutant components.
• Filtration: The filtration process involves using particular kinds of filters to get rid of the contaminants present in the water. The sand filter is the most common filter, which effectively removes grease and other insoluble particles.
2. Remove Contaminants Through Biological Treatment Options
This wastewater treatment procedure uses biological processes to break down and separate the organic matter in the wastewater, including human waste, soap, and oils. Under this treatment method, microorganisms are used to facilitate the treatment by metabolizing organic matter.
For example, beneficial algae, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa will feed on the organic matter to break it down to form masses that settle from the other wastewater liquids. However, if you want to get the most out of your wastewater’s microorganism activity, options like mixing metal hydroxide to aid the biological process can be a good idea.
For more information about this innovative and environmentally friendly approach to wastewater management, especially for industrial enterprises, you can click here or browse reliable resource websites online.
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For both residential and commercial purposes, a whole-home water filtration system is the ideal solution to remove pollutants and ensure that your water is safe. A whole-home water filtration system can remove most of the 2,100 known contaminants found in drinking water from your well or water treatment plants, preventing these debilitating health conditions.
On the other hand, the typical biological treatment options to consider can include:
• Composting: It’s the process of removing contaminants from the wastewater by mixing carbon sources, including sawdust.
• Aerobic Process: Oxygen-feeding bacteria is used in this process to allow it to decompose organic matter and turn it into carbon dioxide. It cleans up the wastewater by destroying organic material.
• Anaerobic Process: It uses bacteria and other microorganisms to break down pollutants in the wastewater without oxygen.
3. Treat Wastewater With Chemical Processes
Aside from the physical procedures used in the treatment process, you can also utilize certain chemicals to separate the contaminants from the wastewater before it runs off to the oceans, rivers, and bodies of water. Some common chemicals added to the water to facilitate treatment include chlorine and ozone.
Typically, chlorination refers to chemically disinfecting the wastewater to remove specific pathogens and protect human health and the environment. Some common pathogens that should be eliminated include bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. In addition to chorine, you can also use ozone in wastewater disinfection. It can help destroy pathogenic organisms within a short contact time. Since ozone decomposes quickly, there’s no need to remove harmful residues after the ozonation process, making the treatment much easier.
On the other hand, if the wastewater contains alkali or acid, contaminants need to undergo the neutralization procedure before the water is released back to the environment. It’s a technique of adding acid or base chemicals to bring the water’s pH level to 7, making it pure and free from bacteria and other pathogens.
4. Use The Sludge Treatment
Sludge is a stream of treated wastewater. It contains both inorganic and organic substances, which can still be harmful to the environment. As such, it’s still important to treat the sludge to alleviate its adverse environmental impact.
Under this procedure, the wastewater undergoes the process of thickening to reduce its overall volume, making it easy to handle. Next, the organic particles will decompose into stable substances while destroying pathogens.
After getting the by-products, the sludge will undergo the dewatering process, wherein it is dried and dewatered before disposal. Once the sludge is dewatered, it’s time to dispose of the solid residue by burying underground in the sanitary landfill or using it as a fertilizer.
Bottom Line
Whether you have wastewater at home or in your industrial enterprise, it is essential to know how to treat it before sending it back to the oceans and other major water streams. Failing to carry out wastewater treatment can harm one’s health and the environment.
Therefore, keep the information mentioned above in mind so you’ll know what to do to properly treat your wastewater and ensure safety for everyone who will be affected by the pollutants found in it.
