WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Over years, WES's research and development has produced one of the top lines of potable water products in the water treatment industry. Our potable water products are all approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and meet AWWA criteria for potable application. R.O. membrane treatment products are included in our "NSF Certified" line of products. With increased demand for R.O. equipment, the membrane treatment products are increasing in demand as well.
If the term "wastewater treatment" is confusing to you, you might think of it as "sewage treatment." Nature has an amazing ability to cope with small amounts of water wastes and pollution, but it would be overwhelmed if we didn't treat the billions of gallons of wastewater and sewage produced every day before releasing it back to the environment.
Treatment plants reduce pollutants in wastewater to a level nature can handle.
Wastewater is used water. It includes substances such as human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps and chemicals. In homes, this includes water from sinks, showers, bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. Businesses and industries also contribute their share of used water that must be cleaned.
If wastewater is not properly treated, then the environment and human health can be negatively impacted. These impacts can include harm to fish and wildlife populations, oxygen depletion, beach closures and other restrictions on recreational water use, restrictions on fish and shellfish harvesting and contamination of drinking water. Here are some examples of pollutants that can be found in wastewater and the potentially harmful effects these substances can have on ecosystems and human health:
decaying organic matter and debris can use up the dissolved oxygen in a lake so fish and other aquatic biota cannot survive; excessive nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen (including ammonia), can cause eutrophication, or over-fertilization of receiving waters, which can be toxic to aquatic organisms, promote excessive plant growth, reduce available oxygen, harm spawning grounds, alter habitat and lead to a decline in certain species; chlorine compounds and inorganic chloramines can be toxic to aquatic invertebrates, algae and fish; bacteria, viruses and disease-causing pathogens can pollute beaches and contaminate shellfish populations, leading to restrictions on human recreation, drinking water consumption and shellfish consumption; metals, such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium and arsenic can have acute and chronic toxic effects on species.
other substances such as some pharmaceutical and personal care products, primarily entering the environment in wastewater effluents, may also pose threats to human health, aquatic life and wildlife. Wastewater treatment The major aim of wastewater treatment is to remove as much of the suspended solids as possible before the remaining water, called effluent, is discharged back to the environment. As solid material decays, it uses up oxygen, which is needed by the plants and animals living in the water. "Primary treatment" removes about 60 percent of suspended solids from wastewater. This treatment also involves aerating (stirring up) the wastewater, to put oxygen back in. Secondary treatment removes more than 90 percent of suspended solids.
