As years go by, the EPA changes and updates public water treatment requirements. It’s a district’s responsibility to keep up with those changes. As policies change, it doesn’t mean that water treatment plants are able to keep up. Lakeside Equipment is ready to help you take a closer look at what these changes mean for your water treatment district.

Colorado is one state where recent changes by the EPA are causing headaches. The EPA is adding new guidelines regarding the safe limits for PFAs (aka Forever Chemicals) in drinking water. The new policies call for a drop from 70 parts per trillion to no more than 1 part per trillion for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). These limits are too low for some labs to test for, and many water treatment plants lack the equipment needed to get the levels to those new guidelines.

It’s a problem as around 50% of Colorado’s water districts do not test for PFOA or PFOS. Of those that do, 76 have higher levels than is recommended. In one city, the PFOS level was at 3.5 parts per trillion. The cost for that city to upgrade filtration is around $10 million, and Colorado is slated to get about $321 million of the $1 billion Federal Infrastructure Bill, so only 30 or so water treatment plants will get funding to help offset the upgrades.

Has your district started looking at government grants and funding to make important upgrades to your water treatment plant? By now, it’s likely that you have. It’s time to look at all of the latest changes and what it means for your district.

The Dangers of PFOA and PFOS

The forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS are newer concerns. Over time, they affect the cardiovascular system and a person’s immune function. They also increase the risk of certain cancers, and it’s believed they impact fetal development. Some studies have found they impact thyroid function, kidney health, and reproduction.

As a result of these studies, the EPA came up with a lifetime health advisory, warning people to minimize their lifetime exposure to these forever chemicals in the water they drink, the foods they eat, and consumer products. The new drinking water advisories listed by the EPA are:

• PFOA – 0.004 parts per trillion
• PFOS – 0.02 parts per trillion
• PFBS – 2,000 parts per trillion
• GenX Chemicals – 10 parts per trillion

These forever chemicals build up in your blood. They’re found in the water, in the air, and in the soil. They don’t go away, and that’s why the EPA issued a lifetime health advisory.

Lead Pipes Are Still a Concern and Steps Are Being Taken to Get Rid of Them

Even if a water district has clean water, the pipes that carry water into homes, schools, and businesses may contain lead solder or lead pipes. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan addresses lead contamination. An investment of $15 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is earmarked to remove lead pipes across the nation.

As of 2021, around 22 million homes were getting drinking water through lead pipes. Some states have a higher risk than others. These states had the highest number of lead pipes.

• Illinois
• Michigan
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• Ohio
• Wisconsin

Every state still has lead pipes in service and that’s something that has to be addressed. The dangers of lead have been proven. Exposure to lead can cause anemia, brain damage, kidney damage, and weakness.

What Upgrades Should You Be Making?

When it comes to your water treatment district, what upgrades do you need to make? For many districts, better filtration is essential. In a home, dual-stage filters with activated carbon and reverse osmosis are effective. It’s found that reverse osmosis is the most effective method for removing PFAS. Nanofiltration is also helpful.

Sweeney Water Plant in Wilmington, North Carolina, installed granulated activated carbon filters and has been testing them since 2019. As of 2022, they now have water that’s free of PFAS. To get to that point, they spent more than $100 million. They plan to recover the money from the companies that contaminated the city’s waterways through federal lawsuits.

In Peabody, Massachusetts, a $36 million Clean & Sustainable Water Infrastructure Plan upgraded the city’s water treatment plant with new technology, an updated lab, and new filtration to remove forever chemicals from the water. They also made sure the city’s water treatment plant is ready to manage 3 million gallons per day, though they’re only currently managing around 1 million gallons daily. They made sure the plant is ready for future growth.

Lead pipes and forever chemicals are concerns, but it’s also important to look at your facility’s equipment. How old are your pumps, filtration systems, lab equipment, etc.? If you built your facility to handle a population of 100,000 and you’re now at 99,000, you may soon reach capacity. What happens then?

What filtration are you using? Many plants are finding the best success with granulated activated carbon. GAC filters are doing a good job removing PFAS, so you want to look into those. While you’re making those upgrades, make sure your lab is able to test for forever chemicals. The easier it is to check your levels quickly and accurately, the better it is for your community.

While you’re making changes to your filters, pumps, and upgrading equipment, consider future growth. What if there’s a boom in growth due to a new apartment complex or building housing office space? If you can plan your changes around population increases, it’s beneficial.

Are you in an area prone to storms? If your water treatment plant is in any way connected to wastewater treatment or storm runoff, you have to factor in climate change, too. Storms may worsen, so plan around those changes. You don’t want to end up with a water system that’s contaminated in a flood, extremely heavy rains, or sudden snow melt.

Energy-Efficient Upgrades Save Money

No upgrade should be considered without also considering ways to save money. If you could install solar panels or wind turbines to help power your water treatment plant, you save your district members money. Those savings pay for the upgrades over time. It’s worth taking a closer look at new equipment that saves money by using less power, pairs with alternative energy sources, or is low-maintenance.

Work With An Expert to Plan the Best Changes for Your Water Treatment Plant

These are some of the changes plants around the nation are making. What steps should you take? The best way to plan for growth and changing water treatment requirements is by working with an expert in water treatment. Lakeside Equipment has been in the industry for close to 100 years.

Our company’s been in water treatment since 1928 and strives to help every community have clean, safe drinking water and waterways. Talk to our water treatment experts to learn more about the best upgrades for your district’s drinking water. Lakeside Equipment works with your budget and helps you determine the responsible way to grow your water treatment plant, better clean the water, and keep cost increases down for your community members.

Have you seen all of the TikToks where wastewater treatment plant operators say that the only thing people should be flushing or putting down their drains are the three P’s: Poop, Pee, and Paper. It’s all part of a push to educate people and stop some of the problems faced by wastewater treatment plants.

FOG (fats, oil, and grease) are one of the biggest problems in wastewater treatment. Whether it’s inadvertent or deliberate, people pour cooking oil, meat drippings, sauces, melted butter/margarine/shortening, and dairy products down their sinks.

It may seem fine, but in a sewer line or piping, the oils cling to the sides of the pipe and mix with other items that get flushed, such as baby wipes, tampon applicators, condoms, plastic wrappers, etc. It creates a fatberg that can stop the flow of wastewater in a sewer.

Wastewater treatment plants have to have a plan in place to handle this problem. In addition to educational efforts, fats, oil, and grease screening is one of the essential steps. Explore the different ways your district should be handling FOG in wastewater.

The Importance of Keeping FOG Out of Wastewater

While the average person may not think much of the chicken grease that goes down their drain, it becomes a nightmare over time to wastewater districts. In 2020, a 1.65-ton fatberg was pulled from a sewer in Leeds, England.

That’s not even the largest in known history. A 130-ton fatberg was found blocking a sewer tunnel in London back in 1997. It measured around 820 feet long and took workers around a week to remove it, costing the city around £1 million to do so.

That’s still not the largest. Birmingham, England, was found to have a massive fatberg that weighed over 300 tons and was more than half a mile long. Thames Water spent an estimated $1 million to remove it over a span of weeks.

