With the rising demand on freshwater, it has become ever more important to treat wastewater. Nature does have a natural process of cleaning water that has been used for human activities, but it is slow, and simply does not match the rate at which high volumes of wastewater is produced every day. To increase the abundance of usable clean water, many wastewater treatment programs have been implemented; and industries, being one of the biggest contributors to wastewater production, have also gone at great lengths to treat their wastewater.
This article will present 4 major process of wastewater treatment solutions in CA.
Ultrafiltration System
Ultrafiltration (UF) is a pressure-driven wastewater treatment process that uses a membrane to remove contaminants such as emulsified oils, metal hydroxides, emulsions, dispersed material, suspended solids and other large molecular weight materials. Ultrafiltration is best for the clarification of solutions containing suspended solids, bacteria and high concentrations of macromolecules, which includes oil and water.
Vacuum Evaporation And Distillation
Evaporation is a natural phenomenon and a clean separation technology used in several wastewater treatment processes. The process removes water from the contaminants, rather than filtering the contaminants from the water which makes it distinct from other separation processes. There are three different primary vacuum evaporation systems and these are:
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Heat Pumps – Offers superior reliability while providing flexibility, versatility, and low electrical energy consumption
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Hot Water/Cold Water – Low energy cost process as it utilizes existing excess hot water/steam and cooling water
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Mechanical Vapor Recompression – Engineered specifically for the treatment of large wastewater flow rates with low boiling temperatures for reduced energy consumption
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis (RO) technology effectively removes dissolved solids and impurities from wastewater using a semipermeable membrane. The membrane allows the passage of water but leaves the majority of dissolved solids/salts and other contaminants behind. The membranes used in RO systems require a greater-than-osmotic pressure and high-pressure water to perform the filtration function.
The water that passes through the RO membrane is called the permeate, and the dissolved solids that are rejected by the RO membrane are called the concentrate.
Paper Bed Filters
Paper bed filters work by gravity and use disposable paper media or permanent filter media to produce a positive barrier. This barrier removes solid contaminants from all free-flowing industrial process liquids. This type of wastewater filtration process is suitable for applications that involve removal of low to medium stock ferrous and nonferrous metals, as well as organic and inorganic materials such as glass, rubber and plastic. Paper bed filters are considered to be able to extend coolant and tool life by as much as 27% in addition to increasing surface finish quality.
Conclusion
Much as wastewater treatment is important for the environment, it is equally crucial for industrial plants and business as their waste disposal including wastewater is highly regulated by various environmental laws. As a result, they ensure that their systems are functioning at the optimal level to achieve the required results.
If you need wastewater treatment solutions in California, W2 Systems is a water treatment company that offers a wide range of water treatment systems and a comprehensive service. Contact us for all your water treatment needs.