A wastewater aeration system plays an important role in the treatment of wastewater. Aeration is the process of adding oxygen or air into wastewater to enable aerobic biodegradation of pollutants in the wastewater. It is an important part of most biological treatment systems. Chemical systems are very different from biological systems since chemical systems use chemicals to react to the contaminants and stabilize them. On the other hand, biological systems use microorganisms that exist naturally in wastewater to react and degrade the contaminants in the wastewater.
When to use aeration
In the industrial and municipal treatment of wastewater, aeration is part of the secondary treatment process stage. The activated sludge process is a common option in secondary wastewater treatment. Wastewater aeration is an activated sludge process and it is based on pumping air into a tank that promotes the growth of microbial in the water. These microbes then feed on the organic material. They form flocks that can settle out easily.
After settling in a settling tank, the bacteria that form the flocks are recirculated back into the aeration basin to increase the decomposition rate.
How does aeration work?
The bacteria in the wastewater requires oxygen to survive and that is why aeration is important – it supplies the bacteria with the required oxygen. For biodegradation to occur, the bacteria require oxygen. The supplied oxygen is then utilized by the bacteria to break down organic matter that contains carbon. The byproduct of this process is water and carbon dioxide.
Without proper wastewater aeration equipment, there won’t be enough oxygen and this means that the bacteria will not be able to biodegrade the organic matter in a reasonable time. Without dissolved oxygen, degradation will occur under septic conditions and this is an odorous, slow process that yields incomplete conversions of pollutants. Some of the biological processes convert Sulphur & hydrogen to form hydrogen sulphide and carbon is transformed into methane under septic conditions.
Other carbon is converted into organic acids with low pH conditions in the basin and this makes the water difficult to treat. It also promotes the formation of odour. Organic matter biodegradation in the absence of oxygen is a very slow process.
The importance of wastewater aeration
Aeration is the most important component of a wastewater treatment system using the activated sludge process. When an aeration system is well-designed, it has a direct impact on the level of treatment it achieves. An evenly and ample distributed oxygen supply in an aeration system ensures rapid, effective and economically viable wastewater treatment.
Aeration equipment
The wastewater aeration system plays an important role in the quality of wastewater treatment. It is therefore important for users to understand that there are different types of aeration pieces of equipment that they can choose from. Depending on your needs, the size of your wastewater treatment facility, your budget and the experience of your employees, you should choose an aeration system that meets your needs. It is also important for your aeration equipment to be well maintained for efficient functioning.