If you still want to hear about even bigger fatbergs, Cardiff, Wales, had an 881-ton fatberg in the city sewers. The fatberg was estimated to be the equivalent of 133 African elephants in size and caused other sewer lines to collapse.

The United Kingdom isn’t the only country dealing with fatbergs. In the U.S., In Baltimore, a fatberg created a sewage overflow that led to almost 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage being released into Jones Falls. The fatberg was blocking 85% of the sewer main.

A year later, Detroit’s Macomb Public Works discovered a fatberg that was 100 feet long and more than 10 feet wide. To educate the public, the city put a section of the fatberg on display at the Michigan Science Center. What was in this fatberg? Lots of syringes, candy wrappers, and tampon applicators.

Not only can fatbergs block the flow of wastewater and lead to overflows and EPA fines, but they can also destroy lines in a sewer system and require costly replacement. Plus, the amount of manpower, overtime, and equipment needed to break up and remove sections of fatbergs is costly. It can drastically drive up costs, and those increases can be passed on to people within a sewer district.

Start by Educating the People in Your District

Ads on local news stations are one way to educate people in your district. You should also look at social media as a powerful tool to spread the message. Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and even Reddit can help you get the word out. Pictures or videos of fatbergs and FOG deposits at your wastewater treatment plant present vivid images to show what happens.

To prevent it, whether they’re at work or home, people need to stop washing food waste down the drain. Use a paper towel to wipe as much food, oil, and grease out of a pan or dish before washing it. Grease can go into an unused glass jar or can and then be disposed of in the trash.

Restaurants should have grease traps installed to capture FOG and keep it from going into the sewer lines. Grease traps may be mandatory in your city or state, so any restaurant owner should make sure a grease trap is installed and maintained properly. Captured oils can get hauled away to plants that convert them into biodiesel and products like candles and soap.

In addition to FOG precautions, area residents need to make sure they’re not flushing improper items. Flyers reminding people what should and shouldn’t get flushed is useful. An updated online guide is also important. Make it clear that items like flushable wipes and flushable cat litter that claim to be flushable are definitely not something that should go down the toilet instead of into the trash.

Your Wastewater Treatment Plant Needs Screens That Remove Scum, Sludge, and Grease

Lakeside Equipment is an expert in wastewater treatment equipment that removes FOG. Wastewater screens can be useful in getting grease, oil, and fat out of the wastewater where it can then be sent to a landfill, composted, or incinerated.

A Lakeside Raptor Fine Screen is one of the best options and is trouble-free for many years. Maintenance needs are minimal. It completes these steps while screening FOG.

When wastewater levels reach the designated point, the Raptor Fine Screen’s rake arm starts moving to capture scum, sludge, and FOG.
After it’s completed its revolution, the material that’s been raked goes into a collection area.
The rake arm reverses direction and goes through a hinged comb to clean out any trapped materials.
The waste materials then get pushed using a screw conveyor through the transport tube to be washed, compacted, dewatered, and moved to a container to be transported to another facility or area.

The Raptor Fine Screen has optional features that may suit your wastewater treatment plant’s needs. One of the most important is weather protection which protects against temperatures as low as -13ºF. You can also purchase it in a pre-engineered tank if necessary.

The stainless-steel design doesn’t rust or corrode easily. It’s especially good at removing debris and grease that can plug up pipes and impact flow rates. FOG and other debris can be dewatered, washed, and compacted to reduce the weight by as much as 67% and overall volume gets cut in half, which lowers the amount of material you have to dispose of.

When your district is experiencing high levels of fats, oil, and grease throughout the year or seasonal increases in fatty foods like fried turkey or prime rib roasts, be prepared for the increase in FOG. Heighten educational messages and make sure your wastewater treatment plant is prepared to remove FOG using wastewater screens.

Lakeside Equipment is an expert in FOG removal. Talk to us to discuss your district’s problems and we’ll work with you to come up with the best options.

It’s no surprise that industrial enterprises use an awful lot of water. What may surprise people is that industrial water withdrawals were estimated to be around 14.8 billion gallons of water per day in 2015. Around 82% of that water withdrawal came from surface water. 

Even with snowfall and flooding in areas like California and Utah, there is still a severe shortage of water across the U.S. Industries need to do their part to minimize water use in their facilities. There’s never been a better time to address this after news came out in November 2022 that a Saudi Arabian firm had been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater from Arizona’s Butler Valley for just $25 per acre each year. The water is used to grow alfalfa for cattle being raised in Saudi Arabia. 

Is your plant taking the necessary precautions to conserve water? Are you making sure your industrial wastewater isn’t causing issues locally? If you make a mistake, it can be costly. One beverage company was fined $5 million for sending arsenic-rich industrial wastewater to a wastewater treatment plant that was not permitted to treat that level of hazardous waste. You have to put thought into your water usage and what happens to your industrial wastewater.

Lakeside Equipment has some tips for minimizing water use in your plant and making sure the wastewater you generate isn’t going to cause problems down the road.

Upgrade to Equipment That Uses Less Water

Depending on your industry, you may have equipment that requires water for things like cooling cabling that’s just been coated with insulating plastic or vinyl coatings. You might have industrial washing machines or dishwashers. Look into upgrading equipment with models that use less water and electricity. If your equipment is 20 years old, it’s more likely to use far more water and electricity than newer machines will, and that lowers excessive use of water.

What kind of AC system does your facility use? Cooling towers in labs can be wasteful if the settings aren’t adjusted to keep the cycle of concentration as low as possible. If you have a single-pass cooling system where water is passed once through a cycle before being drained and refilled, look into recirculating chilled water systems. 

If an air conditioner doesn’t need to be running 24/7, set it on a timer to ensure it gets turned off when a lab or office is empty.

Install a Small Water Treatment Plant

As technology advances, it’s getting easy to add a wastewater treatment plant within your hotel, school, or industrial setting. Water that’s used to wash sheets and towels from hotel rooms can be recycled and used over and over, which reduces the amount of water you take from the area’s water district.

Work with a professional in water treatment equipment to find ways to collect your facility’s gray water, screen it, filter it, and reuse it to fill the backs of toilets, water gardens, or reuse in washing machines. Watch reverse osmosis systems carefully as they can use more water than other filtration systems.

Pre-Treat Facility Wastewater to Lessen the Contaminants Going to the Sewers

In some areas, restaurants are not allowed to operate without a grease trap capturing fats, oils, grease (FOG), and food particles before the wastewater goes to sewer pipe outlets. Your facility could invest in a self-contained screening and grit removal unit that treats wastewater to clear out grit, FOG, and other contaminants that can clog pipes. If you invest in this pre-treatment equipment, you lower the risk of unexpected fines, and it helps the wastewater treatment plant avoid back-ups that create pollution and raw sewage releases.

Don’t Use City Water to Water Gardens or Fill Fountains

If your facility has gardens for curb appeal or to grow items like produce and herbs for your commercial kitchen, save rainwater in barrels, cisterns, or manmade ponds and use that. You could direct rainwater to a pond or barrels and use a pump system or gravity to bring the water through hoses to gardens for your watering needs.

