Wastewater that is discharged into municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) may come from homes, industries and businesses. Contaminated wastewater can negatively impact the environment, so reliable monitoring of WWTP performance is essential.
The major aim of wastewater treatment is to remove as much of the suspended solids as possible before the remaining water is released into public waterways.
In the inlet area of the WWTP, wastewater volume and flow must be monitored to prevent subsequent treatment processes from being overloaded.
Monitoring the water quality of incoming loads also helps to protect the specific environmental conditions needed for biological treatment (nitrification, activated sludge, aeration).
Measurement in the outlet ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and that the treated wastewater is safe to discharge.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels indicate the quality of treated wastewater.
Reducing the risks of disinfection by-products
Depending on the region, drinking water from groundwater or surface water is treated by means of chlorine or ozone processes as it usually contains natural organic matter.
Disinfection By-Products (DBP) are chemical, organic and inorganic substances – such as trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids and chlorite – that can form during a reaction of a disinfectant with naturally present organic matter in the water.
Formation of DBP depends on temperature, water pH, reaction time, disinfectant dose, type and concentration of organics.
DBP can be harmful to human health, but monitoring of inlet water will reduce the risks associated with DBP formation and enable dosing of disinfectants based on incoming organic load.
It is also important to monitor outlet water to ensure removal of organic content and maintain high product quality.
Germany’s LAR, along with its newly-appointed Australian distributor Bintech Systems, are here to help by providing the most reliable TOC and COD analysers for the most demanding of wastewater applications.
This partner content is brought to you by Bintech Systems. Please contact Bintech on 1300 363 163 or sales@bintech.com.au for further information.
