At LAT Water, our team of experts work with companies across the UK as well as around the world in over 12 languages – providing international support and ensuring expert, localised knowledge of every area we operate in. As industrial manufacturing and associated processes produce some of the most toxic wastewater, we make it our mission to understand the chemicals, compounds, and substances that can be found in wastewater streams as well as finding the most effective and safe method of removal. 

This is why it’s important to work with an innovative wastewater treatment company that is an expert in their field!

Here are the top 12 services that are provided by industrial wastewater treatment companies such as LAT Water:

1. Bespoke Wastewater System Design

Industrial wastewater treatment companies such as ourselves have extensive expertise in designing customised treatment systems tailored to the specific needs of different manufacturing facilities in a range of countries across the world. We’ll consider factors such as wastewater composition, flow rate, and local regulatory requirements; as well as the physical location of the plant, the local climate, and more to design efficient and effective treatment processes – one size does not fit all in wastewater treatment! 

2. Advanced Treatment Technologies

To continue being able to provide innovative industrial wastewater treatment solutions that keep up to date with evolving modern standards, industrial wastewater treatment companies have to ensure they are updated on the latest industry developments and technological changes (including AI!). This also means that working with a specialised company reduces the pressure on your team to carry out this research, especially if you are short on resources or struggling to hire experts in this field.

3. Compliance Management

Regulatory compliance is a huge factor in many companies’ decision to work with an industrial wastewater treatment partner. Having the knowledge and experience to navigate permits, discharge limits, reporting requirements, and environmental compliance standards specific to industrial operations can not only be time-consuming but also very difficult to manage in-house without external support, especially if issues arise or changes to regulation disrupt your existing operations. This is where an external team can provide additional support and get you back on track.

4. Specialised Chemical Treatment

Industrial wastewater often contains complex and challenging contaminants that require specialised treatment approaches, especially for highly toxic or corrosive substances. Companies such as ours often employ chemists within the team who have expertise in chemical treatment methods and pH adjustment, which allows them to address specific pollutant types effectively and reduce harm to workers, the environment, and the wider public.

5. Resource Recovery

Unlike regular wastewater treatment companies, industrial wastewater treatment companies focus on resource recovery from wastewater streams, which is not only beneficial for building a more self-sustaining supply chain, but can also provide additional sources of revenue for your business! Our team can explore opportunities to extract and reuse valuable resources such as biogas, or further processes to create de-watered fertiliser, animal feed, soil conditioner, and lots more. 

6. Process Optimisation

Industrial wastewater treatment companies are usually better placed than most to understand the intricacies of different industrial processes across a range of sectors, and their knowledge gives them further insight into the impact on wastewater characteristics over time. Our teams can analyse performance and output which allows us to recommend optimised treatment options that ensure maximum efficiency, reduced energy consumption (even in winter!), and long-term cost savings. 

7. Emergency Response and 24/7 Support

Industrial facilities often work around the clock and may face unforeseen issues or emergencies related to wastewater treatment at inconvenient hours of the day or night! This is why our team offers 24/7 remote support and emergency response services to promptly address any disruptions, minimise your downtime, and mitigate potential environmental risks. In fact, as our LAT Unit can be controlled and monitored remotely, we will often be able to foresee issues before they’re reported – allowing us to act fast in resolving them before they impact your business operation.

8. Training and Education

Many industrial wastewater treatment companies such as ourselves can provide your teams with training and educational resources to help you make the most of not only the treatment plant’s functionality but also provide insight into your business’ wastewater composition. These training sessions usually cover topics such as system operation, maintenance, safety procedures, best practices for pollution prevention, and emergency risk management.

9. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

As our LAT Unit provides online monitoring and reporting, your team can view reports in almost real-time to ensure the continued effectiveness of the treatment systems. We can track key performance indicators, conduct regular sampling and analysis, and provide comprehensive reports on overall system performance, compliance, and efficiency. These reports have previously highlighted energy cost savings of over 70% for some of our biggest clients!

10. Ongoing Maintenance and System Upgrades

Your industrial wastewater treatment partner should provide routine maintenance services to help keep treatment systems operating optimally, especially following particularly hot or cold seasons. We can also recommend (and implement) a method for system upgrades or modifications suitable for your business to help adapt to evolving regulatory requirements over time. 

11. Cost Reduction

By reducing water consumption, minimising energy usage, and decreasing waste disposal costs, your organisation achieve significant cost reductions – but we appreciate this isn’t always possible! This is why our LAT Unit is specially designed to utilise waste heat as an energy input, thus significantly lowering your costs without changing any other parts of your standard processes. We can also implement a new water cooling system into your manufacturing process that uses treated wastewater instead of relying on freshwater resources – thus creating a self-sustaining, closed-loop system that directly improves your profitability and helps you achieve your environmental sustainability goals.

12. Positive Reputation

Showing a commitment to responsible wastewater management can enhance your company’s reputation, and working with a company such as LAT Water with growing recognition in environmental sustainability can be a huge plus! It helps demonstrate ethical business and supply chain practices as well as attracting environmentally-conscious clients, investors, and partners – ultimately leading to an increased market share and brand loyalty (especially amongst end consumers).

Contact The LAT Water Team

If you’re looking for a new industrial wastewater treatment provider with modern technology and around-the-clock support, contact our team on +44 (0)1635 635900 or by emailing info@lat-water.local. Download our corporate brochure for more details about our sustainable wastewater treatment solutions and check out the rest of our blog for more insights into the work that we do.

The post Top 12 Services Provided by Industrial Wastewater Treatment Companies appeared first on LAT Water.

