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Wastewater treatment, 2014-2015
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Wastewater treatment involves removing suspended solids and other contaminants before the remaining water can be discharged back to the environment or reused. Industrial and municipal facilities use various chemical, biological, or mechanical processes to remove, reduce, or neutralize contaminants so the water can be safely delivered to other bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes, or reused.[1]
Background
Wastewater is formed through different activities, such as bathing, using toilets, street and sidewalk washing, and cleaning. It is produced by households, businesses, schools, factories, and more. Wastewater is delivered to a sewage treatment plant through a sewage system. These plants remove pollutants from wastewater through a process of treating and disinfecting. Approximately 85 to 95 percent of pollutants in wastewater are removed in the first two stages and are discharged back into waterways. The remaining stages are designed to deal with sludge, which is thick, wet mud. Water is removed from sludge to produce solid waste known as biosolids that can be used as fertilizer.[2]
See also
Footnotes
