Water solutions are necessary to solve the problem of water shortages plaguing the universe. Water scarcity has become a threat to society, making it one of the main millennium development goals of the UN. Therefore, countries have begun developing new technologies and projects to mitigate its effects on the globe. Such technologies and projects include water location transfers, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and desalination. Unlike the rest, treatment of water presents a sustainable long-term and short-term solution to water scarcity. Water used by commercial and residential establishments that have become polluted is what is known as wastewater. The combination between these types of wastewater causes the resulting water mix to contain both dissolved and suspended organic and inorganic substances such as soaps, fats, carbohydrates, synthetic detergents and various synthetic and natural chemicals.
The treatment process
Wastewater treatment should be divided into different stages to ensure high standards of sanitation and good water. The preliminary stage of treatment process uses big filtering screens to remove large solid inorganic materials from the water such as metal, plastic and paper. This is then followed by removing silt and grit. In the primary stage of treatment, wastewater is passed through a sedimentation tank to remove solid organic material by gravity settling at the bottom. The resultant sludge is then raked to the centre of the tank. It is then concentrated there and pumped for further treatment.
The water then undergoes through green water solutions including biological processes known as activated sludge wastewater treatment process, which uses natural micro-organisms to break down suspended and dissolved organic solids. The settled water then goes for aeration in aeration tanks. In the aeration tanks, the air is blown into the water to provide enough oxygen and promote the growth of micro-organisms. The microorganisms consume organic nutrients and pollutants in the water. From the aeration tanks, the wastewater and microorganisms solution is then moved to a secondary sedimentation tank. Here, the biomass settles at the bottom of the tank. It is then concentrated as sludge.
Once the water has been clarified, it is then passed into a tank where it undergoes the third stage of treatment. This is known as the tertiary stage. In this stage, the water is treated using chlorine to kill biological pathogens that could risk human health.
Benefits of water treatment
Water treatment doesn’t only produce clean water, but it also has the potential to produce a lot of benefits. The water has the potential to reduce waste production in a given country. Here are some of the popular benefits.
Waste reduction
The amount of waste usually released into the environment is reduced through the treatment of wastewater. This improves the health of the environment. The government can reduce the health risk associated with pollution by treating wastewater.
Energy production
Water solutions produce a sludge that contains a large number of biodegradable materials. The sludge is treated with anaerobic bacteria. The gas produced during this process contains a large amount of methane. Methane can then be harvested and burned to produce electricity.