Does your landscaping team use sprinklers to keep lawns watered? You lose water to evaporation. Try drip irrigation instead. Or, switch your landscaping to plants that require very little moisture and eliminate the need for watering at all.

Rainwater is also great for refilling water features in or outside your building. If you have a water fountain within your lobby, you can use rainwater to fill it. Add a pool bleach tab if you’re worried about sanitization.

Repair Leaks ASAP

When you notice a leaking toilet, sink, or pipe, have it fixed ASAP. Even a small leak can lead to a lot of wasted water over a week. If one faucet is dripping one drip every second, by the end of the day, more than five gallons of water have been lost. 

As you fix leaks and replace fixtures, switch to low-flow bathroom fixtures and faucets. Low-flow toilets use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush, which is almost one-fifth of the water that older 5-gallon toilets use.

Enlighten Your Employees

As you make changes, make sure your employees are aware. They may have noticed something that you’ve missed or have additional suggestions. You could reward employees who have water conservation tips or ideas.

Often, your employees will see more and experience more than you do as they’re on the factory floor or industrial kitchen each day. You might learn that the water from blanching vegetables for freezing is going down a floor drain, but an employee feels it could be reused. Imagine the water your food processing plant could save if you took that water and used it in another department that makes your company’s packaged stock or bone broth.

While you talk with your employees, it’s a good idea to come up with corporate policies that address water conservation. Having it in writing helps everyone understand their role.

Ask an Expert in Water Treatment For Additional Tips

It’s so important for industrial plants to minimize their plant’s water use. With our tips, you can reduce your water consumption and reduce how much time has to be spent cleaning your industrial wastewater by local treatment plants. The faster water is properly cleaned and returned to watersheds, the better it is for the nation.

Lakeside Equipment has the expertise you need to help you establish a water treatment plant within your facility. Reuse as much water as you can and lower the demand you draw on city resources. Not only will it cut your water bills and protect you from fines for releasing heavily polluted water to the local wastewater treatment facility, but it also helps protect area residents from water shortages. Reach Lakeside Equipment’s sales team to learn more about industrial water treatment options.

Initial wastewater treatment options in the U.S. involved the use of cesspools or septic tanks with tile drainage, but this was only so helpful as populations increased and cholera epidemics became an issue in cities like Saint Louis, Missouri. By the 1850s, Chicago, Illinois, and Brooklyn, New York, would become the first two cities with official sewer systems. 

In those cities, large pipes collected household wastewater, industrial wastewater, and stormwater runoff to plants where waste was filtered through filters (usually sand) before allowing it to proceed to rivers and lakes. Worcester, Massachusetts, was the first city to use chemicals to treat the wastewater, and it took around 40 years to get to that point.

Over 125 years later, municipal wastewater treatment plants are vital to our lives, yet many plants face incredible challenges. On average, a plant’s lifespan is no more than 50 years. What are the top challenges facing today’s wastewater treatment plants?

Climate Change

Climate change may not impact all wastewater treatment plants, but it can impact some. One of the leading issues is in any district that’s still using a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). CSOs are starting to decrease in number, but until a city has the finances to enact the change, flooding can create massive issues with excess stormwater flooding a plant and forcing operators to release raw sewage into the area’s lakes, streams, and rivers.

Another problem is heavy rain that causes flooding that gets into your wastewater treatment plant. Most districts build plants on hillsides or away from shores or river banks. They’re in areas where flooding will not impact the plant, but It’s not always possible. If your plant is in floodwaters, it’s going to wreak havoc on the environment by causing untreated wastewater to mix with flood waters and impact rivers, streams, lakes, and the ground surrounding your plant.

Cybersecurity

Like it or not, the risk of hackers getting into your wastewater district’s systems cannot be ignored. You need equipment that is safeguarded by secure protocols and prevents dangerous cyberattacks. In 2021, three water treatment plants in the U.S. faced ransomware attacks, but manual controls prevented any major issues. Make sure your plant is equipped with security and options where you can manually control equipment if necessary.

Finances

Financial constraints are another factor that can impact your district’s wastewater treatment plant. If you’re not getting grants from government agencies and experiencing increased energy bills and maintenance costs from the use of older equipment, your bills increase. Your options are to increase rates, but you’re going to anger the people in your district. Federal rate increases are impacting their lives, too.

Finding ways to save money is important. As you can, upgrade equipment to lower the amount of downtime and maintenance. Upgraded equipment works faster and can be automated to monitor increases as people get home and do the laundry and cook meals or shower and get ready for work or school. It also can shut motors off as needed during slower periods when people sleep.

Increasing Operating Costs

Electricity costs in the U.S. went up from an average of 8.45 cents to 8.6 cents (per kilowatt-hour) for the industrial sector. This may not seem too alarming until you think about how much electricity is used 24/7 at a wastewater treatment plant. It’s estimated that the bubble diffusers that are necessary for aeration can use anywhere from 30,000 kWh to 50,000 kWh per day. The more efficient your wastewater treatment equipment is, the more money you save.

Growing Populations

In the 2021 Report for America’s Infrastructure, it was reported that 15% of the nation’s wastewater treatment plants are over their plant’s maximum capacity. One more home on an already overwhelmed plant can be catastrophic. In addition, 81% of the nation’s plants are at capacity. At that point, it was going to take more than $3 billion to replace the nation’s sewer lines, which was almost $20 per customer. 

That’s just necessary pipeline upgrades. There are also issues with outdated equipment and the high cost of maintenance that is eating up district budgets. It’s estimated that there is an $81 million infrastructure gap that’s making it hard for wastewater treatment plants to make necessary upgrades.

Cities and towns in a wastewater district have to carefully weigh how many new homes are built, but it’s hard to control some aspects like how many people are living in a new home without catching people off guard and demanding to do a headcount, which isn’t going to be welcomed.

There are state and local codes that determine how many people can live in a unit. These codes are in place to prevent strain on the infrastructure. A general rule is no more than two people per bedroom. In a three-bedroom home, there shouldn’t be more than six full-time residents. Leaving some room for population growth is important.

Newer Contaminants

Another leading problem wastewater treatment plants experience involves the newer contaminants that need to be removed from wastewater. Pharmaceuticals are one of them. 

Studies show that common medications like antidepressants are tough to remove from wastewater, and they do impact fish and other aquatic creatures. If a fish is contaminated with these medications, studies show it impacts their fertility. This could cause shortages of seafood in stores and in our diets.

PFAs are another newer contaminant that wastewater treatment plants need to address. Granulated activated carbon, high-pressure membrane, and ion exchange resin treatment processes can all help remove PFAs, which is something the EPA is starting to crack down on with Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15.

Outdated Equipment

Many wastewater treatment plants rely on outdated equipment. This equipment is less efficient and drives up energy bills and can decrease how quickly wastewater is cleaned and released. 

This can lead to increased energy costs, decreased treatment efficiency, and increased environmental impacts.

In the U.S. the average age of underground wastewater and drinking water pipes is 45 years. Some districts are working with pipes that are at least 100 years old. When districts struggle to replace pipes within their district, it’s not surprising that equipment is often decades old and failing before it’s replaced. 

