Industrial wastewater is very harmful to environmental ecosystems, and if it leaks into the ground, it can lead to groundwater pollution. Groundwater accounts for nearly 95% of the nation’s fresh water source, and more than half of the population relies on groundwater as their main source of drinking water. So, in order to avoid potential health hazards, industrial wastewater treatment methods have been implemented.
What is wastewater? Wastewater consists of solids and liquids suspended in water; it will usually consist of dissolved organic solids as well as microscopic living organisms such as bacteria. This bacteria breaks down the contaminants under anaerobic conditions, but this can cause foul odors and unsightly appearances.
Two industrial wastewater treatment objectives: First, water treatment plants seek to reduce public health hazards affiliated with wastewater. To reduce their amount of wastewater, general treatment measures are used to prevent pathogens from being reintroduced to the population’s water supply. Primary and secondary treatment processes remove anywhere from 85% to 95% of pollutants from wastewater before it is disinfected and returned to local waterways.
Second, water treatment companies seek to eliminate (or at least reduce) the deteriorative effects wastewater can have on groundwater quality and the environment. Remediation efforts and environmental cleanup services, which generate roughly $18 billion annually, also seek to reduce environmental effects.
What is wastewater treatment? This is the process of partially removing or partially changing solid contaminants found in wastewater. Water treatment chemicals will change these solids from complex organic solids to mineral or relatively stable organic solids that can easily be disposed of.
Depending on what type of water treatment equipment is used, the finished product of stable organic solids will vary. However, no matter what water treatment chemicals are instilled in the remediation process, it is still crucial for water treatment companies to properly dispose of the liquid and solids that have been removed from the water.
Wastewater Disposal: After going through the industrial wastewater treatment process, the remaining sludge needs to go somewhere. There are three common methods for proper disposal of these contaminants: Surface disposal, subsurface disposal, and disposal by dilution.
Need for Wastewater Treatment: More than 80% of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the U.S. have negatively impacted the quality of nearby groundwater, which is why wastewater treatment has become widely accepted as the best method to prevent fresh water contamination. Because of urbanization and community water supplies, it is necessary to treat not only the waste carried out of residences and businesses, but also the water that carries the waste.
