Solid Waste Generation - Your Chemical Program Could Be to Blame

High solids production is a common complaint from wastewater treatment system operators. These solids are leftover from the treatment process, sent through a filter press, and left over as a filter cake. In a lot of cases, the filter cake itself is hazardous, which compounds the annoyance of solid waste because they need to be disposed accordingly. The request for solids elimination is a very common one that manufacturers pose to wastewater treatment companies.

If you are experiencing high solids, you should be aware that generic chemical programs like those that you'll receive from many wastewater treatment companies could actually be causing the high solids problem. These same companies would recommend installing additional capital equipment to lower the solids, rather than modifying the treatment program. You may want to research a company who offers custom treatment programs.

Generic Treatment Programs

These programs are often the cheapest cost per pound of chemicals. Generic treatment programs typically include one chemical to treat each specific contaminant. This means that you end up with multiple chemicals used in multiple one-on-one matches with their respective contaminants. This approach is inefficient and akin to trying to kill a fly with a shotgun. The result is a significant increase in excess sludge and addition to total dissolved solids (TDS) and even a higher consumption of chemicals overall. In fact, these methods can generate about 2 to 3 times more sludge than custom blends produce. In many cases, the sludge will be classified as hazardous, which requires more care to dispose.

Some examples of generic treatment chemicals include: lime, ferric chloride, calcium chloride, and alum.

Custom Treatment Programs

These treatment programs are designed specifically for the contaminants they will treat. Unlike the generic treatment approach, custom treatment programs utilize custom-formulated blends that include multiple chemicals in order to produce one product. This one product is a targeted treatment approach that eliminates the contaminants and produces much lower solid waste. Additionally, the few solids that are produced will more likely be non-hazardous and therefore less difficult to dispose. Custom blends are ideal as a pretreatment step for water reuse systems because they increase the water recovery rate by lowering the total solids, TSS, and TDS.

Custom treatment programs can be organic, inorganic or a blend of inorganic and organic.

Water Reuse and Chemical Treatment Programs

The most effective water reuse systems utilize membrane filtration technology (such as high pressure reverse osmosis). These systems are most successful when they receive water that has low TDS. The higher the solids, the more difficult it is to reuse the water. In other words, lower solid generating treatment programs are ideal for water reuse applications because they already reduce TSS, TDS, and total solids.

Manufacturers who switch from generic operations programs to a custom treatment program can expect up to 75% reduction in filter cake generation. This leads to a significant reduction in disposal costs and hazardous waste generation. It also makes wastewater more viable for reuse. These results help companies meet waste and cost reduction goals as well as environmental goals.

Lacy M. Hatcher invites you to read more about industrial water solutions at http://www.prochemwater.com. When you work with ProChem, Inc., your water solution is tailored to your facility's needs, providing you with results, customized support, and access to everything you need to meet your unique water goals.

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