Waste Water Treatment

Wastewater has a lot of impact on the natural world and it is important to treat it effectively. By treating wastewater, you
don't just save the creatures thriving on it, but also protect the planet as a whole.

Our modern lifestyle provides us the luxury of using various products to make our lives more comfortable and easy, but it
comes at a price. A common byproduct of our current lifestyle includes wastewater, which can either be in the form of
water running down the shower or runoff from wet roads. This wastewater is unfit for human consumption or use.

Fortunately, we can make the wastewater potable and usable by employing wastewater treatment technologies that
filter and treat the wastewater by removing contaminants such as sewage and chemicals.

Four common ways to treat wastewater include:

Physical Water treatment

Biological Water Treatment
Chemical Water Treatment
Sludge Water Treatment.

Physical Water Treatment :

In this stage, physical methods are used for cleaning the wastewater. Processes like screening, sedimentation and
skimming are used to remove the solids. No chemicals are involved in this process. One of the main techniques of
physical wastewater treatment includes sedimentation, which is a process of suspending the insoluble/heavy particles
from the wastewater. Once the insoluble material settles down at the bottom, you can separate the pure water. Another
effective physical water treatment technique includes aeration. This process consists of circulating air through the water
to provide oxygen to it. Filtration, the third method, is used for filtering out all the contaminants. You can use special
kind of filters to pass the wastewater and separate the contaminants and insoluble particles present in it. The sand filter is
the most commonly used filter. The grease found on the surface of some wastewater can also be removed easily through
this method.

Biological Water Treatment:

This uses various biological processes to break down the organic matter present in wastewater, such as soap, human
waste, oils and food. Microorganisms metabolize organic matter in the wastewater in biological treatment. It can be
divided into three categories:

Aerobic processes: Bacteria decomposes the organic matter and converts it into carbon dioxide that can be used by
plants. Oxygen is used in this process.
Anaerobic processes: Here, fermentation is used for fermenting the waste at a specific temperature. Oxygen is not
used in anaerobic process.
Composting: A type of aerobic process where wastewater is treated by mixing it with sawdust or other carbon
sources.
Secondary treatment removes most of the solids present in wastewater, however, some dissolved nutrients such as
nitrogen and phosphorous may remain.
Chemical Water Treatment
As the name suggests, this treatment involves the use of chemicals in water. Chlorine, an oxidizing chemical, is
commonly used to kill bacteria which decomposes water by adding contaminants to it. Another oxidizing agent used for
purifying the wastewater is ozone. Neutralization is a technique where an acid or base is added to bring the water to its
natural pH of 7. Chemicals prevent the bacteria from reproducing in water, thus making the water pure.

Sludge Treatment
This is a solid-liquid separation process where the least possible residual moisture is required in the solid phase and the
lowest possible solid particle residues are required in the separated liquid phase. An example of this includes dewatering
of sludge from industrial wastewater or sewage plant where the residual moisture in dewatered solids determines the
disposal costs and the centrate quality determines the pollution load returned back to the treatment facility. You need to
minimize both.

Drinking Water Treatment

‘Drinking water supplies can contain harmful micro pollutants, including persistent pesticides such as metaldehyde. These hard-
to-treat micro pollutants require advanced treatment to selectively remove the compounds and ensure they do not cause damage
to our natural ecosystems or human health”

The treatment process for drinking water varies according to the type and quality of the raw water. Common treatment
methods include aeration, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection to ensure water is of a safe quality for
consumption.

Aeration Process: Aeration treatment consists of passing large amounts of air through water and then venting the air
outside. The air causes the dissolved gases or volatile compounds to release from the water. The air and the contaminants
released from the water are vented. In the case of iron and manganese, the air causes these minerals to move from their
dissolved state to a solid state and precipitate out of solution. The water can then move through a filter to trap the iron
and manganese particles. Aeration devices range from a simple, open holding tank that allows dissolved gases to diffuse
into the atmosphere to a more complex aeration system that has a column or tower filled with packing material. As water
passes through the packing material, the gases are released. Adjusting the water pressure is usually necessary following
treatment. This involves installing a pump after the treatment device to distribute the water throughout the home.

Flocculation- Flocculation is a water treatment process where solids form larger clusters, or flocs, to be removed from
water. This process can happen spontaneously, or with the help of chemical agents. It is a common method of stormwater
treatment, wastewater treatment, and in the purification of drinking water. One of the requirements for treated water
leaving wastewater plants is the removal of suspended solids. Small solid particles affect the colour of the water and
carry impurities into our natural water sources like rivers and the ocean. Phosphorus content must also be limited in
wastewater as a release of phosphorus into rivers promotes algae growth. Uncontrolled releases of phosphorus have been
known to cause mass die-offs of fish and other aquatic life. Some industrial applications generate high levels of
phosphorus in their wastewater, which may even require pre-treatment before releasing it to wastewater treatment plants.

Sedimentation- Sedimentation is a common way of treating water. It is a process that removes solids that float and settle
in the water. The process relies on the use of sedimentation tanks that remove larger solids. Subsequent treatment
processes may be used after sedimentation. It is important to understand how sedimentation is used in the treatment of
drinking water and wastewater. Sedimentation is one of the methods that municipalities use for treating water. It is a
physicalwater treatment process. Gravity is used to remove suspended solids from water.The effectiveness depends on
the size and weight of the particles. Suspended solids that have a specific gravity similar to water remain suspended
while heavier particles settle. The sedimentation process in wastewater treatment usually occurs in tanks of various
shapes

Filtration- Filtration is the process in which solid particles in a liquid or gaseous fluid are removed by the use of a filter
medium that allows the fluid to pass through while retaining the solid particles.  It may mean the use of a physical
barrier, chemical, and/or a biological process. The removal of particles takes place with processes including: straining,
flocculation, sedimentation and surface capture. Basic requirements are: a filter medium (thin or thick barriers); a fluid
with suspended solids; a driving force to cause the fluid to flow; and a the filter that holds the filter medium, contains the
fluid, and permits the application of force.

Disinfection- After the water has been filtered, water treatment plants may add one or more chemical disinfectants (such
as chlorine, chloramine, or chlorine dioxide) to kill any remaining parasites, bacteria, or viruses. To help keep water safe as it
travels to homes and businesses, water treatment plants will make sure the water has low levels of the chemical disinfectant
when it leaves the treatment plant. This remaining disinfectant kills germs living in the pipes between the water treatment
plant and your tap In addition to or instead of adding chlorine, chloramine, or chlorine dioxide, water treatment plants can
also disinfect water using ultraviolet (UV) light  or ozone. UV light and ozone work well to disinfect water in the treatment
plant, but these disinfection methods do not continue killing germs as water travels through the pipes between the treatment
plant and your tap.