Residential or domestic sewage is the wastewater that leaves a resident’s home or apartment complex. It’s the wastewater from a flushed toilet, washing machine, sink, or dishwasher. While it does need to be treated, it’s generally easier to treat than industrial sewage.

Industrial sewage also contains the wastewater from bathrooms and sinks, but it is harder to clean because it also includes the wastewater from manufacturing processes. For example, a poultry processing plant will have toilets for the staff to use, but there’s also the wastewater from the solutions used to wash the chickens before butchering. It has the wastewater from the butchering process that contains blood, feces, and feather, bone, and skin particles.

According to OSHA, poultry processing plants may use ammonia, chlorine, dry ice, hydrogen peroxide, and/or peracetic acid. That wastewater puts a strain on local wastewater districts, so connecting to sewers may require your plant to treat the wastewater first. If you don’t, you could cause damage to the environment or face fines. To do this, you have to consider the best industrial sewage treatment system for your needs.

What Industries Need Sewage Systems?

Food processing plants are one example of an industry that needs a wastewater sewage system. There are others. Generally, if a business creates large quantities of wastewater, a water treatment system is required. Agriculture, breweries, paper and pulp mills, steel plants, the oil and gas industry, pharmaceuticals, and textiles are examples of other industries that need wastewater treatment systems. Here’s why it’s essential.

• Agriculture – Chemicals like herbicides and pesticides, fecal matter, and the fats and sugars in milk.
• Breweries – Chemicals used for sterilizing processes, the grains and sugars, and water used for rinsing the hops and grains.
• Food Processing – As mentioned earlier, fecal matter, blood, bones, and skin, plus growth hormones and antibiotics.
• Iron/Steel Plants – Oil, cyanide, and ammonia are just a few of the contaminants.
• Paper/Pulp Mills – One ton of paper uses more than 15,000 gallons of water to make, plus there are bleaching agents, acids, hydrocarbons, etc. to consider.
• Pharmaceuticals – Drug waste is mixed into the water.
• Textiles – The clothing industry relies on materials of all colors, so bleach and chemical dyes are in the wastewater from textile plants.

The first step within an industrial wastewater treatment plant is to remove any solids through sludge removal. After that, any grease and oils need to be removed. Organic matter is also removed. At this point, any alkalis and acids are neutralized, and heavy metals are also removed. Chlorine and remaining contaminants are removed through membrane filtration.

It all comes down to the wastewater your company generates. You might need a sewage grinder as part of the process if you have a food processing plant. Other plants may not require it. Working with an expert in industrial wastewater treatment plants is important to ensure you have a system that works effectively, within your budgeted operating costs, and is easy to maintain.

What Are Your Options?

Lakeside Equipment has two package treatment plants if you want an affordable wastewater treatment system that’s ready to go. You have two options: E.A. Aerator Plant or Packaged Extended Aeration Plant.

The Pros and Cons of an E.A. Aerator Plant

To better understand the reasons to choose the E.A. Aerator Plant, it helps to look at what it does and when it’s the best choice. This plant includes a concentric (rings within rings) design with a Closed Loop Reactor in the outer loop and a Spiraflo Clarifier in the inner circle. You can add a second channel for seasonal variations, extra capacity, or more efficient biological nutrients removal.

The Closed Loop Reactor (CLR) aerates the wastewater before it goes into the next ring, where the Spiraflo Clarifier allows the sludge to settle. CLR is done using the Magna Rotor Aerator for fuss-free operation with low maintenance costs. It also is an easy system for workers to operate. The Spiraflo Clarifier offers an optimal hydraulic flow that maximizes performance.

The E.A. Aerator Plant is an in-ground concrete design. A mixture of concrete and steel or just steel are other options.

Pros:

• It offers greater aeration without driving up energy consumption in low-flow conditions.
• It has a space-saving design.
• There’s flexibility in the number of rings in the final design.
• Replacement and service are easy to manage as standard parts are used.

Cons:

• It’s not as effective if flow rates are higher than 0.5 million gallons per day.
• Screening is not part of the system.
• It takes up some space, making it less ideal in a smaller plant.

The Pros and Cons of a Packaged Extended Aeration Plant

Your other option is the Packaged Extended Aeration Plant. It is a pre-engineered system fit within a steel tank that contains screening, diffused aeration, clarification, disinfection, and sludge holding. There is the option of installing it within a concrete structure if that’s preferred.

The Packaged Extended Aeration Plant contains everything in one, making it a powerhouse in a smaller plant. The wastewater is screened to remove items that might otherwise cause clogs. From there, it is aerated and clarified before going through disinfection. All of the sludge goes into a steel chamber for easy removal.

Pros:

• Screening is an integral part of the system.
• The compact steel design is ideal for small plants.
• Easy to install as it’s an all-in-one system.
• It’s optimized for hassle-free operation with minimal staffing.

Cons:

• It’s not practical in larger plants.
• If a concrete structure is preferred, the components are shipped and installed on-site.

What if those are not suitable options for your needs? Consider a custom design. You might need screening as part of a more extensive wastewater treatment system for your factory. You need to have grit removal as a significant part of the process. These pieces of equipment may not be necessary, but you need careful filtration of heavy metals. A custom industrial sewage treatment plant is often the best bet for your business.

Planning Your Design

Your industrial wastewater treatment plant must meet your needs, but there’s much more to it than that. You have to know your district’s regulations. You may be required to complete a wastewater treatability study before taking the first steps.

If you have a poultry processing plant, you’re going to have to account for the biological hazards, fats, and bone fragments. In comparison, a company that cures hides for leather coats needs to consider all chemicals, hairs, sand, and animal fats going into the wastewater.

You have to look at your plant’s energy consumption, too. Your local power plant may not want you to use excessive amounts of energy, which means looking into ways to cut electricity and gas consumption. A wastewater treatment plant that can retain some of the gases for bio-fuel is optimal for your needs. We get it, and we’re happy to help you understand your options.

Lakeside Equipment has a full line of wastewater treatment products for industrial sewage. Our engineers are happy to work with your team to develop the ideal design that matches your budget and goals. We have screw pumps, screens, trash rakes, clarification and filtration, and biological treatment.

Talk to our engineers about your industrial wastewater needs. We’re with you every step of the way, from planning to installation and repairs that become necessary years or decades down the road. Give us a call.