Many of the nation’s wastewater treatment plants were built when the Clean Water Act of 1972 passed. If a plant hasn’t replaced equipment since 1972, the equipment is likely outdated and in need of urgent replacement.

It’s Time to Act

The challenges facing the nation’s wastewater treatment plants are significant, but President Biden’s American Jobs Plan has provided some necessary funding to get to work improving the nation’s infrastructure. Of the $111 billion for water infrastructure improvements, $56 billion in grants and low-interest loads are available for wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water systems.

Look into these grants and low-interest loans to address the biggest issues facing wastewater treatment plants. When you work with experts in water treatment, you’ll get expert guidance into the improvements you should make right now vs. months or years later.

Lakeside Equipment can talk to you about the upgrades you should make and how you should time them to ensure you are not creating a financial strain on your district’s customers. Talk to our wastewater treatment experts to discuss what your goals are and discover the best ways to enact these changes while sticking to your district’s budget.

The U.S. has close to 14,750 wastewater treatment plans, and they process the wastewater of residential and business wastewater that comes in from sewer lines, but approximately 20% of homes and businesses in the U.S. have septic systems that treat some wastewater within the system and the leach field. Every few years or even sooner, trucks pump out the septic tanks and haul the septage to a wastewater treatment facility.

The EPA estimates that wastewater treatment facilities process around 34 billion gallons of wastewater every day. This is an expensive endeavor when it comes to the cost of repairs, upgrades, and most importantly energy consumption. An estimated $2 billion a year is spent on electricity alone, with as much as 40% of a wastewater treatment plant’s operation budget covering that facility’s electricity bills.

Across the nation, wastewater treatment facilities are setting goals to reduce their energy consumption while ensuring water meets the rigid standards required before the wastewater goes to oceans, ponds, rivers, streams, or water treatment plants for reuse. What are the best methods of reducing energy consumption?

Conduct an Energy Audit

An energy audit is the best step to take to identify areas where you can improve your plant’s efficiency. The EPA Office of Wastewater Management has a self-assessment tool to help you get started. The goals of an assessment are to reduce your energy consumption, reduce your operating costs, reduce water loss, reduce your facility’s carbon footprint, and improve the water infrastructure.

ENERGY STAR also offers energy-saving tips and guidance through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. If your plant has room for improvement, you’ll get information on what efficiency improvements are going to help and learn more about how to prioritize the improvements. If your plant is efficient enough, you can save as much as 30% in a short time. Many facilities see improvements in just a few months.

Area electricity companies also frequently offer energy audits. You can ask your power company if they have any free energy audits available right now or coming up in the future.

Upgrade Older, Less Efficient Equipment

As you go through an energy audit, you learn what equipment is wasting the most energy. You can work with an expert in water treatment equipment to determine what equipment can help you save money and improve your water treatment process. What equipment should you consider?

A good rule of thumb is to look at the age of all of your equipment. Older pumps and motors are going to use more energy. Once you’ve come up with a chart of this information, consider which machines are down for repairs the most. You need to prioritize those. Here are the items that you should consider first.

1. Heat Pumps

Heat pumps recover the heat generated during the wastewater treatment cycle and use that heat to preheat water sent to boilers where it requires less energy to heat enough for a heating system or hot water usage. Heat pumps can also help cool your building in hot weather.

2. Variable Speed Drives

Variable speed drives are available on a lot of wastewater treatment equipment. If you have equipment that is just on or off with no change of speed throughout the day, it’s time to change that.

Your district’s wastewater flow rates increase when people come home from work, have dinner, and do the dishes. They’ve been out of the house all day, so it’s been relatively quiet. But, now that they’re using water for meals and cleaning up, doing the laundry, and taking baths or showers before bed, water usage increases, and that means water is coming into your plant faster.

Variable speed drives adjust for these increases. If water isn’t flowing in very quickly from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., drives could turn off until they’re needed for higher flow rates in the morning rush to get ready for work or school. They turn off again in the late mornings and afternoons when people are not home. That saves energy and wear and tear on your pumps and other motors.

You’ll also find variable speed drives on a screw pump. These pump liquid from one area to another without easily clogging. Open screw pumps can be up to 75% more efficient while operating and also require less maintenance, which also helps slash your bills. Type C enclosed screw pumps are up to 10% more efficient than open screw pumps.

3. Submersible Mixers

A submersible mixer stirs up the wastewater in an anaerobic tank while reducing energy consumption. A stainless-steel propeller delivers high flow rates without needing extra electricity to run the motor.

4. LED Lighting

If your plant has older fluorescent lighting, that type of lighting uses far more energy than efficient LED lighting. Switch to LED, which can be up to 90% more efficient, and see savings on your next bill. The switch to LED won’t cost a lot of money, and some power companies offer rebates and other incentives to help you make the switch.

In addition to LED lighting, consider adding motion sensors that detect when someone has left a room. This way, if a worker forgets to turn off the lights, it won’t matter. The lights will turn off automatically when there’s no movement in the room.

Tap Into Renewable Energy

If your plant isn’t using solar and wind power to help generate electricity, it’s time to consider making a change. There are many programs out there to help you embrace solar, wind, and even geothermal energy for less money.

For outdoor security lights, install solar lights. They have a separate panel that powers the lights by day and runs them all night. They’re helpful as you can install them anywhere and don’t need outlets or a power source nearby.

As your renewable energy system works, you’ll find your savings end up recouping the amount you spent on the system. From there, you gain pure savings that you can reinvest in additional upgrades or use to lower rates for the members in your district. 

Talk to an Expert in Water Treatment 

You’ll find there are many ways to improve your wastewater treatment plant’s energy efficiency, but it takes research and careful planning to make the best choices for your municipality. Work with experts in water treatment. 

Lakeside Equipment has close to 100 years in the water treatment industry. Our dedicated team of sales professionals, engineers, and technicians are here to meet your needs and complete all aspects of your plant’s upgrades from planning to on-site installation. We can even get the parts you need and ship them immediately.

When your wastewater treatment equipment is efficient and repaired quickly, it keeps your bills low while making sure the environment and community are protected from improperly treated wastewater. Learn more about the upgrades you should make to boost your plant’s efficiency.

A wastewater clarifier is an important component in removing solids to start separating them from the water. It’s an important step when it comes to the first steps in removing sludge. The sludge goes to incinerators or landfills, while the liquids proceed to the next steps in wastewater treatment.

When wastewater comes into your facility, primary clarification is the first step. Suspended solids and FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) rise to the top of the water while sludge sinks. Those solids and sludge both need to be removed. Primary clarification usually removes around 60% of suspended solids, but this success rate depends on how effective your clarifier is.

Consider These Points When Choosing a Clarifier

How do you know which clarifier is right for your needs? It comes down to the wastewater you treat. If your plant takes a large percentage of hauled septage, you might have more solids than from a small town with a sewer. In a large city, you might end up with a lot of trash or dead animals that end up in the sewers. All of this is important to consider.

