When it comes to planning and engineering waste water treatment systems, it is necessary to consider two fundamental aspects:
- Statutory and local requirements
- Origin of the waste water
The statutory requirements entail specific national rules defining the maximum limits for introducing treated water to public sewerage treatment systems. More stringent local thresholds may apply if the local sewerage treatment plant has only a limited capacity. Additional requirements always arise if the waste water is discharged directly into a receiving pond. In particular, there are limits on the volume of hazardous substances which may be discharged into small rivers or fish waters. In addition, most European countries have passed legislation stipulating decentralised waste water treatment in the case of certain substances.
Special factors relating to production processes
In addition to the discharge requirements, the composition of the waste water and, ultimately, the type of production processes used play a key role in the design of a waste water treatment system. Not only the type and concentration of the substances in the waste water but also information on recurring purification and special measures, such as disinfection of the entire production system, are relevant.
Our sector specialists are familiar with these production processes and will take account of such special factors when planning the waste water treatment systems. Thanks to many years of experience in the technical possibilities, they are able to select the optimum treatment system and adjust it in the light of local requirements. In addition to the customary process steps such as neutralisation and chemical/physical precipitation processes, we use various, more advanced treatment processes such as:
- Special ion exchange processes
- Chemical and thermal disinfection and inactivation
- Adsorptive processes (e.g. activated carbon)
- Aerobic and anaerobic processes
Removal of specific substances
Membrane processes such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, which allow individual substances or groups of substances to be filtered out, are becoming more and more important particularly as a means of removing trace materials such as medicines. By using these technologies, it is possible to re-use a large part of the treated waste water, thus ensuring more ecological processes while also achieving substantial cost cuts.
With our knowledge of production processes, media supply and the related waste water treatment processes, we are able to plan and install entire bespoke solutions addressing all parts of the customer’s water management system in the following industries:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Semiconductor production
- Food technology
- Energy production
This integrated approach ensures the necessary reliability in water management and treatment systems, while keeping the costs at economically viable levels.
