Wastewater treatment systems are designed to treat water so it can be recycled safely back into the environment. But that doesn’t mean wastewater treatment plants aren’t faced with their own issues.
An estimated $180 billion is needed to repair many U.S. wastewater plants across the country. Here are some of the biggest problems in wastewater treatment and the potential solutions that could fix them.
Energy consumption
Energy consumption is one of the biggest issues confronting wastewater plants. The process of filtering wastewater eats between 3% to 15% of the nation’s electrical power every year. That’s a lot of power dedicated to filtration.
The good news is that we’re on our way to discovering cleaner and greener approaches to treating wastewater. By incorporating these greener approaches and maintaining the water treatment systems currently in use, we can reduce the amount of energy used to treat wastewater.
Staffing shortages
Like many other industries, wastewater treatment plants also face the problem of a staffing shortage. Efficient and productive workers that are skilled in the business are necessary to properly treat wastewater. But there’s aren’t a sufficient number of employees to go around.
Automation may be a potential solution to this shortage. Not only will it fill in the gaps of needed employment but it will also put less stress on existing workers.
Environmental footprint
Wastewater treatment is designed to filter water to make it eco-friendly. But wastewater management facilities also leave an environmental footprint when they treat water. After all, the organic matter stripped from the water needs to go somewhere.
Green innovative technology has been improving the way we treat water so that the environmental footprint left by wastewater treatment plants is smaller and less impactful. With automation and innovation moving forward, we can continue to expand on these eco-friendly technologies to make wastewater treatment greener.
Looking for new water treatment systems?
Up to 60% of the energy used by wastewater treatment plants is dedicated solely to the aeration process that controls the degradation of organic matter. New water treatment systems can make your energy use more efficient without reducing any microbial degradation.
Process Engineered Water Equipment (PEWE) offers standalone wastewater treatment systems, dissolved air flotation equipment, and chemical dosing systems so you can find whatever equipment you need to treat your water. To learn more about our water treatment systems and water treatment products, contact PEWE today.
