Sewage or wastewater originates in toilets, sinks and bathtubs as people continue through their daily lives. This wastewater goes into a drain that is connected to the municipality’s large sewer pipe that is often situated underneath roads. This leads to a much larger system that directs the sewage to a treatment center. The wastewater is then subjected to its first stage. This stage is a screening process that removes objects that are large as well as smaller, grit-sized waste. However, this stage is seen as screening and not as a treatment phase. The next stage is the initial treatment phase. It is in this stage that human waste is separated from the screened sewage. This separation is achieved by diverting the screened wastewater into large circular holding tanks. The holding process allows the solids to settle to the bottom of these tanks. This settled gunk is referred to as sludge. The sludge is removed by massive scrapers that are situated in the tank’s floor, and they scrape the sludge continuously into the center of the tank. The sludge is then taken from the center of the tanks with pumps. The remaining water is then diverted into its secondary treatment phase. The secondary treatment phase occurs when the water is released into large rectangular tanks. These tanks are designed to facilitate aeration and referred to as aeration lanes. The aeration lanes utilizes bacteria to further breakdown the small sludge material that has inadvertently escaped the screening and scraping process. The bacteria growth is maximized with the addition forced air. This creates an environment that is conducive to bacteria growth, but this bacteria load also adds additional sludge into the treated wastewater. In order to rid the water of this sludge, the water is then directed its final treatment stage. This final stage includes placing the water into an additional settlement tank to rid the treated water of the added bacterial sludge. These holding tanks include the scrapers that push the sludge into the middle of the circular tank to be pumped out. At this stage, the water is free of most particulates and harmful substances. However, it is then directed into filtering sand beds to completely remove all additional particles. At this stage, the water is clean enough to be directed into large bodies of water. These bodies of water are most often...

Wastewater is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed within our modern society. Alarming new statistics have revealed just how dangerous wastewater can be and the impact it makes on our environment. Over 50 billion dollars are spent on an annual basis in order to dampen the negative impact that this water has on our environment. It is believed that 70% or more of our coral reef and aquatic habitat is damaged from water being untreated and threatening the surrounding areas. You may be asking yourself what tactics or techniques can be used in order to prevent drinking or consuming wastewater. The most common practice that one can immediately start using is boiling the water you may be using in the future. Boiling your drinking water helps eliminate bacteria and chemicals that may be contained within the water you’re using. Doing this will also help the environment should you decide to dispose of the water down the drain. Another approach that can be taken in order to purify your water is using Chlorine Bleach on a regular basis. Much like the boiling method, Chlorine Bleach chemically eradicates the harmful additives that can sneak into our drinking water. This method should be used in a safe environment that helps protect the user during the treatment process. Avoid getting the chemical into the eyes, nose, mouth, or ears as this can lead to sickness or even death in rare circumstances. Always use protective clothing and rubber gloves as these chemicals can be lethal in certain circumstances. The last point that should be made is that of social awareness about wastewater and how it impacts our communities, industries, and planet. Just 1 liter of wastewater can contaminate as much as 8 liters of clean water in a short period of time. We need to raise our concern about these issues and help organizations fight back against the contaminants within our water supply. Not only does it hurt our health, it also lowers the real estate prices, hurts the fishing economy, and trickles down into other parts of our...

Here are the most common wastewater treatment jobs if you’re interested to make a career in that field. Please note some of these jobs are local or Federal government jobs: Wastewater Plant Operator: Oversees the wastewater treatment plant equipment and processes; also controls operations. Salary $90,000 to $100,000 yearly. Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations Manager: manage the operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant. Salary $45,000 to $60,000 yearly. Wastewater Treatment Supervisor: Management and Supervision of treatment plant operations and operations team. Salary $80,000 to $120,000 yearly. Wastewater Plant Engineer: Performs engineering, technical work, analyzes operations equipment and processes. Salary $40,000 to $48,000 yearly. Wastewater Electrical Technician: Electrical maintenance and repair work on Wastewater treatment facilities and systems. Salary $40,000 to $50,000 yearly. Wastewater Technician: Inspects facilities, prepares water quality reports and permits. Salary $60,000 to $75,000 yearly. Laboratory Sampler: Collects and prepares wastewater samples. Salary $20,000 to $30,000 yearly. Maintenance Worker: Performs a wide variety of maintenance activities including installion, maintenance and repairs of water pipes, sewer pipes, drainage, etc. Salary $20,000 to $30,000 yearly. Need Help Getting one of these Jobs? Let a Professional resume writer Help...

