Dissolved air flotation system for waste water treatment: Which Industries can benefit?

For industries that deal with fats, oils, grease and other similar solids, waste water from their facilities first needs to undergo treatment before it can be routed into the main sewage system. This initial treatment process is important because such solids can clog municipal pipes and result in the backing up of sewage.

To effectively remove unwanted solids from waste water, the dissolved air flotation technique is one of the most useful methods available. This waste water treatment system uses sand filters to remove partially dissolved solids from your waste water with a high level of efficiency.

How Dissolved Air Flotation works

If your industry deals with floating solids that cause a headache during waste water disposal, the dissolved air flotation technique can remove these stubborn components from your waste water.

But how does it work?  This waste water treatment process begins with adding pressurised water (with dissolved air) into a special flotation vessel. The waste water from your business then enters this flotation vessel for treatment. Inside the vessel, dissolved solids will combine with air bubbles and float to the surface.

This surface effluent (called sludge) is removed from the rest of the waste water and pumped into a dewatering machine. The remaining water is then removed and channelled to downstream water treatment processes.

Many industries can benefit from dissolved air flotation. In fact, any company that deals with partially dissolved solids in their waste water can benefit from this technique.

1. Slaughterhouses

Slaughterhouses face two unique challenges with their waste water. First, the water often contains semi-dissolved fats, grease and oils. Secondly, the water contains high oxygen levels that may overload a municipal waste treatment plant.

Dissolved air flotation can reduce both dissolved and high oxygen content. The compressed air contained in flotation devices not only removes solids, but it also lowers the concentration of oxygen in the waste water.

2. Bakeries

Bakeries often discharge waste water with large amounts of flour, butter, eggs and other similar suspended solids. Therefore, this water needs to be pre-treated before it can be discharged into the main municipal supply.

Dissolved air flotation comes in handy when removing suspended solids from bakery waste water. The flotation devices of this treatment method contain microscopic air bubbles that attach tiny suspended solids from bakery waste.

3. Mining

Mining companies often face the challenge of removing metal deposits from their waste water. Metals such as iron ore, lead, uranium and nickel can pollute the municipal waste water system if not pre-treated. Luckily, mining companies can take advantage of dissolved air filtration to remove traces of heavy metals from their waste water.

This is primarily done by forming insoluble precipitates from the present metals in the water supply. The precipitates can then be suspended on the surface as sludge by using compressed air.


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