Table of Contents
What is Wastewater?
Wastewater or waste-water is any water which is not good for human use. Wastewater is any used water for domestic, industrial, commercial or farming purposes.
It means that, wastewater is a byproduct of domestic, industrial, commercial or farming activities. Wastewater can contain chemical, physical and organic pollutants.
Types of Wastewater.
Types of wastewater include:
- Domestic
- Industrial
Domestic wastewater contains household, commercial and municipal wastewater which is called as Sewage.
Industrial wastewater contains wastewater generated in industrial processes.
Sources
Domestic sources
- Blackwater, which contains human waste (feces and urine) mixed with toilet paper.
- Sullage or Greywater, which contains wash water from kitchen, clothes, floors, dishes, etc.
Industrial sources
- Process water
- Cooling water
- Bio degradable waste (Organic)
- Inorganic waste
- Toxic waste
- Solids and emulsion
- Extreme pH waste
Pollutants
Pollutants are classified in two types
- Chemical or Physical
- Organic
Chemical or physical
- Inorganic particles, such as sand, metal particle, etc.
- Soluble inorganic material
- Soluble organic material
- Organic particle
- Heavy metals
- Gases
- Emulsion
- Toxic materials
Organic
- Human waste
- Waste from food industry
Wastewater management
In most countries, it is controlled by respective government bodies. In India, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is the ultimate authority for defining various norms.
CPCB defines waste generation limits, waste disposal to environment.
Following areas must be improved to reduce waste
- Preventive practice
- Segregation and capture
- Treatment
- Recycle and reuse
- Awareness
Preventive practice
Policies and laws should be designed such as to encourage to reduce generation.
Segregation and capture
Proper practice should be adapted to segregate waste water at source. This is the best way to capture and to treat.
Treatment
Segregated waste water is easy to treat. It can be treated either biological or physico chemical treatment. It is completely depends on the nature of waste water generated.
Recycle and reuse
Recycle involves treatment of wastewater either of physical, chemical and biological. Type of waste water decides treatment scheme. After treatment, treated water is suitable for reuse.
Awareness
It is the best way to reduce, recycle and reuse.
Effects of Wastewater
In developing countries, it is pumped directly to the natural water bodies like fresh water lake, river or sea. The effects of this act can be classified as
- Pollution
- Imbalance to eco system
- Freshwater scarcity
- Health of population
Pollution
Due to discharge of pollutants, fresh and marine water bodies getting polluted. This is unsafe for human use.
Imbalance to ecosystem
All ecosystem is interconnected. They all are depends on water. If one part of the system is destroyed, it can affect the entire food chain.
Freshwater scarcity
The waste discharged on lands can leach into underground water system. It potentially polluting underground sources. If discharged in freshwater bodies, it contaminate freshwater sources.
Health of population
It is a big health issue, as polluted water carries tons of diseases and illness.
Treatment
It is believed that, around 80% of waste produced is discharged into the environment untreated.
There are various methods that can be used to treat or clean up waste depending on the type of contaminants. It can be treated in wastewater treatment plants which includes biological or physico – chemical treatment processes.
Municipal wastewater is treated in sewage treatment plants. Industrial waste is treated in industrial waste water treatment plants.
Sewage Treatment
Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from household sewage plus some industrial sewage.
Normally physical, chemical, and biological processes are used to remove contaminants and produce treated effluent that is safe enough for release into the environment or reuse.
A by-product of sewage treatment is sewage sludge. The sludge has to treat before being suitable for disposal.
Industrial Waste Water Treatment
Industrial waste water treatment used for treating waste water that is produced by industries as an by-product.
After treatment, the treated industrial waste water (or effluent) reused for gardening or released to a sewer or to a surface water in the environment.