Why does effluent need to be treated?

Untreated effluent can pose a risk, not only to your business, but to your health! Whether you run a distillery, food processing factory or any type of industrial business that generates wastewater, it is important to understand your obligation to treat it. Here, we discuss what businesses need to be aware of when it comes to wastewater…

What is trade effluent?

Trade effluent is any liquid waste (effluent), other than surface water and domestic sewage, that is discharged from premises being used for a business, trade or industrial process. Trade effluent often results from production processes such as the washing of raw materials.

Pollutants

Different types of pollutants will be found in industrial effluent depending on the activity of the plant or business. Some of the most common pollutants include:
• Organic Matter
• Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG)
• Metals
• Hydrocarbons

Pollutants can cause high levels of Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material in the water, at a certain temperature over a specific time period (Ref: Wikipedia). Industrial outfits need to control their BOD levels and are obligated legally to do so.

The dangers of untreated water

If left untreated, industrial effluent carries harmful bacterial that can spread disease.

Health Risks

Untreated wastewater would find its way back into the water system, which would spread disease and cause serious health risks.

Nature & The Ecosystem

Fish, plants and animals depend on access to clean water; they need healthy levels of oxygen within their water to survive. If wastewater is left untreated, pollutants could cause harmful algae blooms (HAB), spread disease and harm many species and habitats in our ecosystem. These contaminants could then enter the food chain and put more lives at risk.

Recreational activity

Taking your kids to the beach would be a big “no, no”. Without wastewater treatment, pollutants would find their way to the sea and then to our beaches, putting families, sea life, birds and other habitats at risk.

The role of Water Treatment Plants

It is therefore essential that wastewater is treated properly. Wastewater treatment plants are often overlooked, owing to businesses’ focus on revenue generating processes. However, the potential costs of breaching trade effluent limits can be enormous. In addition, businesses are coming around to the possibility of re-using elements of their wastewater. Removed solids can often be sold to energy-from-waste facilities – a common trait in the distillery industry – and treated water can often be re-used in washwater processes. Such strategies can be used to offset much of the cost of treating wastewater, or even to create a revenue generating asset.

For more information on wastewater treatment solutions, contact DHMO directly.