What is wastewater treatment? How many steps are there in operating a wastewater treatment system?

Process wastewater treatment What are the steps? That is a question that many people are interested in. Currently, popular wastewater treatment methods include physical, chemical and biological methods, each method has its own advantages depending on the characteristics of wastewater. The application of modern wastewater treatment technology not only helps to reuse water resources effectively but also contributes significantly to sustainable development, ensuring a clean living environment for future generations. Don't worry, Green In will help you answer the above questions through the article below!

1. Concept of wastewater treatment

Wastewater treatment is the process of removing impurities and pollutants from water before discharging it into the environment, to ensure that the water source meets safety standards. This process uses many different technologies and methods to control pollution levels, helping to protect ecosystems and water resources from negative impacts from living and production activities.
Wastewater treatment not only helps reduce the risk of pollution but also plays an important role in water reuse. Wastewater treatment also limits the increasingly urgent scarcity of clean water.

2. What is a wastewater treatment system?

Wastewater treatment system is a combination of technologies combined to treat wastewater according to an optimal process, ensuring effective removal of polluting components as required.
For example, medical wastewater from hospitals and clinics requires specialized treatment technology such as AAO – MBR to remove bacteria and organic compounds. Depending on the nature of each wastewater source, the treatment system can be customized to meet discharge standards and support the reuse of treated water.
An effective wastewater treatment system needs to ensure:

• Present: Environmentally friendly treatment with reasonable investment and operating costs.
• Future: Easily expandable or upgradeable as regulations or wastewater characteristics change.

3. Basic components of wastewater treatment system

A standard wastewater treatment system usually includes the following main components:

• Trash rack, settling tank: Helps remove suspended solids in water.
• Pump: Regulates the flow of wastewater in the system.
• Chemical feed: Supports coagulation and precipitation processes to treat organic compounds and heavy metals.
• Filtration system: Removes impurities remaining after previous treatment steps.
• pH adjustment system: Helps balance the pH of water during treatment.
• Electrical control cabinet: Supports automatic monitoring and operation of the system.

Depending on the processing needs of each industry, additional technologies can be integrated to optimize efficiency. For example, in the food manufacturing industry, the system will focus heavily on biological treatment to remove organic matter.

4. What stages does a wastewater treatment system include?

Wastewater treatment before discharge into the environment is an important requirement for every individual, organization and business. This system includes many different stages with different methods. Basically including: physical, chemical and biological to minimize pollution, remove toxic impurities and reuse water when possible. Below are the common processes in the current wastewater treatment system:
Mechanical and physical treatment
The first stage of the treatment process focuses on removing large insoluble impurities from the wastewater. The methods applied include: trash screens, trash racks, sand settling tanks, flotation... Depending on the nature of the wastewater, the system will select the appropriate technology to remove these suspended solids.
Chemical and physical treatment
After removing large impurities, the wastewater is treated by chemical methods to adjust the pH, remove heavy metal ions and harmful inorganic substances. Some of the technologies used include pH neutralization, coagulation and flocculation to help bind small particles so that they can easily settle and separate from the water.
Biological treatment
This stage aims to decompose the dissolved organic compounds in wastewater using microorganisms. This process can be carried out in two main ways:
Aerobic treatment
Use microorganisms in an oxygen-rich environment to decompose organic matter.
Anaerobic treatment
Apply microorganisms under anoxic conditions to decompose compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and nitrogen.

5. Steps to operate wastewater treatment system

Depending on the specific type of wastewater, the treatment process may vary. However, most systems follow the following main stages:

5.1. Preliminary treatment

Wastewater from the source will pass through a trash screen to remove large objects such as plastic bags, tree branches or scrap paper. Then, the water is led to a collection tank to prepare for the next treatment process.

5.2. Primary treatment

At this stage, the wastewater will pass through a settling tank to remove grease, light debris floating on the surface and organic solid particles sinking to the bottom. This settled sludge will be collected for separate treatment.

5.3. Secondary treatment

Biological treatment takes place in this stage with two main methods:
Aerobic treatment: Continuous aeration to provide oxygen for microorganisms to work, helping to decompose organic matter.
Anaerobic treatment: After aerobic treatment, the wastewater continues to be fed into the anaerobic tank to remove remaining solids.

5.4. Sterilization

After biological treatment, wastewater will be sent to a disinfection tank, where chemicals such as chlorine, ozone or UV rays are used to kill bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms before being discharged into the environment or reused.

5.5. Sludge and solid waste treatment

The sludge generated during the treatment process will be separated and can be treated in many ways such as landfill, fertilizer or incineration for energy recovery. In addition, for some specific industries, the system can add technology to treat heavy metals or hazardous organic pollutants.
Wastewater after going through all the above treatment steps will meet the standards prescribed by law, ensuring safety for the environment and human health.

6. Conclusion

System wastewater treatment plays an important role in protecting the environment and human health. The application of mechanical, chemical and biological treatment technologies effectively removes impurities, minimizes pollution and allows water to be reused when necessary. Depending on the characteristics of each type of wastewater, the system can be adjusted to ensure compliance with current environmental standards. Investing in wastewater treatment technology not only helps businesses comply with legal regulations but also contributes to building a sustainable ecosystem for the future. If you are interested in this issue, follow Green In now to receive more useful information!