Wastewater treatment plant

Wastewater treatment plants are essential for keeping water clean and safe. Without proper treatment, pollution would harm ecosystems and human health. The process of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs or ETPs) goes beyond simple filtration. Each stage eliminates pollutants before water is safely released back into nature. Beyond protection, modern plants also support sustainability by [generating biogas from sludge and recycling treated water for industrial and agricultural use. As technology advances, wastewater treatment becomes more efficient through systems with energy-saving processes and advanced filtration.

Wastewater plant treatment can be divided into four key stages: preliminary, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment. Each phase targets different types of contaminants, gradually purifying the water.

1. Preliminary treatment: Physical removal of large solids and sand
2. Primary treatment: Separating solids from liquids
3. Secondary Treatment: Letting bacteria do the hard work
4. Tertiary treatment: Making water safe for the environment

Wastewater treatment isn’t just about cleaning water—it’s also about following strict laws. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates how plants operate and sets safety standards for treated water.

In Europe, there is the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Operators must test water quality regularly and report their results. If they fail to meet legal requirements, they risk fines or shutdowns. That’s why compliance is a top priority for each wastewater treatment plant.

Industrial facilities, in particular, must follow extra regulations since their wastewater contains chemicals or heavy metals. Plants often customize their treatment processes to meet these stricter standards. System experts such as those of Paques help them with this.

Operating a wastewater treatment plant system requires constant attention. Even small errors can lead to equipment breakdowns, water contamination, or regulatory violations.

Daily monitoring and maintenance

Operators must regularly check the quality of the treated water. This includes testing for pH levels, bacteria, and chemical concentrations. If something isn’t right, adjustments must be made immediately. Proper equipment maintenance is just as important. Filters, pumps, and aerators must be cleaned and maintained before problems arise. Modules such as an external biomass separator can also help extend the service life of equipment. Anyway, regular upkeep keeps the entire system running efficiently.

Managing biological and chemical balance

Secondary treatment relies on bacteria to break down waste. But these microbes need the right conditions to survive. Operators must monitor oxygen levels, temperature, and nutrient balance. If bacteria die off, the treatment process could fail. Especially in current times of higher loading and stricter regulations, system retrofit is a lucrative way to optimize sludge conditions and make bioreactors more efficient and reliable.

The same applies to chemicals like chlorine or coagulants (which help particles clump together). Using too little won’t disinfect the water properly. Using too much can harm wildlife when the water is released. Balancing these elements is crucial for effective wastewater treatment.

Paques offers various world-renowned wastewater treatment plant systems that are economically ánd ecologically sustainable. For wastewater recycling and resource recovery, as well as for biogas production and purification.

Since 1981, the wastewater treatment systems of biotech company Paques has offered high returns to 3300+ customers in 61+ countries. The world-renowned biological wastewater treatment plant systems help commercial industries and water service providers on the way to a circular economy by imitating nature. With our systems, companies can reduce fresh water usage, recover precious resources, decrease carbon footprints and meet strict effluent requirements.

For example, 25.8 million kg of organic pollution is treated with over 1500 anaerobic BIOPAQ® installations of Paques worldwide. These biological treatments systems produce an amount of biogas equal to the natural gas requirements of 2.8 million households in the Netherlands – and additionally reduce 11.2 Mt CO2 per year.

And since Paques pioneered the first biological Anammox system in 2002, ANAMMOX® has become the world’s most used nitrogen removal system.

Modern wastewater treatment plants are not only used to effectively treat and recycle wastewater. They are also used to recover useful elements like metal or phosphate, produce biogas, and desulfurize gas in a cost-effective ánd sustainable way. Choosing the right systems is thus key to sustainable success in a circular economy. The multi-purpose wastewater treatment systems of biotech company Paques are ecologically ánd economically sustainable. Moreover, these water treatment systems are so effective in resource recovery, that they give companies an edge regarding resource management.

Our experts are ready to help you select and design the best combination of our 18 world-renowned wastewater treatment plant systems to meet the specific wishes and demands of your plant.
Our experts can help you turn:

• wastewater into clean water
• biogas into grid-ready energy
• regulation challenges into sustainable leadership
• an inefficient, low-rate treatment system into an efficient, high-rate recycling system