• Flow Rate: How much wastewater comes into your plant each day? A city with 50,000 residents is going to have much slower flow rates than a city with a large industrial area and millions of residents. Your clarifier has to be able to handle the flow rate you experience.
• Solids Loading: Solids loading is defined as the percentage of suspended solids in your wastewater. 
• Sludge Characteristics: Sludge is a mix of solids, organic and inorganic materials, and liquids that sink to the bottom of chambers in the wastewater treatment process. If you have thicker sludge, one clarifier might work better than another option.
• Budget: Your budget is important when choosing a clarifier. If you can’t afford the equipment without drastically increasing your municipality’s rates, it’s going to be a tough sell to the people in your community. You have to stick to the budget you have and avoid going too much over it.
• Available Space: What space do you have available? Make sure the equipment you want to purchase will fit the space. Otherwise, you may need to expand or figure out another option.
• Maintenance Needs: Do you have a full-time maintenance crew devoted to going from one part of your facility to the next? If they are already struggling to keep up, a high-maintenance machine is going to add to their problems. You need to make sure the equipment is easy to maintain and won’t require additional staffing if there’s no budget or time to train new workers.

What Are the Different Types of Clarifiers?

Every wastewater treatment equipment and process solutions specialist has preferred clarification equipment. These are the options that are out there.

• Dissolved Air Floatation Clarifiers: Dissolved air floatation (DAF) or Lamella clarifiers use air to remove suspended matter from the surface of treated wastewater. It’s best for wastewater that has a high level of FOG and suspended solids. 
• Membrane Filtration: Membrane filtration, such as ultrafiltration clarifiers rely on hydrostatic pressure to push wastewater liquid against a semi-permeable membrane. That membrane collects the suspended solids.
• Sludge Blanket Clarifiers: Sludge blanket clarifiers work by having water flow upward through a sludge blanket that traps the sludge and pushes the clarified water to the top of the tank. 
• Rectangular or Circular Clarifiers: This is an important decision when it comes to space. This has less to do with the function of the clarifier than it does with the shape and size. Rectangular clarifiers are smaller and take less space, often no more than 10 feet in length and no more than 20 feet deep. Circular clarifiers are larger and handle more liquids. Expect circular clarifiers to range in size from 10 to 300 feet upwards of 16 feet deep.

Work With an Expert in Wastewater Treatment to Get the Best Clarifier

Lakeside Equipment has been helping cities and towns have cleaner water for close to 100 years. We offer three clarifiers that are certain to do everything you need and even better than you might imagine. They’re essential components for cleaning industrial wastewater, potable water treatment, and wastewater treatment.

Full-Surface Skimming:

Full-surface skimming is a peripheral-feed system where floating materials are caught in the clarifier’s outer skirt and main settling area. This is an effective way to remove scum and floating materials, but it may not do as much as sludge that sinks. The ducking skimmer is a good choice for low-budget wastewater facilities.

There are two types of full-surface skimmers to help with clarifying: a  Full-Surface Ducking System or a Motorized Full-Surface Skimmer. 

The Full-Surface Ducking System is affordable and uses scraper arms to remove floating materials to a scum trough. A Motorized Full-Surface Skimmer covers the entire width of the clarifier surface and uses a motor to rotate the arm while pushing floating materials to a rotating scum trough.

Spiraflo Clarifier: 

The Spiraflo is a peripheral feed clarifier used to remove suspended solids in a primary, secondary, or tertiary clarification system. Wastewater enters the outer ring where it travels in a ring formed by an outer wall and skirt. The spiral flow travels towards a settling area where clarified water is forced upward to a weir while solids remain in a sludge blanket. 

Key benefit: Tests prove that peripheral-feed spiral clarifiers perform 2x to 4x better than center-feed clarifiers.

Spiravac Clarifier:

The Spiravac is a peripheral feed clarifier for the best possible solids removal through the use of suction to rapidly return active sludge to the beginning of the process. Wastewater enters a channel formed by an outer wall and skirt. Sludge is directed to the center of the tank where it is removed using suction and sludge removal pipes or a rotating manifold located in the center. While this happens, the clarified water rises and goes into a weir to go to the next steps in wastewater treatment.

Key Benefits: Workers can control the flow of sludge that’s been removed, and the process takes place faster than with other clarifiers.

Which is best for your needs? It depends on your current system’s design and footprint. If you’re short on space, you may need a system that fits a smaller area. Work with Lakeside Equipment to figure out the best clarifier for your wastewater treatment plant.

Our team of salespeople and engineers work with you to ensure your water treatment system does everything you want in the most affordable way possible. After your system is installed our parts and service team are there to help you keep your system working perfectly through the years. Reach out to us to learn more about our clarifiers and how they’ll help you get cleaner water.

Clarifiers play an important role in wastewater treatment, but they also use a lot of energy. Primary and secondary stages consume the most electricity in a plant. If you stop and think about the fact that 25% to 40% of a wastewater treatment plant’s annual budget covers annual electricity bills, the importance of energy efficiency is clear.

It’s estimated that the nation’s plants use around 30 terawatt hours of electricity combined. That accounted for around $2 billion. Finding ways to cut costs is important for the environment and the people in your district. Rising costs put a strain on household budgets, so people don’t want to hear their water bills are skyrocketing as well.

A Quick Look at How Wastewater Treatment Is Handled

Take a closer look at the basics of a wastewater treatment plant. Plants often have different needs based on the businesses and residential homes in the municipality. A plant that accepts septage needs to have a place for trucks to pump out their trucks after pumping out a residential or business septic tank. A city wastewater treatment plant in an industrial area will have other requirements. All of this determines the best wastewater treatment plant design and equipment. The processes are similar, however.

Wastewater enters a treatment plant and goes through two key stages, primary and secondary treatments. Sometimes, a tertiary treatment is added to help chemicals kill harmful bacteria.

In the primary stage, solids settle and are pumped out as sludge. Screens remove other solids like plastic wrappers, applicators, baby wipes, sticks, etc., and those materials are removed to containers to go to landfills, incinerators, or compost facilities. The main steps in primary treatment are:

• Screening/trash rakes
• Grit removal
• Sedimentation/clarification

After this, the wastewater enters secondary treatment. In the secondary stage, wastewater goes through a biological process to further break down materials and purify the wastewater until it’s safe enough to send to a water treatment plant that prepares the water for household use or is released to a lake, stream, or other body of water.

It’s filtered through trickling filters or enters tanks for the activated sludge process. It’s aerated and sludge settles and is returned to the start of that process. The remaining water travels into a sedimentation tank or clarifier and may undergo chemical disinfection in a third stage. That chlorine will be reduced to safe levels before it’s released.

Because some plants have to deal with heavy metals, PCBs, and other pollutants, other steps may be required. Some components in a wastewater treatment plant use the flow of the water to move things from one point to the next, but other components require a lot of electricity. Plus, you have the lighting, heat, cooling, and computers within a plant adding to the energy consumption.

Why Do Clarifiers Drive Up Energy Costs?

If you’re looking specifically at some of the equipment that accounts for the majority of a plant’s electricity consumption, clarifiers are on the list. What makes them consume a lot of energy?

Water enters a clarifying tank to travel in a circular motion, similar to a whirlpool flow. However, the tank has hydraulic scrapers that help push sludge to the center where it is pumped out. Pumps and scrapers run around the clock to rid the wastewater of as much sludge as possible, so the energy use is constant. 

