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11 common mistakes in wastewater treatment
1 . Ignore the importance of waste minimization for industrial effluents
Waste minimization may result the cheapest solution (and environmentally most correct) for the treatment and disposal of effluents.
2 . Bypass the feasibility study in order to save money and time
This study selects the best solution for the problem.
Bypassing it means adopting a potentially bad solution, expensive and/or with potential headaches.
The feasibility study for an investment of 10 million dollars may cost 150,000 dollars.
But, it may save 1-2 million dollars for the whole project, and will save time too !
The more money is "saved" in design and planning, the more money the project costs.
3 . Save money in sewage characterization
Many wastewater treatment projects, both municipal and industrial, fail due to an improper characterization of the effluents.
The composition of the effluents, their physico-chemical characteristics, toxicity and degradability MUST be
properly analyzed in order to develop a correct solution without surprises.
4 . Use shortcuts to save time
There is a way to do things, established by experience and reason.
Shortcuts usually become the longest, most complicated and most expensive way to do things.
"If the shortcut would be fine, the road would not exist."
Old Spanish proverb
5 . Go directly to providers of equipment and technology
Providers are not so interested to solve the problem of the client, but to sell their equipment.
Even if their equipment is neither the best technical solution nor the less expensive one.
Independent consultants are not interested to sell any equipment, but to sell knowledge:
how to solve the problem in the best possible way ... for the client.
Go first to an independent consultant.
6 . Ignore the environment around the treatment plant
A wastewater treatment plant is not an isolated installation. It affects -and is affected by- the surroundings.
These surroundings MUST be taken into account: the climate, ecology, population, culture, local characteristics, etc.
7 . Evaluate only investment; ignore operational costs
Investment is only one of the costs.
Operation, maintenance, reliability, flexibility and other important factors have long-term costs
that may surpass investment.
8 . Look for immediate solutions; ignore long-term needs
There exist clear trends in environmental protection, laws and standards.
And there are also changes in sewage quality, factory effluents, etc.
An immediate solution for the present requirements may be a bad one for the expected requirements in 3 or 5 years.
A good solution must look ahead and ensure that today's investment will be valuable at least during the whole next decade.
9 . Design "from inlet to outlet" instead of "from outlet to inlet"
Intelligent design begins by the outlet: present and future requirements for disposal.
Then it comes backwards.
Old conventional design "from inlet to outlet" results less effective and more expensive.
10. Underestimate the importance of sludge treatment and disposal
Sludge treatment and disposal may be as expensive as wastewater treatment.
Sometimes it is even more expensive.
There are technologies that minimize sludge production and other that recover the energy in the sludge.
11. Ignore energy consumption and potential energy recovery
Some "most advanced" treatment technologies consume a lot of energy. Other, instead, may produce energy from wastewater and sludge.
With the cost of energy running high, to ignore energy consumption and potential recovery may be a great mistake.
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