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After a lengthy process, the water is finally ready to be released into a river. In our lab, we dumped the water down the drain which represents our discharge. I found it interesting how the sludge from almost all of these steps were used as fertilizer. I always assumed they were just disposed of. We did the same in our lab. Almost everything was placed in the sludge container. This lab made me realize how important the wastewater process is. Although the process is a bit lengthy, it is essential to avoid pollution of our water sources.

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During the disinfection stage, the water is placed into tanks. To disinfect the wastewater, the use of chemicals such as chlorine or ozone gas is needed. Sometimes ultra violet light is also used. However, chlorine gas is the most commonly used chemical. All of this is done to kill some of the tiny organisms that still may be living. To simulate this activity, we added bleach to the water. When we compared the water to the control, we noticed our water did in fact become a bit lighter.

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In the secondary settling tank, the special organisms and germs from human waste cluster together and form heavy clumps. In most tanks, the water slows down which allows the clumps to sink to the bottom creating secondary sludge. There is a layer of clean water visible at the top as the sludge sinks. The secondary sludge is then removed, dried and used as a fertilizer. During the lab, we let the SST sit for one minute which simulates the slowing down of the water, allowing for the sand to sink to the bottom. After this, we poured the wastewater into the disinfection beaker leaving the secondary sludge behind. We placed the sludge into a container which represents how the sludge is collected and turned into fertilizer.

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Biological Treatment is the process of utilizing a mixture of tiny organisms to feed on the dissolved nutrients in the wastewater. Due to the conditions of the bioreactor, many germs die at this stage. This treatment is essential because without it, the dissolved nutrients could enter rivers causing pollution and lower oxygen levels. To simulate this, we used fine dry sand to represent the organisms that are used in the bioreactor. After stirring the contents in the bioreactor, we poured it into the secondary settling tank, ensuring nothing was left behind.

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Following the grit removal, the wastewater flows very slowly into a large tank. During this process, solids such as human waste settles to the bottom while light substances, such as oil, float to the top. The oil is then scraped off the surface and placed in a landfill. The sludge that settled at the bottom will eventually be treated and used as fertilizer. In our lab, we let the contents of the PST sit for one minute. We noticed that the heavier materials sunk down to the bottom while the tea leaves and oi floated to the top. We used a spoon with cotton, a net and elastic to act as our "scraper". Afterwards, we poured the wastewater into the bioreactor while having a finger act as a blockage of the primary sludge.

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Grit removal occurs after the wastewater has passed through the bars. In the grit chamber, the water slows down slightly which allows the heavy grit (things like sand, rocks and soil) to sink to the bottom. In our lab, we simulated this by stirring the wastewater then pouring it into the primary settling tank. We observed how the rocks settled to the bottom as they would in a real scenario.

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The first step, aside from creating our wastewater, was screening. In a real life situation, wastewater that arrives at a wastewater treatment works would pass through large bars to trap large objects while allowing the water to pass through. In our lab, we placed a net over our grit chamber, and poured the wastewater through the beaker. This step is essential because it is important to trap the large objects because they can cause damage.