Wastewater comes from a wide variety of sources. This type of water can contaminate a drinking supply which makes treating wastewater essential. Wastewater is created from storms, sewer flow, and runoff from industrial activities. A wastewater management company works to ensure water supplies are properly treated. In this post, you will learn about two importance wastewater treatment stages.

Primary Wastewater Treatment

One major area of importance during the primary treatment of wastewater is removing solid waste. The main purpose of primary wastewater treatment is to break down solid waste while reducing biochemical oxygen demand levels. Primary treatment of wastewater is shown to reduce biochemical oxygen demand levels by 20-30%.

Larger particles float to the bottom of a tank while the top layer of pollutants is removed from the water. Primary treatment of wastewater involves breaking down larger pieces of matter into smaller pieces. After the top layer of particles is removed, it’s time for the secondary treatment of wastewater to begin.

Secondary Treatment

After the primary treatment of wastewater is complete, the secondary stage begins. Secondary wastewater treatment involves using biological processes to find and remove smaller pieces of matter. These smaller matter pieces are what was broken down during the primary treatment stage. The secondary treatment phase can reduce biochemical oxygen demand levels by 85%. Secondary wastewater treatment involves the use of either a fixed film or suspended growth system. Both systems are used to collect and remove smaller waste particles.

Importance of Wastewater Treatment

A study finds that there are 1.2 trillion gallons of waste that are tossed in water all across the United States each year. Wastewater management helps to ensure all contaminants are removed from a water supply.

One benefit of wastewater treatment is that water is safe to drink. Many people across the world become ill from untreated water. Wastewater managements brings clean and safe drinking water to people in places across the world.

Another benefit of wastewater management is reducing the presence of dangerous diseases. Wastewater workers collect research and data while studying a water supply. This research can help to prevent future outbreaks and other problems related to wastewater.

Having safe and clean water greatly improves the standing of a town. You’ve likely heard stories about cities suffering from an unclean water supply. Nobody wants their town to be filled with unsafe drinking water that can harm residents. Ensuring your water supply is properly treated helps to reduce any future contamination risks.

In closing, wastewater treatment is a very important process that is made up of several steps. Primary wastewater treatment is done in the early stages, made to break down larger pieces of matter. During primary wastewater treatment, a top layer of pollutants is removed and collected from the water. Secondary wastewater treatment breaks down the smaller particles from primary treatment. It is extremely important to properly treat wastewater. Treating wastewater reduces contaminants, making water safe to drink. Locations all over the world continue to utilize wastewater management services to keep their water supply safe for everyone.