Wastewater can be generated from domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities and occurs through surface runoff / stormwater, and any sewer inflow. It can involve leaching, flushing, or washing away waste products and nutrients added to the water during these applications.
Wastewater treatment is a process used to remove contaminants from wastewater and convert it into an effluent (an outflowing of water to a natural body of water) that can be returned to the water cycle.
Once returned to the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on the environment or is reused for various purposes (called water reclamation).
Why is wastewater treatment important?
Wastewater can be generated from domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities and occurs through surface runoff / stormwater, and any sewer inflow. It can involve leaching, flushing, or washing away waste products and nutrients added to the water during these applications.
Wastewater treatment is a process used to remove contaminants from wastewater and convert it into an effluent (an outflowing of water to a natural body of water) that can be returned to the water cycle.
Once returned to the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on the environment or is reused for various purposes (called water reclamation).
Wastewater treatment plays an important role for the planet and all of us within it. With droughts and environmental challenges on the rise, the treatment of wastewater for its reuse helps to ease some of the strain on reduced supply of such a vital resource. Additionally, from a wildlife and plantlife perspective, treating water effectively reduces and eliminates the release of additional harmful contaminants, ensuring that we protect the environment in which we live, in both the short and long-term.
What is a wastewater treatment plant and what are the types of wastewater treatment?
Wastewater treatment plants are differentiated from each other by the type of wastewater they treat. Types of wastewater treatment plants include:
- Sewage treatment plants – the goal being to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharges
- Industrial wastewater treatment plants – this is the treatment of wastewater from industrial sites and is a crucial component for construction and other industrial companies in achieving compliance with discharge and environmental standards. Effective industrial wastewater treatment also presents the opportunity to reuse water for operation of plant machinery and significant cost / resource savings
- Agricultural wastewater treatment plants – specialising in the control of pollution from farm operations, which could include animal waste within water or surface run-off increasing the likelihood of water courses being contaminated with pesticides and chemicals from fertilisers etc to get into waterways
- Leachate treatment plants – this is the removal of leacheates for example from landfill sites by treating it with a specific type of bacteria, to remove the ammonia from the leachate before it is returned, clean, to sewer networks
How does Sweeptech approach the wastewater treatment process?
The processes that used to treat wastewater depending on the type and extent of contamination. The treatment steps include physical, chemical and biological treatment processes.
In general terms, there are three stages of wastewater treatment. The process being fairly basic, with three dividing chambers put in place:
- The primary settlement chamber – separates the solids and moves the water to the second chamber.
- The second being the secondary reactor – known as the biological zone, pumps compressed air into the system via a ‘blower unit’. This aeration process encourages naturally occurring bacteria and breaks down the wastewater, removing contaminants.
- Final chamber for discharge – acts as a holding cell for the treated wastewater until it meets its capacity and then discharges out of the system.
To find out more about wastewater treatment, or talk to us about a specific requirement, get in touch today and our friendly team will be happy to help.
