Wastewater treatment

This article is about the treatment of any type of wastewater from a range of sources. For treatment of wastewater from households or municipalities (domestic wastewater), see Sewage treatment.
Sewage treatment plant (a type of wastewater treatment plant) in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Wastewater treatment is a process which removes and eliminates contaminants from wastewater. It thus converts it into an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle. Once back in the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on the environment. It is also possible to reuse it. This process is called water reclamation.[1] The treatment process takes place in a wastewater treatment plant. There are several kinds of wastewater which are treated at the appropriate type of wastewater treatment plant. For domestic wastewater the treatment plant is called a Sewage Treatment. Municipal wastewater or sewage are other names for domestic wastewater. For industrial wastewater, treatment takes place in a separate Industrial wastewater treatment, or in a sewage treatment plant. In the latter case it usually follows pre-treatment. Further types of wastewater treatment plants include Agricultural wastewater treatment and leachate treatment plants.

One common process in wastewater treatment is phase separation, such as sedimentation. Biological and chemical processes such as oxidation are another example. Polishing is also an example. The main by-product from wastewater treatment plants is a type of sludge that is usually treated in the same or another wastewater treatment plant.[2]: Ch.14  Biogas can be another by-product if the process uses anaerobic treatment. Treated wastewater can be reused as reclaimed water.[3] The main purpose of wastewater treatment is for the treated wastewater to be able to be disposed or reused safely. However, before it is treated, the options for disposal or reuse must be considered so the correct treatment process is used on the wastewater.

The term "wastewater treatment" is often used to mean "sewage treatment".[4]

  1. ^ "wastewater treatment | Process, History, Importance, Systems, & Technologies". Encyclopedia Britannica. October 29, 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  2. ^ Metcalf & Eddy Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. 2003. ISBN 0-07-112250-8.
  3. ^ Takman, Maria; Svahn, Ola; Paul, Catherine; Cimbritz, Michael; Blomqvist, Stefan; Struckmann Poulsen, Jan; Lund Nielsen, Jeppe; Davidsson, Åsa (2023-10-15). "Assessing the potential of a membrane bioreactor and granular activated carbon process for wastewater reuse – A full-scale WWTP operated over one year in Scania, Sweden". Science of the Total Environment. 895: 165185. Bibcode:2023ScTEn.89565185T. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165185. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 37385512. S2CID 259296091.
  4. ^ Tchobanoglous, George; Burton, Franklin L.; Stensel, H. David (2003). Metcalf & Eddy Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-112250-4.