
How does a water treatment facility work?
One of the first steps that a water treatment facility can do is to just shake up the sewage and expose it to air. This causes some of the dissolved gases (such as hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs) that taste and smell bad to be released from the water. Wastewater enters a series of long, parallel concrete tanks.
What happens to wastewater in a wastewater treatment plant?
Wastewater entering the treatment plant includes items like wood, rocks, and even dead animals. Unless they are removed, they could cause problems later in the treatment process. Most of these materials are sent to a landfill. 2. Pumping
How does the municipal wastewater treatment process work?
It has different ratio of sewage water, industrial wastewater and unabsorbed rain water flowing through the public sewers. How does the municipal wastewater treatment process work? 1. Firstly, wastewater is drained to the WWTP by gravity through the main sewer system of the size of a car.
Where is a wastewater treatment plant located?
So wastewater-treatment plants are located on low ground, often near a river into which treated water can be released. If the plant is built above the ground level, the wastewater has to be pumped up to the aeration tanks (item 3).

What happens during wastewater treatment?
The major aim of wastewater treatment is to remove as much of the suspended solids as possible before the remaining water, called effluent, is discharged back to the environment. As solid material decays, it uses up oxygen, which is needed by the plants and animals living in the water.
What are the 5 steps of wastewater treatment?
Treatment StepsStep 1: Screening and Pumping. ... Step 2: Grit Removal. ... Step 3: Primary Settling. ... Step 4: Aeration / Activated Sludge. ... Step 5: Secondary Settling. ... Step 8: Oxygen Uptake. ... Sludge Treatment.
What are the steps in the wastewater treatment process?
The Wastewater Treatment ProcessStage One — Bar Screening. ... Stage Two — Screening. ... Stage Three — Primary Clarifier. ... Stage Four — Aeration. ... Stage Five — Secondary Clarifier. ... Stage Six — Chlorination (Disinfection) ... Stage Seven — Water Analysis & Testing. ... Stage Eight — Effluent Disposal.
What are the 3 stages of wastewater treatment?
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process, aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment. In some applications, more advanced treatment is required, known as quaternary water treatment.
Where does wastewater go after treatment?
The treated wastewater is released into local waterways where it's used again for any number of purposes, such as supplying drinking water, irrigating crops, and sustaining aquatic life.
How long is the water treatment process?
Any remaining solids bind to the granules as the water percolates down through the materials. Finally, a small amount of sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide are added to the water as it leaves the plant. The entire process takes about five hours.
What is the first stage of wastewater treatment?
The first mechanical stage is called preliminary treatment or rather pre-treatment. Water flows through gravel chamber for settling out the grit from water. Afterwards, gravel is disposed of at the dump. Water further reaches the bar screens used to remove large objects from the wastewater.
How is wastewater drained to the WWTP?
1. Firstly, wastewater is drained to the WWTP by gravity through the main sewer system of the size of a car. Having such size, objects you could hardly imagine reach the WWTPs, ranging from mattresses, fridges, tree branches to wallets disposed of by thieves in order to get rid of the evidence. 2.
How long does it take for sludge to dry out?
9. Sludge, digested and dewatered to the optimal degree, is finally disposed of at the dump. In about a month, sludge is adequately dried out and ripe. If it complies with agricultural standards, it can be reused for fertilisation of industrial crops.
What is wastewater water?
Wastewater can be divided into two major groups: Sewage water is all wastewater used in domestic dwellings (e. g. originating from toilets, showers or sinks). Industrial wastewater originates from production, industrial and commercial activities, and has a different chemical composition to sewage water.
What is wastewater in agriculture?
What is wastewater? It is used water originating from domestic, industrial, agricultural, and medical or transport activities. Used water becomes wastewater upon the change of its quality, composition and/or temperature. However, wastewater does not include water released from ponds or reservoirs for fish farming.
What is the purpose of bar screens in wastewater treatment?
Water further reaches the bar screens used to remove large objects from the wastewater. At first come the coarse screens and then the fine screens which remove smaller objects such as matches, cigarette butts or undigested foods. 3. After the removal of large objects, grit is to be removed from the wastewater.
What is secondary treatment?
The secondary treatment, also called biological stage, is based on natural processes. WWTPs use bacteria which consume the contaminants, in particular biodegradable organics, carbon and phosphorus. Dead bacteria and organic residues subsequently transform into sludge. 6.
What is the Portland water treatment system?
The City of Portland makes sure the water that flows out from the treatment plants meets the standards set in the federal Clean Water Act. Our treatment plants have National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits, or NPDES. These permits set what is acceptable for “effluent,” the treated water flowing out of the plants. Environmental Services tests our effluent regularly to ensure we are meeting the requirements of our permits and protecting our rivers.
Where does Portland's wastewater go?
Most of Portland’s wastewater travels through a series of pipes and pump stations to arrive at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Portland. At the plant, it undergoes a transformative process that includes a little bit of biology, chemistry, and physics along with trillions of tiny microorganisms (which we call bugs) ...
Screening
Most sewer systems operate by gravity flow, which pulls wastewater toward the treatment plant. It first enters the plant at the headworks and passes through the preliminary treatment called screening where large objects are trapped and removed for landfill disposal.
Aeration and Sedimentation
The wastewater leaving primary treatment then enters the secondary treatment process which is a two-phase process. In the first phase, also called aeration, the wastewater is mixed with air and cultivated microorganisms that consume suspended organic matter such as food particles, human waste, and other organic matter.
Disinfection
The fairly clean water from the secondary treatment process is sent through a filtration system to remove any fine particles remaining, and then it is ready for disinfection. The most common form of disinfection is chlorine inside a chlorine contact chamber, but other disinfection methods also work such as ozone, ultraviolet light, and peroxide.

Understanding The Waste Treatment Process
- Thoroughly treating and reclaiming water from wastewater is vital to preventing the spread of diseases and other environmental hazards. Wastewater is any water that was used within homes or businesses for: 1. Bathing 2. Washing dishes 3. Flushing toilets 4. Storm sewers Wastewater treatment is the process of removing pollutants from disposed water ...
Waste Treatment Facility Limitations
- The sanitation industry continues to deal with the ever-growing amount of human waste. Economic expansion and urbanization have increased the need for more wastewater-related operations. Waste facilities have imposed greater restrictions and guidelineson which chemicals can be used in the portable restroom industry. This is an attempt to simplify the treatment proce…
Septic Truck Disposal Process Required Permits
- All PROs and Waste Disposal Technicians need to use septic tanks to transport and properly dispose of wastewater. Updated permits are required in any professionals working in the following fields. 1. Cesspools 2. Grease traps 3. Pumping septic tanks 4. Holding tanks 5. Stocking or cleaning toilets It’s also worth noting that vacuum truck operators, portable restroo…
The Future of Waste Management
- To effectively remove harmful pollutants from our wastewater, waste treatment facilities continue to evolve their process. We know it’s stressful to worry about the increasing cost of some chemicals and deodorizers. However, it’s equally stressful to pay fines for using non-eco-friendly/EPA-approved products. It’s a good idea to reduce waste disposal expenses by utilizing …