Industrial Wastewater Treatment

What is wastewater treatment?

Wastewater refers to the treatment of contaminated water and the treatment and disposal of the removed contaminants. When water is used for municipal and industrial purposes it can become contaminated. These contaminants must be removed from the water prior to its return to our environment or for reuse. The treatment on wastewater requires various processes that can involve chemistries and equipment.

Wastewater is all encompassing of the processes designed to produce water acceptable for discharge or reuse and the treatment of the contaminants removed for reuse, reclamation, or disposal.

Soluable and insoluable contaminants

Soluble and insoluble contaminants are precipitated, coagulated, flocculated, and or filtered from the wastewater. Once removed from the wastewater, these contaminates are now considered sludge or oily waste. These concentrated wastes still contain large amounts of water which must be removed prior to further processing.

The processing of the concentrated wastes can include sludge thickening, sludge dewatering, filtering, oil re-refining or other application specific treatments. The goal of sludge and oily waste treatment is to produce a product suitable for reclamation, reuse, or disposal in approved landfills.

Diagram-Water-WastewaterIndustrialProcess

Industrial wastewater process

The treatment of contaminated water allowing for discharge to public water treatment plants (POTW), public water ways or internal reuse.

1. Equalization: equalizes flow and contaminants
2. Primary Treatment: flotation and/or clarification removes suspended material
3. Secondary Treatment: removes dissolved and organics through biological action
4. Filtration: sand removes fine particles, carbon removes organics
5. Sludge Processing: removes water from sludge
6. Waste Oil Processing: removes water and solids from oil

Application road map for successful wastewater jar testing

The ability to jar test and demonstrate the benefits of your program to a customer is at the core of being a successful wastewater professional. The Application Road Map for Successful Jar Testing series focuses on the 6 major challenges you may encounter while jar testing. We offer a logical road map on how to resolve each challenge and provide a method for product selection.

View the Application Road Map for Successful Jar Testing

Wastewater treatment products

We offer an extensive line of wastewater treatment products and the expertise to assist with all wastewater applications.


Activated carbon	Biocides	Coagulants
Defoamers	Filtration media	Flocculants
Heavy metals removal	Nutrient blends (Bioaugmentation)	Odor control
Permanganates	pH adjusters	Scale inhibitors

: This document is for informational purposes only. You accept sole responsibility for reading and complying with the Safety Data Sheets (SDS’s), as well as any other safety information, relating to the products listed herein. The information contained herein is based on Brenntag’s knowledge at the time of publication or release and not on any publications, independent studies, empirical evidence or other form of verification. You should not use or rely on any statements contained herein as a basis for any representations or warranties to your customers or end users as to the safety, efficacy or suitability of any product or for purposes of ensuring your compliance with any laws or regulations. Brenntag makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or as to fitness of any product for any particular purpose. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as an authorization to use or an inducement to practice any patent, trade secret or other intellectual property right. Before producing and distributing any product, it is your sole responsibility to adequately test and document the performance of the product and acquire any required intellectual property rights. You assume all risks for failing to do so and Brenntag shall not be liable (regardless of fault) to you, your employees, customers or end users or any third party for direct, special or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with the furnishing or use of this information. Please contact your local Brenntag representative if you have any questions about this information.