At the same time, scum collects on the surface. Scum consists of lightweight, floating materials like foam and fats, oils, and grease (FOG). This scum is removed by a race skimmer that continually circles the surface and pushes the scum to the “scum pipe” where it’s removed. Again, a motorized skimmer runs continually, which also increases energy consumption.

There’s another problem with an inefficient clarifier. Not only does it consume a lot of energy, but that energy increases greenhouse emissions, which isn’t ideal. Plus, you might find your plant struggling to keep up with the demand as new homes and businesses go up. Many plants are already at 81% capacity or worse. About 15% have exceeded or reached maximum capacity. An efficient plant solves that problem.

How Can You Improve the Energy Usage of Primary and Secondary Clarifiers and Your Plant?

Once you’ve pinpointed what equipment runs constant and consumes the most energy, you can start looking for ways to increase energy efficiency in your wastewater treatment plant. 

Upgrade older equipment:

One of the first steps is to look at the age of your mixers and pumps. Older equipment is going to use more energy. 

With eyes looking for ways to make mechanical and electrical equipment as energy-efficient as possible, newer pumps and mixers consume less energy while doing the same work. Plus, newer pumps and mixers require less maintenance and repair, so you’ll also save money on those expenses. 

It’s worth looking into any grants or energy-efficiency tax credits you gain by upgrading your wastewater equipment. Even a low-interest loan for energy-efficient upgrades becomes a great way to lower your operating costs.

If you’re working with older equipment, it’s a good time to research high-efficiency clarifier designs. Dissolved air floatation systems remove FOG, suspended solids, and metals well, but it does require training. Invest in your employees as it will pay off in the long run. 

Variable speed drives on your facility’s pumps and mixers also ease the strain and energy consumption by scaling back when wastewater flow rates decrease and ramping back up when they pick up again, usually in the morning when people are getting ready for school or work.

Maintain and inspect equipment on a schedule:

Ensure your equipment is maintained and repaired before a small problem turns into a major one. Set up a routine for maintenance around your treatment plant and make sure the tasks on that list are completed on schedule. 

Automate your plant:

Do you use a SCADA system that allows computer analytics to monitor wastewater treatment processes and flow rates? Computer systems can adjust equipment without needing someone right there. SCADA automates pumps, valves, filtration systems, UV lighting if that’s used in your plant’s disinfection process, chemical levels, tank levels, and flow rates. The SCADA system can alert the appropriate person if there’s an issue. 

Look into renewable energy:

Finally, look into renewable energy sources like wind power and solar power. Even the methane produced during wastewater treatment is a viable energy source for powering your plant and heating your buildings.

Work with a professional in wastewater treatment equipment:

Arrange a consultation with experts in energy-efficient wastewater treatment plant designs and equipment. If you’re looking for cost-effective ways to make clarification energy efficient, Lakeside Equipment can help.

Our company has been in the business for close to 100 years, and our engineers and designers are experts in saving money on energy consumption. Lakeside Equipment offers several different clarifiers to match our clients’ needs. We’re happy to help you figure out how to make improvements that fit your budget and plant needs.

With a new year come new laws and regulations. It also comes with new trends and technological advancements in the world of wastewater treatment. What are some of the improvements and changes in sludge screening that Lakeside Equipment is watching?

Law and Regulation Changes in 2024

In January 2024, the EPA is holding two public hearings on a proposal affecting meat processing plant wastewater. The EPA wants to impose stiffer restrictions on nitrogen limits and establish regulations on phosphorus. Oil and grease filters will be required to remove FOG from processing plant wastewater. 

Other limitations on high-salt wastewater and higher levels of E. coli bacteria are also being considered. The goal is to lower the pollutants municipal wastewater treatment plants deal with.

Certain states have their own wastewater regulation changes happening in 2024.

• California – Water agencies are now allowed to recycle wastewater for use as drinking water in schools, homes, and businesses.
• Florida – Florida’s HB 1379 bans the use of a septic system from all but rural homes. Homeowners must connect to the local sewer system or install their own on-site nutrient-reducing water treatment system.
• North Carolina – On-site wastewater rules are changing, and one of the biggest is that the local health department now has some say in any improvement permit or construction project, including septic systems.

How will any of this affect sludge screening? Sludge screens help remove solids from wastewater before it moves to the next process in wastewater treatment. When people consider what they’re flushing, it helps wastewater treatment plants avoid unnecessary clogs and equipment wear and tear.

Changes and Improvements in Technology

Each year brings better technology and improvements in wastewater treatment equipment like sludge screening. With automation, the system can track increased flow rates and adjust motors and pumps as needed. They can increase or decrease the amount of chemicals used after analyzing the current water quality. 

Predictive maintenance eliminates sudden breakdowns that take parts of your system down for emergency repairs. Sealed oil within motors and components that are above the water level also makes repairs and maintenance easier than ever.

Here are nine products we offer that provide sludge screening benefits.

Raptor Complete Plant

Grit removal is an important part of wastewater treatment as it keeps items like bone fragments, coffee grounds, and sand from damaging components or clogging lines. A Raptor Complete Plant screens waste through a screw that pushes the dewatered waste through the chute. It also has a grit chamber for grit removal.

Raptor FalconRake Bar Screen

The FalconRake Bar Screen resembles a ladder. As wastewater enters the chamber, the steps of the bar screen capture solids and travel to the top of the ladder where they are deposited over the side. The bars then go back down to repeat the process. As this sludge screening equipment is vertical, it doesn’t require a lot of space. It’s ideal for fast removal of debris and high amounts of sludge.

Raptor Fine Screen

The bottom of the fine screen is a basket that spins in the wastewater collecting debris and sludge, while dewatering and compacting the waste matter in one system. Sludge travels up a chute to the collection bin. It uses a dual spray wash system to ensure organic matter remains in the wastewater flow, and rake teeth clean the screens to prevent jams and clogs.

Raptor Micro Strainer

The Raptor Micro Strainer is a system with a screw that screens, washes, compacts, and dewaters sludge and solids in one smaller system, which makes it a good choice for smaller facilities. As wastewater flows into the chamber, it draws sludge up the screw and is screened. 

A spray wash system keeps organic matter in the wastewater flow. Wastewater presses out of it, and the solids and sludge continue up the transport tube to a bin where it can become compost, head to incinerators, or go to a landfill.

Raptor Multi-Rake Bar Screen

The Raptor Multi-Rake Bar Screen is a vertical sludge screening rake that captures waste in the rake bars, brings them to the top for depositing into a container, and returns to get more. It’s a low-maintenance sludge screening option with rake teeth to help clean each bar while it’s in use.

Raptor Rotating Drum Screen

In districts where the amount of sludge is high, a rotating drum screen is helpful. A large basket sits in the bottom of the tank and captures sludge in screens that range in size from 0.02 to 0.25 inches. Like other systems, the sludge is compacted, dewatered, and pushed up the chute to a bin for composting, incinerating, or hauling to a landfill. It can reduce volumes by 50% and the weight of sludge by as much as 67%, which saves money.

