Water scarcity has currently become one of the largest threats that the whole world is dealing with. So, this is where the importance of wastewater treatment comes into play.
Water treatment tends to present a sustainable long-term and short-term solution to the scarcity of water. Wastewater generally refers to the water which has become too polluted and thereby making it unsuitable for future use.
The combination of various types of wastewater contains several contaminants. It mainly includes dissolved inorganic and organic substances like soaps, fats, carbohydrates, synthetic detergents, and different synthetic and natural organic chemicals.
Wastewater Treatment Process
The process in which wastewater is treated must be divided into various treatment stages to ensure good water as well as sanitation quality. Once wastewater sampling and analysis are done, the water is passed through large filtering screens which aid in the removal of large solid inorganic materials like plastic, paper, and metal from the water.
This stage is followed by the removal of the silt and grit from the water which is considered to be abrasive to the plant equipment. In the primary stage of the treatment, the passing of wastewater occurs especially through a primary sedimentation tank.
This particular step helps in the removal of solid particles of organic material by gravity settling at the tank bottom. After that, the primary sludge that is formed is taken to the center portion of the tank where it is concentrated as well as pumped away for more treatment.
The subsequent step is to treat the wastewater biologically which is referred to as the activated sludge process. In this particular step, naturally occurring micro-organisms are utilized for breaking down the suspended and dissolved organic solids.
After that, the wastewater that is settled is transferred to aeration tanks where blowing of the air is done into the water. The main objective of this step is to promote the growth of microorganisms by providing them with oxygen. These particular microorganisms play a very important role in the purification of wastewater as they consume the organic pollutants that are present in it.
After that, this mixture of microorganisms and wastewater is taken to a secondary sedimentation tank for further treatment. At the secondary sedimentation tank, the biomass settles down to the tank bottom. It is the place where it is concentrated as sludge.
The clarified wastewater is then subsequently passed into a tank, and it is the place, where the tertiary treatment is carried out. At this particular stage, chlorine is utilized which aids in the removal of any biological pathogens that may be present in the water. In some cases, this treatment is repeated more than once. Once all the processes are done, what you will get is fresh and pure water.
At The End!
So, this is how the wastewater treatment process is being carried out to get fresh and good quality water that is suitable for human consumption and a wide variety of other works as well. We hope you have found this guide to be very informative.