What is a Sewage Treatment Plant?

Sewage treatment (urban wastewater treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment) is a wastewater treatment used to remove pollutants from wastewater and produce wastewater that is suitable for discharge into the environment or for expected reuse. It is a type of sewage that prevents sewage from being polluted. 

In cities with mixed water, the sewer also carries urban runoff (rainwater) to sewage treatment plants. These plants usually have two main stages, primary treatment, and secondary treatment, but advanced treatments also include a tertiary treatment stage which includes a polishing process and nutrient elimination. Secondary treatments can use aerobic or anaerobic biological processes to reduce organic matter in wastewater (measured in terms of biochemical oxygen demand).

Many wastewater treatment technologies have been developed, most of which use biological purification processes. Engineers and decision-makers must consider technical and economic criteria, as well as the quantitative and qualitative aspects of each option when selecting the appropriate technology. In general, the main selection criteria are the aspects of the expected quality of the wastewater, expected construction and operating costs, space availability, energy requirements, and sustainability. In less densely populated rural and developing areas, sewerage is generally treated by a variety of on-site sanitation systems rather than sewer systems. This system has a septic tank that connects with the leach field, earthworm filter system, and more. 

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What is the Purpose of the Sewage Treatment Process?

The overriding goal of sewage treatment is to generate wastewater that can be discharged into the environment with as few pollutants as possible or reused sensibly. This is achieved by removing pollutants from the wastewater. It’s a form of waste management.

In biological sewage treatment, the purpose of treatment is the conversion of biodegradable components into dissolved particles (especially organic substances) into compatible end products, the conversion, and removal of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). It includes different degrees, such as elimination or inactivation and elimination of pathogens. Specific traces of organic components (trace impurities).

Certain types of wastewater treatment produce sewage sludge that can be treated before safe disposal or reuse. In some cases, the treated sewage sludge is called “biosolids” and can be used as fertilizer.

Types of Sewage Treatment Processes

1) Low Tech, Extensive, or Nature-Based Processes

They usually use little or no energy. Some of these systems do not offer a high degree of purification or treat only part of the wastewater (e.g., only wastewater from toilets) or only pretreatment, such as. B. Septic tanks. On the other hand, some systems can provide excellent performance to meet the needs of multiple applications. Many of these systems are based on natural processes and require a large surface, others are more compact. Mostly they are used in rural or small and medium-sized communities.

2) Disposal or Treatment Options

It can be understood as a basic processing option, but other processing options can be classified as disposal options. These include sludge application, irrigation, submersible wells, seepage water points, fish ponds, swimming ponds, water treatment/groundwater replenishment, surface treatment, and storage.

The application of sewage treatment on land can be viewed as a form of disposal and/or treatment. It leads to recharge and/or evaporation of groundwater. Land applications include low-velocity systems, high-velocity infiltration, underground infiltration, and surface currents. It does this by flooding, furrowing, spraying, and dripping water. This is a processing/disposition system that requires a large amount of land per person.