For those wondering what is wastewater, here is a definition: Also spelled in two words as waste water, wastewater is any used water coming from bathrooms, toilets, washing, industrial, agricultural activities and which ends up in sewers through pipes.

Water purification is a necessary process for the maintenance of healthy standards in public water today. The process is simple and needs a few things to make it all come together. When these things are properly used, they make a wonderful system that perfectly cleans water for human safe use. It is our life force. There are no corners to cut in the water treatment process for pump stations. Pump stations use bar screens for wastewater treatment plants that are used to remove things that get caught in the water. They are vital to the water purification process. There are different types of bar screens that are used for the process. Each one offers a different way to clean the water to ensure that it is completely treated for safe consumption. Once the water is purified, it goes through each step to make it pure for human consumption. Trash Racks These have the largest openings to catch the things that can get caught in the water purification process. They are typically 40 to 150 mm so the debris is caught. They aren’t used for grit removal, but they are good for the larger things. Manually Cleaned Racks These have holes that have 25 to 50 mm openings to catch things before they contaminate the water. They are used less frequently than the Trash Racks, but they work well in some situations. Some sediment can be caught. This helps process the water in a safe manner by eliminating everything that might be missed in the last step of purification. Mechanically Cleaned Racks These have openings that are 1 to 40 mm openings that allow grit to be caught in the water purification process. It is used frequently in the water purification processes that are more refined. It is the best rack for the purist water purification. The purification process cleans dirt, rocks and glass from the water as it sends the water to settle. The debris is then removed during this process. It is a necessary process in order to purify the water. Shredding The sludge is sometimes shredded in an effort to further purify the water after is goes through the racks. This process allows an easy way to handle water that may be seen as “unsafe.” This process allows that water to be cleaned as it goes through a rigorous cleaning process to achieve 99% purity. Some water purification systems are even more thorough. No matter how through a water plant is, they need the highest level of pump stations in order to process the water in a safe and efficient manner. Water treatment is a recyclable way to ensure that our precious water is always available for safe human...

A city’s water and sewer system is arguably one of its most important features. The old adage “nobody pays attention to the garbage man until he’s gone,” rings with a familiar note as it relates to the proper functionality of a city’s or municipality’s water and sewage system. If it doesn’t work properly, there are potentially huge negative impacts to the residents. Today we take a closer look at a single piece of a city’s water distribution and sewer system which is especially vital for the continued health and efficiency of a city’s fluids infrastructure. That single part is called “Headworks.” In the professional realm of civil engineering, the term, “Headworks” generally describes any structural component within a water distribution system at (or toward) the head (or beginning) of a reception or diversion (split) point in the system. In “layman’s terms,” it’s the piece in the system which adjusts the flow of water (or sewage). A headwork can accomplish many functions and tasks within a city’s water system. A headwork can lower and raise the quantity of water in a stream or river. It can control the intake and outflow of water in and out of the city’s reservoirs, retention ponds, and canals. It can control the introduction of silt, sand, and other foreign material into any of the previously mentioned water structures. Water storage is another function which a headwork performs. There are traditionally two main categories of headworks used by municipalities, counties, and cities. They are: Diversion, and Storage. The main components which comprise headworks generally are the following: River Training Works, Diversion Wall, Silt Mitigation Device, Attitude Canal, Weir or Barrage, Fish Ladder, and a Canal Crown Controller. One of the most important features the headwork accomplishes is at the commencement of a sewer and/or wastewater treatment process. The headwork is generally placed at the beginning of the first stage of the complex treatment process. The headwork acts as a filter of sorts, and can significantly reduce the quantities and levels of pollutants from the incoming effluents streams. The removal of inorganic items is critical for the longevity of a municipal system, and ensures that wear and the potential for damage is significantly...

