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Factories should recycle wastewater to increase efficiency

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Recycling wastewater on-site is one of the easiest ways to manage the scarce resource. This solution is cost-effective and more beneficial to South Africa’s high water users, such as factories.Many local businesses can offer water treatment and recycling, including effluent and contaminated water solution services. One way to recycle water is to turn wasteful septic tank structures into eco-friendly and fully-functioning biological systems. This will reduce a business’s reliance on the municipal grid and will provide a good supply of non-potable water for flushing toilets and watering gardens.

How the improvement of septic systems works

According to Theunis Coetzer, business development manager at SewTreat (a South African wastewater solutions provider), septic tanks offer rudimentary treatment of sewage in an anaerobic zone. This means that chemicals such as ammonia and nitrates are left untreated. Harmful bacteria can also leak into the surrounding ground if septic tanks are not sealed properly or disinfected once unearthed. When recycling effluent, wastewater solution companies will install large, high-density plastic modules to septic tank systems to include an aerobic zone and a disinfection/water clarification zone. Naturally-occurring bacteria will feed on the harmful waste and filter the water, producing a sludge as a byproduct. The activated sludge that gathers in the clarifier is then added to the septic tank for seeding, where the microbes further digest the sludge.

Future benefits of recycling wastewater

These solutions offer easy configuration and expansion in the future, depending on a factory’s needs. “This investment in modular on-site wastewater treatment facilities ensure that the responsible treatment and recycling of the collected waste achieves the highest possible water saving,” says Coetzer. The treated water is stored in large holding tanks and is then fed to toilets and irrigation lines.Advances in technology are also making it possible to recycle wastewater into drinkable water, which will ultimately stop the need for business to draw water from the municipal grid. In the coming years, these systems will present a great return on investment for companies and factories with a high water usage.___Averda is a leading waste management provider with over 50 years of experience across three continents. Through growth, transformation and engagement, we strive to find new ways of managing waste while protecting the community and environment. ___By pairing international expertise with local insights, we have secured our position as one of South Africa’s most respected providers of waste management and industrial cleaning services. We also operate in the recycling, infrastructure inspection, hydro-demolition, high-pressure water jetting and catalyst handling industries. ___Follow us Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the best tips on recycling and the latest industry news. See our Instagram and YouTube channels for more insights into environmental affairs and our work with local communities.