The WOG Group already has facilities that can manage the trickier effluents from sewage treatment plants while still conforming to stricter discharge restrictions. It is urgently important to pay attention to the negative effects sewage treatment plant effluent has on the ecosystem and also quality drinking water. The amount of wastewater produced increases together with the growth of the human population. Sewage treatment plant service will encourage the growth of microorganisms that break down sewage by circulating airflow. After removing the particles, the water undergoes purification and is ready for repurposing. These plants are responsible for managing both commercial and residential waste. 

Sewage treatment plant services are highly specialized drainage systems that are designed to remove waste before it is released into bodies of water, thus effectively preventing these harmful effects. Discharging untreated effluent into bodies of water is a serious threat to ecosystem health and overall water quality. Moreover, dangerous compounds in water supplies can wreak havoc on aquatic life and even pose a significant threat to human health.  

Why Is There a Need for Sewage Treatment Plants?

The country’s industrial operations are heavily dependent on water. Although it is a resource that occurs naturally, it is produced through industrial chemical processes. It purges the water of all possibly dangerous substances and regenerates it in various ways. It is also a technique for cleaning and recycling industrial wastewater. The primary goal of a water purifier system is the environmentally beneficial reuse of water. There is a need for sewage treatment plant service whether in a residential or industrial region and if treated water is released into the environment, there is a likelihood that less detrimental impacts will be felt.

Effects Of Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent on Aquatic Ecosystems

• Oxygen depletion: 

As organic matter breaks down in moving water, the oxygen content of nearby water will also drop. By generating anaerobic and oxygen-deprived conditions that are harmful to fish, invertebrates, and other species, it will destroy aquatic life.

• Communicable diseases:

If untreated water goes into water bodies it will harm the nearby aquatic life & land ecosystem. There are various waterborne diseases that will impact the lifecycle. So, diseases can exist in the effluent from sewage treatment plants due to bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other pathogens.

• Nutrient supplements:

Nitrogen and phosphorus in significant quantities can bleed into refinery wastewater. This can result in a process known as eutrophication, where excessive amounts of algae bloom in aquatic settings. It also reduces the water’s oxygen content and disturbs the fragile ecosystem’s balance, endangering aquatic life.

• Hazardous Substances:

The discharge from sewage treatment plants contains toxic substances. Some of them are heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. They also possess harmful effects on aquatic organisms, including impaired reproduction, abnormal development, and even death.

• Altered Water Chemistry:

Effluent discharge can also affect the chemistry of receiving water bodies by altering their pH, temperature, and general chemistry. These sudden changes can disrupt the natural environment and physiological functions of aquatic species, ultimately impacting their development, reproduction, and survival. 

Common Pollutants in Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent

• Wastewater discharges can contain a variety of suspended solids such as organics, garbage, and other solid wastes.
• The wastewater used in the plant contains bacteria, viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that can cause water-borne diseases and pose risks to human and water health
• Generally high levels of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, from detergents and human waste. In water, these nutrients can also cause eutrophication and algal blooms.
• Process sewage wastewater consists of organic compounds from sewage and other sources. Hence, these organisms can promote the growth of bacteria and algae and reduce oxygen levels.

 

Various Sewage Treatment Plants

A unique drainage system called a sewage treatment plant cleans up waste from a property so that it can be dumped into water bodies without endangering the environment. At sewage treatment plants, it moved air to promote the development of microorganisms that break down sewage. The size of sewage treatment plants varies depending on the system’s needs.

• Procedure for Activated Sludge (ASP)- The activated sludge process is one of the most used waste-treatment processes. Both small and sizable sewage treatment facilities employed it.
• Water filtration systems using the rotating disc system (RDS) offer a dependable, strong solution that generates high-quality effluent.
• It is well known that SBRs (Sequence Batch Reactors) produce high-quality effluent. Also, these systems have a primary chamber and a secondary treatment chamber, just like ASP systems.

Technologies And Methods for Treating Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent

 

There are several technologies and methods available for treating sewage treatment plant effluent. The selection of the appropriate treatment method depends on factors such as the quality of the incoming wastewater, the desired effluent quality, and the specific requirements of the regulatory standards. Here are some commonly used technologies and methods for treatment in wastewater treatment plant effluent:

 

Primary Treatment:

• Screening: The wastewater goes through screens to remove large debris and solids.
• Grit Removal: It uses grit chambers or sedimentation tanks to settle and remove grit, sand, and other heavy solids.

Secondary Treatment:

• Activated Sludge Process: The wastewater mixes with a microbial culture (activated sludge) in an aeration tank. Here, the microorganisms break down organic matter through aerobic digestion.
• Trickling Filters: Wastewater is trickled over a bed of rocks or plastic media, allowing microorganisms to attach and remove organic matter.
• Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR): Wastewater is treated in batches, with alternating cycles of aeration, settling, and decanting.

Tertiary Treatment:

• Filtration: Methods such as sand filtration, multimedia filtration, or membrane filtration (e.g., microfiltration, ultrafiltration) are used to further remove suspended solids and fine particles.
• Chemical Coagulation and Flocculation: It also adds chemicals like alum or polymer to the wastewater to coagulate and flocculate fine particles, facilitating their removal.
• Disinfection: It also uses techniques like chlorination, UV disinfection, or ozonation to kill or inactivate pathogens and bacteria in the effluent.
• Nutrient Removal: It uses processes like biological nutrient removal (BNR) or chemical precipitation to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the effluent.

Advanced Treatment and Reclamation:

• Membrane Bioreactors (MBR): Combines the activated sludge process with membrane filtration, providing high-quality effluent suitable for reuse.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO): A membrane-based technology that utilizes pressure to separate dissolved contaminants. Hence, it produces safe drinking water suitable for various applications.
• UV Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP): Combines UV irradiation with oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide or ozone to break down persistent organic compounds.

Sludge Treatment:

• Thickening: Sludge treatment will reduce its water content through processes like gravity thickeners or centrifuges.
• Digestion: Biological or Anaerobic Digestion Processes are useful to stabilize and reduce the volume of sludge, producing biogas as a byproduct.
• Dewatering: It uses techniques such as belt presses, filter presses, or drying beds to remove water from the sludge. Although it reduces its volume for disposal or further treatment.