Treating municipal wastewater

This chapter describes the systems used to treat municipal wastewater subject to diverse local constraints and with a view to obtaining the qualities required to allow discharge (per local standards) or even re-use, including the most stringent demands (see indirect re-use as drinking water or as ultra pure water).

The reader is advised to refer to chapters Fundamental physical-chemical engineering processes applicable to water treatment and Fundamental biological engineering processes applicable to water treatment for a description of the fundamentals relating to the physical-chemical and biological treatment processes applied, as well as to chapters Pre-treatments, Flocculators – settling tanks – flotation units, Biological processes, Methane fermentation, Filters, Using ion exchangers and Separation by membranes for a description of the Degrémont^® technologies (pre-treatment, settling tanks, filters, biological systems, membranes) included in the treatment trains described in this chapter.