Chemical wastewater treatment removes harmful substances and bacteria from raw wastewater and rainwater runoff. Chemical compounds like ferric chloride, alum, ozone, chlorine, and lime are used to purify sewage. Physical filtration processes are used before employing chemical treatment. Chlorine or ozone solutions are used to disinfect the water tank by oxidation, and lime is used to neutralize the acidic content of the water. The treated water is safe for public use and consumption.
Chemical wastewater treatment is a complex industrial process that is used to remove harmful substances and bacteria from raw wastewater and rainwater runoff. Wastewater treatment plants filter used dirty water, so it can be recycled into natural and man-made water sources. Numerous chemicals are used at different stages of the filtration process to separate solids, kill bacteria and parasites, and remove dangerous toxins. Chemical compounds of ferric chloride, alum, ozone, chlorine and lime help purify even the most polluted concentrations of sewage. After the wastewater has been filtered, disinfected and neutralized, it no longer poses an environmental threat and is considered safe for public use and consumption.
A treatment plant usually checks various physical filtration processes before employing chemical wastewater treatment. Large centrifuges separate most of the sludges and oils from the sewage by spinning a tank, and a series of sieves remove most of the remaining solids. After these physical processes, chemicals are added to coagulate small particles and bring them to the surface of a tank. Ferric chloride and alum are popular coagulating agents that combine with toxic particles and form a new insoluble sludge. The material creates a film on top of the tank, which can be scraped off using a specialized mechanical picking tool.
Once all visible solids have been removed, further chemical wastewater treatment processes are used to disinfect the water tank by oxidation. Licensed plant operators add chlorine or ozone solutions to kill harmful bacteria, fungi and parasites. Chlorine and ozone work by creating an oxygen-rich environment that prevents microorganisms from reproducing, thriving and colonizing. Depending on the size of a tank and the number of bacteria and parasites present, the chemical wastewater treatment process can take anywhere from a few hours to a full week.
A final important chemical wastewater treatment technique involves the neutralization of the acidic content of the water. Pure water is considered neutral on the pH scale, with a measurement of seven. Acidic wastewater typically has a pH value of less than seven and must be made more basic through chemical processes. Very specific amounts of base chemicals are added to acid tanks to neutralize the contents. Lime is the most commonly used base, as it is easy for specialists to measure the amount to add. Quality control professionals test the final pH of treated tanks to ensure they are neutral before releasing the water into public water sources.
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