The Tertiary Treatment Process

Introduction

Tertiary treatment for wastewater is the final and crucial step in the wastewater treatment process. This stage ensures that water is clean enough for safe environmental discharge or reuse. In this guide, we'll explore the importance of tertiary treatment, its processes, and its role in sustainable water management.

Overview of Wastewater Treatment Stages

Before diving into tertiary waste treatment, let's briefly review the entire effluent filtration process:

1. Primary Treatment: Removes suspended solids and some organic matter through physical processes.
2. Secondary Treatment: Utilizes biological processes to remove organic matter and nutrients.
3. Tertiary Treatment: Employs advanced techniques to further purify water, removing remaining contaminants and pathogens.

These three stages work together to turn dirty water into clean water. By the end of the three stages of water treatment, the particles from the water are removed and we are left with treated water.

Tertiary Water Treatment: The Final Purification Step

Objectives

• Enhance water quality for environmental return or potential reuse
• Remove remaining contaminants and pathogens
• Meet stringent regulatory requirements

Key Processes

• Advanced Filtration
• Microfiltration (0.1 to 5 microns)
• Sand bed filtration
• Ultrafiltration
• Nanofiltration
• Reverse Osmosis (0.1 nanometers)
• Disinfection Methods
• Chlorination (using sodium hypochlorite)
• UV radiation
• Ozonation
• Additional Contaminant Removal
• Further reduction of suspended solids
• Removal of residual organic matter
• Elimination of micropollutants (pharmaceuticals, personal care products)

Importance of Tertiary Treatment

1. Environmental Protection
2. Public Health
3. Water Reuse Potential
4. Regulatory Compliance

Emerging Technologies

• Membrane bioreactors (MBRs)
• Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)
• Electrochemical treatment

Limitations and Considerations

• Not a guarantee of potable water
• Factors influencing treatment choice
• Energy and waste management concerns
  

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Institutional Industry Case Study:

For a Massachusetts High School, the problem involved the existing RBC (Rotating Biological Contactor) system which was not capable of consistently meeting the discharge permit regulations. By creating an on-site treatment system that focused on making the water safe enough to be reused, the high school was able to have all Total Suspended Solids (TSS) removed and reduce the turbidity levels, while meeting permit regulations for direct discharge!

This case demonstrates how advanced tertiary treatment can transform wastewater treatment systems, going beyond what traditional septic systems or primary treatment alone can achieve. The implemented solution not only improved water quality but also opened up possibilities for water reuse, showcasing the importance of thorough wastewater treatment processes.

Click the photo below to read more about how the bioprocessH2O team was able to reduce the TSS & Turbidity levels to meet the high school's discharge permits by implementing a bioTRIPURE™ Ultrafiltration (UF) System.

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