Environmental Impact of Sewage Treatment
There are a number of environmental impacts to wastewater treatment, both positive and negative.
Positive Aspects
- Water Quality Improvement: Sewage treatment plants eliminates harmful contaminants from wastewater, thereby improving the quality of water bodies into which the treated effluent is released.
- Ecosystem Protection: Sewage treatment contributes to the protection of aquatic ecosystems and the organisms that depend on them by lowering the quantity of contaminants that enter rivers, lakes, and seas.
- Public Health: Proper treatment of sewage helps prevent the spread of waterborne diseases, hence contributes to the protection of public health.
Negative Aspects
- Energy Consumption: Sewage treatment plants require energy to operate mainly for pumping, aeration, and treatment processes. This leads to greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with energy production.
- Chemical Use: Some treatment processes require the use of chemicals, such as chlorine or ferric chloride, which can have environmental impacts.
- Sludge Disposal: Sewage treatment generates sludge, which must be treated and disposed of appropriately. Improper disposal can lead to adverse effect on environment.
Sewage Treatment Plant and Process
Sewage treatment is the multi-step process that filters wastewater before it is released into water bodies or is reused on the land for irrigation. The wastewater treatment helps to remove the pollutants and kill disease-causing pathogens. The sewage treatment process involves physical, chemical, and biological procedures to remove these contaminants and produce environmentally safe treated wastewater.
Sewage treatment has three stages, primary (solid removal), secondary (bacterial decomposition), and tertiary (extra filtration to remove impurities from sewage). In this article, we will learn about the sewage treatment process, sewage treatment plants, and the environmental impact of sewage treatment.
Table of Content
- What is Sewage Treatment?
- Sewage Treatment Plant
- Sewage Treatment Process
- Energy Generation
- Odor Control
- Environmental Impact of Sewage Treatment