Ozone use for Wastewater Treatment has many uses and a wide variety of applications. Common ozone wastewater treatment applications:

-Wastewater disinfection

-Color removal from water

-Sludge reduction

-Odor removal from wastewater

-Degradation of toxic substances

Ozone can be cost effectively implemented for these applications in municipal wastewater streams, and industrial applications.  Many times ozone is a more cost effective solution that requires less space, and fewer chemicals that traditional treatment methods.

Wastewater Disinfection:

Ozone used for wastewater disinfection has the potential to lower/eliminate chemical additions into water providing for a green solution and save you money.  Ozone is a powerful oxidant that will provide excellent disinfection to any water stream. The oxidation potential of ozone is greater than that of all other chemicals used for wastewater disinfection.

Ozone ws initially utilized for disinfection of drinking water starting back in 1906. (history of ozone use)  The use of ozone for wastewater disinfection did not gain attention until the early 1970's.  By 1984 there were 43 operational municipal wastewater treatment plants utilizing ozone for disinfection in the United States alone.  However, the implementation of ozone in large scale municipal plants stagnated after about 1985.  This was due mostly to the low cost of chlorine, and the lack of regulation on chlorine residuals in water. 

Ozone use for wastewater disinfection has again gained attention in recent years.  Ozone is again becoming cost effective and necessary for three main reasons:

   1. Chemical costs have increased dramatically in recent years.  Handling costs, storage costs, and cost of the raw chemical have created a for a high cost for traditional chlorine and even chlorine dioxide.  This has allowed ozone to become a more cost effective solution.

   2. Regulations are getting tougher to meet with traditional chemicals.  Regulations on e.coli, and coliform bacteria are becoming lower and lower in most every state in the nation, and even worldwide.  Combine this with lower discharge limits on residual chlorine.  This requires higher chemical usage for chlorine removal from water after disinfection.  These lower discharge limits for bacteria, and chlorine create an atmosphere where ozone is very cost competitive, and may be the only viable option for some treatment facilities.

   3. Micro-pollutants, or Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC's) are becoming a major concern in rivers and lakes where wastewater is discharged.  Ozone or Advanced Oxidiation Processes (AOP) are proving to be the only viable option for removal of these contaminates in wastewater.

Add to these primary factors that ozone is a green technology that may reduce overall energy consumption and chemical residual in water and ozone looks very attractive for many plants.  Both municipal wastewater treatment plants, and industrial plants, such as meat packing plants have been investing in ozone systems for wastewater disinfection in recent years.

Color Removal From Wastewater:

Wastewater may have high levels of discoloration from industrial processes such as dye manufacturing.  Ozone has been proven to be an excellent oxidant to remove color from any water source cost effectively and simply.  In applications where wastewater simply has a high level of discoloration that is causing negative issues at the municipal wastewater treatment plant, rivers, or lakes, ozone is a great choice for color removal.

Sludge Reduction Using Ozone:

Ozone can be used to lower overall sludge production from wastewater treatment plants.  Ozone can also be used to treat sludge that is produced to improve dewaterablility, and break down sludge to minimize overall sludge production.

One of the greatest costs of operating a wastewater treatment plant is handling and dispelling of the generated sludge.  By implementing ozone to reduce overall sludge from the plant cost savings can be realized. 

Many applications and methods of ozone implementation into wastewater treatment have proven successful for sludge reduction.  For information about your specific plant and how ozone could lower your costs contact our ozone application engineers.

Odor Removal From Wastewater:

Odor removal using ozone is used worldwide for many commercial and industrial applications.  Ozone use for odor removal is most likely the most common use of ozone worldwide.  Ozone is commonly used in homes and businesses to remove odors from smoke, pets, and mold.  The same oxidation process that allows ozone to be so efficient in these applications can also be implemented in wastewater treatment and handling.

Odors are naturally generated from wastewater treatment processes, and handling processes.  Ozone can be implemented in many of these processes to reduce or completely eliminate odors.

Wastewater lift stations can implement ozone in the head-space of the lift station by forcing air mixed with ozone into this headspace.  When the water level in the pit of the liftstation increases and air is forced from the head-space this air will be treated with ozone and ensure all escaping air will be odor free.

Wastewater processes implementing aeration can implement ozone in the aeration process.  As this air has low solubility into the water much of the ozone will escape into the head-space.  The air escaping the process will not be free of odor.

There are many creative methods to implement ozone into wastewater treatment processes.  As urban areas encroach on sewer plants, and additional sewer plants are constructed near urban development, odor is of increasing concern.  Please call our application engineers for details on how ozone can be used to treat odor in your application.

Degradation of Toxic Substances:

Ozone can oxidize any substance that is not in it's complete oxidized state.  Therefore most toxic substances found in water can be oxidized by ozone for safe and cost effective removal without dangerous chemical by-products.

Common toxic substances oxidized by ozone in water:

     -Phenol

     -Benzene

     -Cyanide

     -Naphthalene

     -Olefins

     -Pesticides

     -Herbicides

     -Ammonia

     -Pentachlorophenol

     -Ethane

     -Atrazine

     -MTBE

     -Toluene

Click here for more compounds ozone will oxidize, along with reaction kinetics.

This is just a short list of common contaminated ozone is used to oxidize from water.  We can provide specific information and references for each of these, along with other information as required.  Please contact our office for more details.

Micropollutants, or Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC's) removal with ozone is gaining the most attention of all ozone and wastewater treatment applications. Ozone has proven to be the most effective oxidant at removing Micropollutant and EDC's from watewater either alone or used in conjunction with AOP processes.

The Lingo:

     -Micropollutants: substances that are found in relatively low concentrations that are difficult or impossible to remove with conventional treatment technologies.

     -Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDC’s): substances which impact the hormone functions of animals and humans

            -Naturally or industrially produced

            -Disrupt growth, development or reproduction

            -Influence the behavior of humans and animals

     -Endocrine System: consists of glands and hormones that regulates the development, growth, reproduction and the behavior of animals as well as humans.

     -Personal Care Products: fragrances, sunscreens, cleaning products, etc

     -EDC’s, pharmaceuticals and personal care products are groups of emerging contaminants

Build-up of EDC's in wastewater is of primary concern for plants that discharge into lakes, or rivers where water may move slow and allow levels to compound over time. In some locations this same body of water is used as a supply for drinking water plants. The Great Lakes region in the United States is a great example of a body of water that is used for wastewater discharge and drinking water supply that could have a build-up of EDC's in the water over time.

Ozone has been tested and proven effective in removing many EDC's in wastwater treatment systems. The following is a short list of EDC's ozone has been proven effective for:

     -Testosterone

     -Androstenedione

     -Progesterone

     -Estradiol

     -Estriol

     -Estrone

     -Ethynylestradiol

     -Carbamazepine

     -Bezafibrate

     -Diclofenac

     -Ibuprofen

     -Sulfamethoxazole

For a complete list, details on each EDC, or information about how ozone could be implemented as a pilot test, or full scale system contact our application engineers today.

View the Questionnaire for Waste Water Treatment so we can help design your Ozone System