The world’s growing population has given rise to new challenges and pollution is the most threatening one. From air pollution to water pollution, there are many dangers regarding the global environment. As the water reserves around the world are getting scarce, the risk of water contamination is greater than ever before. Millions of people suffer from diseases caused by drinking unclean water and the numbers are increasing every day.

Amidst all these problems, wastewater treatment emerges as a big relief. Basically, it is the method of making sewage water less harmful to the environment. There are two mechanisms used for wastewater treatment including biological treatment and physical treatment. The biological treatment method is usually used for residential wastewater and physical treatment is used for industrial wastewater. We will give you an insight into wastewater treatment in this blog.

Purpose of Wastewater Treatment:

We know that treatment is supposed to make the water environment-friendly but knowing its purpose in detail is important. Wastewater treatment has to achieve the following targets:

Removal of Solid Waste:

The primary function of wastewater treatment is to remove the visible solid waste from the water. For that purpose, usually, physical mechanisms are used like manually removing the waste or via machines. It includes the removal of different metal residues of industrial waste and all the residential and commercial solid waste.

Removal of Odor:

One of the most repelling aspects of wastewater is its unpleasant odor, and wastewater treatment removes it. This is an integral purpose of wastewater treatment as it makes the presence of water bearable.  Different chemicals are added to the wastewater to control the foul smell.  

Removal of Toxic Components:

Different poisonous elements in the wastewater are highly dangerous for the environment. These constituents include nitrates, phosphates, toxic metals, pathogens, and chemicals. The wastewater treatment is supposed to remove all such harmful components from water to prevent them from causing pollution. The process is done through different chemical reactions like chlorination.

Process of Wastewater Treatment:

Wastewater treatment is a detailed process that involves multiple steps. Although the process of waste treatment varies according to the scope, some of the basic steps are given below:

Primary Treatment:

Primary treatment includes the removal of apparent solid waste from the water.  Initially, the wastewater is collected in a large container so that the solid waste settles at the bottom. The term sludge is used for the settled solid waste material in the tank. Scrappers are used for removing sludge, and the water is pushed ahead for further treatment.

Secondary Treatment:

After the completion of primary treatment, there is still some amount of sludge remaining in the water. For removing it, the wastewater is projected towards large tanks that contain an organic sludge. Aeration is done in these tanks to mix the wastewater sludge with the organic sludge. The pressure of the air is controlled through valves during the aeration phase. All you need is a XHVAL ball valve for regulating the airflow to form a sludge mixture.

Aeration ensures that different bacterial reactions force the sludge mixture to settle at the bottom. Gradually, the sludge deposits at the center of the tank, and the water moves further ahead. There is still some quantity of sludge present in the water at this stage. For removing it, the water is heated at a high temperature for a long time to extract the remaining organic constituents.

Chemical Treatment:

After the completion of primary and secondary treatment, the water is free of sludge. However, the toxic components are still present in it. These constituents are removed with the help of different chemical reactions. Different chemicals like chlorine are added to neutralize the effect of toxic components in water. This process is also known as the disinfection phase.

After successful chemical treatment, the water is free of the toxins and harmful metallic components that are hazardous to the environment. The PH level of wastewater is then checked to ensure that all harmful components are removed effectively. In case of deviation in PH levels, the chemical treatment is done once again until the water gets disinfected.

Disposal:

Once the wastewater treatment process ends, the water is disposed of. In some cases, the wastewater is used for industrial mechanisms, so it is transported to the industry and pumped into containers. In other cases, the wastewater is distributed amongst different water channels like lakes, ponds, rivers, and seas.

It is important to know that even after treatment, wastewater cannot be considered completely harmful. Therefore, care is taken while transporting and disposing of wastewater.

Advantages of Wastewater Treatment:

Makes Wastewater Environment-Friendly:

There are many dangers associated with wastewater. It is one of the biggest causes of diseases in the surrounding habitat. To remove all these risks, wastewater treatment is done. After treatment, the wastewater does not remain life-threatening. Due to the removal of the toxins and metals, the emission of harmful gasses comes to end. However, the wastewater cannot be deemed totally clean after the treatment.

It is Reliable:

The wastewater treatment process is a highly reliable process as the probability of failure is very low. Although, the wastewater does not become drinkable after treatment yet the purpose is served.

It is Cost-efficient:

Despite a detailed process, wastewater treatment can be considered as a highly cost-efficient mechanism. The reason behind it is the low processing cost of the mechanism. Also, there is not a lot of fuel required during the process.

It Produces Water for Industrial Usage:

Wastewater after treatment becomes good enough for industrial usage. It does not pose any threat to the workers on contact. This way the wastewater can be used as a renewable source for industries. 

Conclusion:

Wastewater is one of the biggest problems around the globe. But the invention of wastewater treatment is a big help in tackling it. Different countries are focusing on upgrading their wastewater management by establishing state of the art treatment plants. All the information in this blog will help you learn about wastewater treatment.