Raptor Rotary Strainer Screen

Wastewater flows into a tank where there’s a rotating screen with mesh ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 inches. The cylinder sits horizontally and captures sludge while ensuring wastewater continues to the next steps through the opening below the screens. The blade assembly automatically cleans itself as waste leaves the chute and travels to a collection bin on the opposite side of the influent area. 

Raptor Septage Acceptance Plant

For wastewater districts that take septage from residential septic systems, the process of pumping septage from trucks, screening, washing, dewatering, and removing sludge at once is essential. A septage acceptance plant does that. Our system can accept two trucks to empty their loads at the same time.

Raptor Septage Complete Plant

In areas where the amount of fats, oils, and grease are high, such as a community where restaurants aren’t on sewer lines, our Septage Complete Plant is designed to handle high levels of sludge, leachate, FOG, and industrial waste. While screening sludge, it also handles grit removal.

Planning for Weather-Related Hurdles

If the past year showed anything, it’s that there is an incredible need to be proactive and plan for the unexpected. Historic flooding hit Vermont not once but twice, and one of those flooding events hit in December when snow is more likely. Instead, over a dozen of the state’s wastewater treatment plants dealt with sewage overflows. Flow rates were up to eight times more than normal because of days of rain.

Vermont is just one of many states where some wastewater treatment plants are still connected to storm drains. When rain hits, it flows into storm drains and straight into sewers where it floods treatment plants and strains the infrastructure. Adjusting for these flow rate increases is important, but you also need screens that can handle the increase.

When did you last have your system assessed? If your equipment is decades old, it’s time to analyze your facility’s current flow rates, what happens when there is heavy snow or rain, and how you can make improvements that ensure your system isn’t overwhelmed.

Talk to Lakeside Equipment’s experts about the latest technology in sludge screening. Our water treatment business is getting close to 100 years in business, and we are experts in the effects of changing weather patterns, the most cost-effective upgrades, and energy-efficiency measures that end up covering the cost of the upgrades you choose. Reach us online or send an email to let us know how we can help your wastewater treatment facility become more efficient and effective.

The Encyclopedia of Ecology defines biological wastewater treatment as a process where “organisms assist in environmental cleanup through their own life-sustaining activities.” Instead of treating water with chemicals, algae, beneficial bacteria, fungi, metazoan, and protozoa are all microorganisms used to feed on the organic material, which is important to their lifecycle and also helps clean the water.

But, as microorganisms eat these materials, they produce methane and carbon dioxide. The resulting odors make it a less-than-desirable process for anyone living downwind of a wastewater treatment facility. This is a leading reason pH control is an important part of biological wastewater treatment.

The Benefits of pH Control in Biological Wastewater Treatment

A balanced or neutral pH is 7.0, but pH can range from 0 to 14. If it is higher than 7.0, wastewater is acidic and needs to be lowered. If it’s over 7.0, it’s alkaline and needs to be lowered. 

Before treatment begins, raw wastewater usually has a pH as low as 6 or as high as 8. When it’s high, it’s often caused by too much algae growth in open wastewater lagoons or the wastewater is already high because of industries that use lime, lye, or sodium hydroxide.

A low pH is often because of high ammonia levels. It’s the most common problem wastewater facilities face when they use activated sludge systems. By making sure you keep the pH balanced, your plant benefits in several ways. 

Heightened Efficiency

Plants with a healthy pH work efficiently. They’re less likely to run into imbalances that require extra effort to repeat water treatment steps to remove extra sludge, increase aeration, and grow healthy colonies of microorganisms. You treat water faster, better, and more cost-effectively.

Reduced Sludge Production

When your wastewater has a balanced pH, sludge production lowers and sludge disposal costs drop. You have less sludge to compost, incinerate, or haul to a landfill, which means you save money.

Improved Removal of Organic Matter

Healthy microorganisms remove more organic matter. When water is treated quickly, it lowers your energy consumption and saves your plant money. You’re also not releasing treated water to area lakes, streams, and rivers before it’s safe, which can lead to massive fines for raw sewage releases.

You’re not sacrificing quality for savings. You get both, which makes everyone happy.

Compliance With EPA Regulations

When a permit is issued, every wastewater treatment plant has EPA standards they must meet before releasing treated water to a water treatment plant for reuse or to a local body of water. If you’re not in compliance, the EPA can issue fines.

Fines for negligent violations range from $2,500 to $25,000 per day and up to a year in prison for the first violation or two years and up to $50,000 from the second year on. 

Intentional violations have fines of $5,000 to $50,000 per day and a 3-year sentence. Subsequent violations increase the fines to as much as $100,000 per day.

If a wastewater treatment plant violates its limits due to the acts of an industry that violated pre-treatment, the industrial business can be fined. It’s just as important for a company to pre-treat any industrial wastewater. In 2023, a beef processing plant in Nebraska paid $275,000 in fines for failing to properly treat its wastewater before releasing it. This wasn’t the first time, the company paid $1.2 million in fines in 2011.

What Happens if You Don’t Control Your Wastewater’s pH?

A lot can go wrong when you’re not monitoring and correcting your wastewater’s pH.  The microorganisms you use will slow down and grow at a slower pace. That allows harmful bacteria to increase their activity. As the balance of microorganisms and bacteria become imbalanced, your wastewater treatment plant loses stability. You’ll end up having to start over to have a thriving colony of microbes again.

Because your microorganisms aren’t thriving, organic matter and pollutants aren’t effectively removed from your wastewater. Sludge increases and becomes harder to get out of the wastewater, as it doesn’t settle as quickly.

Imbalanced pH levels can also corrode your equipment and damage your municipality’s infrastructure. It also puts area waterways at risk of contamination and problems with algal blooms, which harm the wildlife and aquatic life.

Plus, you face the fines from the EPA as listed above. Having properly treated wastewater is important before you release wastewater into a lake, ocean, or other body of water. You need a system that works quickly, correctly, and handles higher flow rates.

The EPA fined a Massachusetts wastewater treatment plant $200,000 for combined sewer overflows when heavy rain increased flow rates. As they’d been fined back in 1988 for the same issue, they must spend $200 million to separate their sewer and stormwater runoff systems. 

Tips for Maintaining Proper pH Control 

How do you ensure you have the right pH in every stage of wastewater treatment? There are several things to do. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. Your wastewater treatment plant’s flow rates and contaminants play a role. A wastewater treatment plant dealing with mainly residential wastewater will have different needs than one surrounded by restaurants and businesses.

Add Acids or Alkalis 

When the pH is too high, acids need to be added. Plants may use carbon dioxide or sulfuric acid to lower the pH. If the pH is too low, lime or caustic soda are possible additions.

Add Buffering Agents 

Once the pH levels are balanced, they need to be stabilized. This is done with chemicals like carbonates or phosphates. Ideally, you want to take steps that stabilize pH from the start. Optimizing wastewater treatment processes is ideal.

Implement Real-Time pH Measurements 

Plant automation saves a lot of time and hassle. Look into sensors that continually measure pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and other important aspects listed in your EPA permits. When you have real-time information on your wastewater’s quality, it’s easy to take corrective measures to maintain proper pH control.

