Wastewater Treatment in India: Steps & Processes

Wastewater treatment is one of the most essential requirements to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Various Commercial and Domestic activities contribute to huge quantities of wastewater, which, if left untreated will harm the water bodies and disrupt freshwater sources. 

Further, the wastewater will cause deterioration of water in the rivers and lakes which will lead to water-borne diseases such as typhoid, jaundice, and cholera.

Steps of Water Treatment in India

Wastewater treatment processes involve physical, chemical, and biological steps, to remove matter that contaminates the wastewater. 

The following is a step-by-step process of how wastewater treatment takes place:

1. Wastewater Collection

The first step is to collect the wastewater from its sources. Collection systems are put in place by the area’s Municipal Administration while the homeowners and business owners need to ensure that all the wastewater is collected as per the rules and directed to a central point.

2. Odor Control

At the Plant, odor control is crucial since the wastewater contains substances that cause a foul smell over time. To ensure the nearby areas are free of odor, the process is initiated at the beginning of the treatment.

3. Screening

The next step involves the removal of large objects such as diapers, buds, plastics, sanitary items, etc. that carry the tendency to damage the equipment.

Failure in this step can cause constant machine and equipment problems. The solid wastes collected from the wastewater are transported and disposed of in landfills.

4. Primary Treatment

Primary treatment involves the separation of microbial solid matter from wastewater. It begins by dumping wastewater into big tanks and allowing the solid matter to settle down at the surface of the tanks.

The sludge – solid waste that settles at the bottom – is then removed by large scrapers and pumped out of the tanks to initiate further treatment. 

5. Secondary Treatment

This stage involves mixing seed sludge with wastewater to break it down further. 

This process leads to the production of huge particles from the wastewater that settle down at the bottom of the tanks.

6. Tertiary treatment

This is similar to the one used by drinking water treatment plants. The tertiary stage has the tendency to remove up to 99 percent of the wastewater impurities. This produces water close to drinking water quality. 

7. Sludge Treatment

The sludge requires thickening to enable further processing. The process takes up to 24 hours. 

Benefits of Wastewater Treatment

It carries a number of benefits. 

1. It keeps the environment clean and there is minimal water pollution.
2. Treated water is beneficial for cooling machines in factories. It minimizes the need of using freshwater, in a way, saving water.
3. It prevents the outbreak of waterborne diseases.
4. It ensures there is adequate water for secondary purposes like irrigation.
5. Recovering the metal particles can effectively address the community level demands of useful natural resources.

The main purpose of wastewater treatment is to ensure the wastewater is disposed of or reused safely. However, prior to wastewater treatment, the options to reduce and reuse must be considered so that the energy and resources can further be optimized.