Wastewater
Treatment ProcessWe consider wastewater treatment as a water use because it is so interconnected with the other uses of water. Much of the water used by homes, industries, and businesses must be treated before it is released back to the environment.
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.
City of De Soto Wastewater Treatment Facility 3.0 mgd
Why Treat Wastewater?
It's a matter of caring for our
environment and for our own health. There are a lot of
good reasons why keeping our water clean is an important
priority:
Clean water is
critical to plants and animals that live in water. This
is important to the fishing industry, sport fishing
enthusiasts, and future generations.
·
Wildlife Habitats
Our rivers and ocean waters teem with life
that depends on shoreline, beaches and marshes. They are
critical habitats for
hundreds of species of fish and other aquatic life. Migratory
water birds use the areas for resting and feeding.
·
Recreation and Quality of Life
Water is a great playground for us all. The scenic and
recreational values of our waters are reasons many
people choose to live
where they do. Visitors are drawn to water activities such as
swimming, fishing, boating and picnicking.
·
Health Concerns
If it is not properly cleaned, water can carry disease. Since
we live, work and play so close to water, harmful
bacteria have to
be removed to make water safe
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.