Optimize Your Plant’s Processes

Instead of needing to use things like lime or sulfuric acid, optimize your plant. Aeration, organic loading, and establishing healthy levels of nutrients are important. This requires having the best equipment with aerators, real-time monitoring, screening, and filtration. 

If you’re aiming for a functioning, effective biological wastewater system, you need the best equipment for the job. Talk to Lakeside Equipment, experts in clean water, to find out what your plant is doing well and what will help ensure your pH levels remain balanced and keep your system in perfect order.

Water treatment structures date back to the years BC. Records in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit writings go back as far as 4000 BC detailing the steps used to clean and treat water. They’d boil or expose the water to sunlight and filter it through charcoal to remove odors and unpleasant tastes and make it clear instead of cloudy. Ancient Egyptians’ records showed they’d use alum to settle cloudy water. 

Those are the earliest recorded methods used to treat water. Technology has changed a lot over that time. Wastewater treatment plants have come a long way. Take a closer look at the evolution of wastewater treatment over the centuries.

Filtration Becomes a Popular Option for Removing Particles

While the Ancient Romans and Egyptians may have been the first to focus on filtration, the method of filtration would change over the years. 

To treat water, you had to also look at turbidity. What is turbidity? It’s a measurement of particles like organics, sediment, etc. in water. When water is turbid, it’s cloudier. 

In the 1800s, Europeans used sand, which was readily available, to filter water. Cholera outbreaks in the 1800s would raise the awareness of needing more than filtration as microscopic organisms, bacteria, and viruses weren’t always caught with filters.

This was especially important in 1855 when Dr. John Snow proved cholera was a waterborne illness. Louis Pasteur also demonstrated this when he demonstrated how microscopic organisms passed through things like milk and water, leading to pasteurization. Filtration wasn’t enough. 

Facilities for Treating Wastewater Were Also Necessary

Filtering wastewater was only a small part of the process. As past generations learned, there also had to be a way to get wastewater to that facility and ponds, vats, or pools that would store the wastewater while it was treated. This led to advancements in the structures used for treating the water. 

The Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus were the first culture known to have indoor plumbing. They had terracotta pipes that led from buildings to brick-lined drain ditches in the city, where waste went into underground tunnels and back into the environment. The problem was that no one at that time understood the impact this untreated sewage had on the soil and water supplies in the area.

The Rise of Pollution in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Getting back to the Indus, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that people understood the issues surrounding untreated sewage returning to rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. As urbanization increased people flocked to cities for work. 

You’ve probably heard of the past when people used buckets instead of a working toilet and emptied those buckets into channels along the road. Eventually, all of that waste ended up in rivers. The Thames in London was one of them. 

Wastewater from industries also ended up in the Thames, but the tributaries leading to the Thames were where Londoners and outlying communities gathered their drinking water. Essentially, people were drinking sewage water and making themselves sick with diseases like cholera and typhoid. Better wastewater treatment systems became an urgency.

The Metropolis Water Act was passed in 1952, which banned the use of water from the Thames. People and water delivery companies had to start sourcing water from other areas. The use of sand and crushed shells was also required as a means to purify water. But, it didn’t stop the “Great Stink of 1858.” All of the waste in the Thames heated up during an unusually hot summer. The city reeked of raw sewage, which spurred the need for a better solution.

In 1865, London’s first wastewater treatment plant was built. It used gravity to settle waste in the water so that those solids could then be removed before the water went into the Thames. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. 

As science learned more about raw sewage, the need for biological treatments came into play. The activated sludge process, which is still used today, was established in 1914. Microorganisms were used to help feed on the organic matter in wastewater and help break it down more quickly. 

The First Laws Regarding Wastewater Hit the U.S.

While other countries went through their own woes regarding wastewater, the U.S. watched the population grow as people left Europe for America. Per the 1900 Census, the population reached 76.3 million that year. New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio were the most populous states at that time. Wastewater issues were arising and regulations were needed. Therefore, the U.S. passed The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948

Surprisingly, the first major law in the U.S. didn’t pass until 1948, but it wasn’t as good as it needed to be, so drastic changes were made to it in 1972. Renamed The Clean Water Act, it set national regulations for the release of wastewater into U.S. waters. It handed the EPA the authority to establish pollution control standards and programs. It finally made it illegal for people to discharge wastewater without a valid permit, and cities wanting to build wastewater treatment plants had construction grants available.

The Future of Wastewater Treatment

Where is the future heading? The environment is a driving factor in wastewater treatment. With water pollution a problem in the world’s streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans posing a risk to animals, aquatic creatures, and the environment, wastewater treatment has to be done correctly, quickly, and efficiently. Problematic raw sewage dumps from flooding are problematic and have to be addressed. 

To address these problems, researchers are looking at a few specific areas of water treatment operations.

Advanced Treatment Requirements

You’ve probably heard about microplastics. These tiny particles of plastic are being found on everything from bees to the blood of humans. There are also PCBs, a manmade forever chemical that is tied to cancer and developmental issues in fetuses and children.

Finding a way to remove microplastics from wastewater is important, but it has to be done cost-effectively, and the treatments used have to get as much microplastic and PCBs as possible, which can be a big hurdle to overcome.

Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Smart Technology

Artificial intelligence, AI for short, automation, and smart technology are certain to play a big role in helping wastewater treatment plants optimize their performance and lower energy consumption. With smart technology, operators won’t have to drop everything to go check on settings or test results, they could be doing a hands-on task and get insights through voice commands. 

AI and automation can analyze and make immediate adjustments without needing a wastewater treatment plant operator to drop everything and go adjust settings. It will be possible for engineers to get reports when they’re off-duty. If there’s an emergency, they’ll get a notification. Otherwise, the AI technology and automated system monitors and adjusts to optimize performance.

Pre-Treatment for Industries

Industrial wastewater from manufacturing plants, food processors, and even breweries strains wastewater treatment plants. The extra work needed to treat that wastewater takes more time, energy, and money. 

In some communities, it’s becoming a concern and measures are being taken to prevent this additional strain. Smaller on-site wastewater treatment plants are being required to pre-treat water before it goes to the sewers. Grease traps in restaurants also help.

Expanding the use of treated wastewater for irrigation, industrial processes, and even drinking water after further treatment.

Reuse

Across the country, some areas are running out of drinking water. The reuse of wastewater is going to be the future. Some communities are already doing this with great success. Sewer water goes through wastewater treatment and travels to a water treatment section where it’s purified for use as drinking water and typical household use for laundry, showers/baths, and cooking.

Wastewater treatment plants keep evolving, and the introduction of automation and AI to the equipment is expected to make wastewater treatment more efficient and effective. With this technology carefully monitoring flow rates, storm patterns, and processes, energy consumption decreases, which drives down the cost of treating water, which your community will appreciate. Plus, the risks of raw sewage releases decrease, which is better for the environment.

Embrace the future of wastewater treatment by working with an expert. Lakeside Equipment has been helping clean water for close to a century. You won’t find a company with more expertise and insights into cleaning water effectively and efficiently. Talk to Lakeside Equipment about the improvements that set your facility up for the future.