top of page
50% blue slash.png
25% blue slash.png
25% blue slash.png

INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT TREATMENT

Industrial wastewater requires different treatment processes depending on the origin and nature of the effluent. Each process is designed specifically to ahieve improvements in the quality of the  wastewater at each stage before it can be reused or safely discharged into the environment.

ClearEdge are specialists in industrial wastewater treatment, with over 25 years experience in building and maintaining treatment plants across Africa.

BIO-AUGMENTATION - A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

Clearedge's systems treat the industrial waste biologically using a Submerged Aerated Fixed Film (SAFF) process by first implementing a “Bio-augmentation” program aimed at growing a population of bacteria in the bioreactors designed to degrade heavily contaminated waste water.

Many types of bacteria are available and are specific to certain levels of BOD / COD / TSS / FOG levels and different industries. Once degraded and reduced, the influent is treated as a domestic wastewater treatment plant to get a final effluent suitable to either discharge into the sewer lines, into open surface areas, or to be re-used as process water.

Clearedge typically treats industrial waste water in 2 stages – a Preliminary Treatment stage and a Biological stage.

 

The Preliminary Treatment may include some or all of the following:

1.    pH correction
2.    Primary and tertiary clarification/settlement
3.    Flocculation
4.    Coagulation and precipitation
5.    Oil and grease removal

Preliminary treatment creates a favourable environment for bio-augmentation, and can reduce suspended solids and associated COD / BOD, thus reducing the load on the organic filters.

​

The second stage is Organic Treatment which may involve Aerobic and/or Anaerobic treatment.

ANAEROBIC TREATMENT

  • Removal of nutrients with no energy input.

  • Digestion of sludge to reduce or eliminate sludge build up and handling.

  • Typically is used to reduce the COD of effluents prior to aerobic treatment.

  • Very concentrated effluent may be a source of bio gas which is released during anaerobic treatment.

AEROBIC TREATMENT

  • This process requires air and a highly concentrated population of bacteria.

  • This process can produce very clean effluents. which can be reused as process or wash water.

  • By reusing water from this process costs can be off set with significant financial and environmental benefits.

Using a combination of the above processes we can design and install treatment systems to treat most industrial waste streams.

PAST PROJECTS

Common industrial wastewater sources include:

​

  • Breweries

  • Dairies

  • Slaughter Houses

  • Pulp & Paper

  • Food Processing

  • Starch Metal Plating Industries

  • Effluent from Cooling Towers

​

Common uses for recycled waste water include:

​

  • Cooling Tower feed

  • Car & Truck Wash

  • Toilet flushing

  • Process water

  • Cooling water

5% blue slash.png
5% blue slash.png
5% blue slash.png
Bio-augmentation Graph.png

Industrial effluent is characterised by:

•  High BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand)
•  High COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand)
•  High Nitrogen Content
•  High Phosphate content from detergents
•  High Fat, Oil & Grease (FOG)

bottom of page