The topic of wastewater filtration isn’t exactly a popular one, but in all actuality it is actually quite interesting. There are several components that go into wastewater treatment, a crucial system in our daily lives, and the use of bar screens is one such aspect. Learning more about this small but important tool can shed light on just how much work goes into giving you a clean and safe home, work place and overall way of life. Installation Wastewater bar screens are fairly easy to install, and are a convenient and versatile tool, as any number of screens can be installed. The screens can also be sized appropriately to fit with an existing waterway, or be created anew as part of the construction of a new water treatment plant. These screens act essentially as small gates, and are assembled and installed usually by a team of professionals from the wastewater treatment facility. Filtration A wastewater bar screen is first and foremost used as a cleaning filtration system, to trap garbage and debris. These screens are actually the first level of defense, or first chance in a water cleaning system to trap and block such debris. As such, the screens are often installed around the center or start of a wastewater treatment plant. Some screens might also be used some yards away from the epicenter of the plant. Construction  These bar screens are usually made of very strong metal, often steel, to hold up to the water pressure, which can sometimes be intense. The screens consist of vertical metal bars, which are usually spaced out one to three inches apart to pick up some of the larger objects and garbage that might pass through a city’s water system. Screens with bars closer together are meant to pick up smaller debris. Designs Wastewater bar screens come in a series of different designs, each crafted to service filtration needs depending on where the screens are going to be used. Some of these screens use automatic cleaning systems powered by electric motors and chains (see some examples on this wastewater vertical bar screen manufacturer’s website). Some others have to be cleaned by hand or mechanically, typically by using a heavy metal rake. The self cleaning screens are considered more modern and have become very popular. Disposal Once the screens have successfully filtered the water, something must be done with the refuse that has been collected. In this system, as objects are collected by the screen the water level will rise, so the items must be collected and disposed of. The refuse objects typically go to a trash center or land fill, and are usually picked up by hand. The subject of wastewater filtration can actually be quite interesting, especially when you consider how essential it is to every day life. Water filtration supports literally the majority of life events, from cooking and showering to a night at a clean hotel. And wastewater bar screens are a key part of that process. It is amazing to think about how much power one simple tool can have on such a large and all encompassing...

When pertaining to our daily uses of the most essential resources, one cannot forget about the necessity of water. Water is the most necessary resource for all living things. However, not all forms of water is safe for every type of use. In order to ensure the water is safe for human contact and even consumption, it needs to undergo the filtration process which occurs in the sewage system that is most local to the infrastructure of where the water is being provided. A properly maintained and usable sewage system consists of wastewater recycling which enables the water to be healthy for human use. With the world’s population increasing by the minute, the requirement for clean water also reflectively increases. Therefore, the process of clean reclamation of water is a high demand function within the sewage industry. Reclaimed water, also referred to as recycled water, is basically wastewater that has undergone a process of decontamination and removal of solids and impurities to provide a usable clean water resource for humans. Reclaimed water can be used for landscaping, irrigation and recharging groundwater aquifers. Reclaiming water provides one of the greatest forms of economic benefits as it is an important aspect of water conservation efforts. The overall sewage treatment consists of removing contaminants from wastewater, household, domestic, commercial and institutional sewage systems. The sewage system implements physical, chemical and biological processes to remove the water from many forms of contaminants. The purpose of the sewage system is to provide the environment with a safe and functional fluid and solid wastes stream suitable enough for disposal or recycling. With the Headworks system, the applied technology enables the water recycling process to turn contaminated water into a form that becomes so pure that it becomes safe enough for all types of human use including drinking. The sewage process of purifying can be taken place nearby to where the waste is being created. It consists of a decentralized system of tanks, filters and treatment systems to collect the waste fluids and carry it through a network of pipes and pump stations to a centralized system of a local treatment plant. Headworks sewage treatment is usually subject and processing to meet with local, state and federal regulatory guideline...