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Treatment Plant

Last updated: June 18, 2020

What Does Treatment Plant Mean?

A treatment plant refers to a plant or installation that is used to purify contaminated substances. These substances may be solid, liquid and semi-solids. Treatment plants are named after their treated substances, for example:

  • Wastewater treatment plant – treated wastewater
  • Effluent treatment plant – treated effluent
  • Sewage treatment plant – treated sewage
  • Water treatment plant – treated water

A treatment plant is necessary in an industrial process to treat wastewater. It reduces industrial water consumption and environmental pollution. A large volume of industrial on-site wastewater might be reusable by treating it in the treatment plant.

Treatment plants also produce residual chlorine, sludge and bio-solids that are a concern to the environment.

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Corrosionpedia Explains Treatment Plant

In a treatment plant, waste or contaminated substances are treated with various means and produce purified substances that are reusable in the process or discharge to the environment, and that are safe.

Without the correct treatment plant, an industry can suffer from scale formation, corrosion and fouling in the cooling system, and it may be a source for harmful bacteria. The proper conditioning of water can increase efficiency, span plant life and plant safety.

The treatment plant involves three stages:

  • Primary treatment – solids are screened and settled out of the wastewater. They flow through a screen and then typically flow to a grit chamber and a sedimentation tank.
  • Secondary treatment – bacteria and other small organisms consume the waste and help clean the water. This is done through an activated sludge process and then to another sedimentation tank to settle impurities.
  • Tertiary treatment – this is needed to remove additional pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • Disinfection – this is usually done with chlorine to kill more than 99% of harmful bacteria.

In a treatment plant, sludge and biosolids are produced and discharged. Concentrated solids can be placed in landfills and incinerated, as well as use as a soil nutrient.

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