Last week (9th August 2023), the American Chemical Society (ACS) shared the findings of a new research paper by a team of scientists from Beijing Anzhen Hospital in China who had found microplastics in human hearts for the first time as well as microplastics in patients’ blood. The researchers analysed the heart tissues of a sample of 15 patients and discovered 9 types of plastic including common types of recyclable plastic such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate); PMMA – poly(methyl methacrylate) – which is a common alternative to glass due to its shatter-resistant properties; and PU (polyurethane) which is used in household products and fashion items. 

The Journey of Microplastics into Industrial Wastewater Streams

Despite many attempts and past research, microplastic removal remains one of the main challenges of industrial wastewater treatment as engineers have struggled to find a removal solution that is 100% effective in removing microplastics 100% of the time. This is due to the plastics’ composition and miniature size as they do not react with other elements or dissolve. 

Microplastics can therefore infiltrate industrial wastewater through various sources:

The Manufacturing Process:

Potentially one of the more obvious is industrial manufacturing processes – when plastics are cut, moulded, or extruded, tiny specs of plastic can break off and get released into the air. 

The Finishing Process:

When products are washed, dyed, or painted, loose particles can also get swept away, creating further plastic pollution across multiple industrial wastewater streams. 

Final Product Degradation / Wear & Tear:

Over time, plastic products can degrade, chip, and scratch thus shedding even more microplastics. This can happen across different industrial processes as plastics are used in machinery, packaging, and transportation. 

Inadequate Waste Management:

As more and more plastics enter wastewater streams and cannot be fully removed, they can contribute to the release of microplastics beyond the manufacturing facilities. Alongside this, improper disposal of plastics can mean they end up in landfill – making leachate and landfill wastewaters increasingly abundant in microplastics. 

Addressing the Challenges Posed by Microplastics in Industrial Wastewater

So, what can we do to tackle these challenges and the rapid spread of microplastics? 

While initiatives such as reducing plastic food packaging, banning plastic straws, and mandating the use of recyclable plastics can help put us on the right path towards reducing the amount of microplastics we come in contact with; the problem of existing (and new) pollution still remains. 

However, improvements in technology over the years have helped sophisticate existing processes and remove smaller and smaller fragments. Thanks to the introduction of AI in wastewater treatment, companies are now able to perform more accurate sampling as well as track trends and changes in wastewater inputs as well as clean water outputs, thus assisting engineers in developing more effective mitigation strategies in the future. 

At LAT Water, our wastewater treatment solutions have been shown to recover over 85% clean water as a minimum from plastics washing wastewater – helping decrease the amount of harmful plastics in the environment. Depending on the type of wastewater your company produces and the complexity of the stream, our specially-engineered LAT Unit can additionally provide considerable operational savings (some of our clients see a 70% reduction in energy consumption!). Contact our team to arrange a sample analysis and accompanying report showing clean water recovery levels (more details at https://localhost/latwater/testing-facilities).

Contact The LAT Water Team

If you’re looking for a new industrial wastewater treatment provider with modern technology and around-the-clock support, contact our team on +44 (0)1635 635900 or by emailing info@lat-water.local. Download our corporate brochure for more details about our sustainable wastewater treatment solutions and check out the rest of our blog for more insights into the work that we do.

The post The Hazards Of Microplastics In Industrial Wastewater And The Treatment Options appeared first on LAT Water.

Before installing a wastewater treatment plant, it’s important to consider factors such as:

• The environmental impact of the installation (e.g. is the location suitable and large enough?) 
• Long-term running costs and fuel efficiency (e.g. how much will it cost to run in winter vs summer?)
• Wastewater treatment quality and effectiveness (e.g. what percentage of clean water can be recovered?)
• Recycling opportunities (e.g. what happens to the byproducts of the process?) 

What does wastewater treatment involve? 

Wastewater treatment is a process used to clean wastewater so it can be reused or disposed of safely and in line with local government regulations. Wastewater will be fed into the system and passed through the treatment plant to separate and remove the contaminants, which will then be held for further processing as required, and clean water will be released. 

As different companies will produce varying quantities and types of wastewater, the wastewater treatment plants will be configured to work for each company’s output and will be aligned with their environmental goals. This can include a target minimum water recovery rate, or a target for wastewater recycling whereby some of the treated wastewater is used as an input to supplement the company’s freshwater demand. These considerations help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water pollutants, and waste disposal expenses for some of the world’s largest wastewater-producing industries. 

The benefits of modern wastewater treatment plants

Modern wastewater treatment plants have come a long way in improving water quality, reducing environmental pollution, and providing more efficient treatment of wastewater than ever before. With modern technology and automation, wastewater treatment plants are safer for the workers and the public, making maintenance and long-term upkeep easier. 

Furthermore, many modern wastewater treatment solutions are more energy-efficient than their predecessors, reducing the demand for expensive fuel. At LAT Water, for example, we’re proud to have created a pioneering new wastewater treatment solution which recirculates water vapour through the system using waste heat as an energy source to supplement additional energy input: thus greatly reducing the cost of running and maintenance. Depending on usage, the LAT Unit will not only cut your operational costs by half, but will also pay for itself through savings in only a number of years. 

Factors to consider when investing in a modern wastewater treatment plant

Capacity 

One of the most important things to consider when investing in a wastewater treatment plant is capacity: although wastewater treatment plants are large in size, their capacity might not be compatible with the amount or type of wastewater your company produces. This is why the team at LAT Water always offer (and recommend!) booking in a consultation which includes sample testing and a full wastewater analysis report. 

Cost

Naturally, one of the most important considerations from a business perspective will also be running costs. Wastewater treatment plants are known for using a significant amount of electricity as they operate 24/7, 365 days a year – and temperature fluctuations can result in spikes of energy use during cold spells, which can of course greatly increase your company’s bills. 

Temperature 

Furthermore, many wastewater management solutions struggle with extreme temperature variation as they have an optimal operating temperature (especially those which use aerobic processes as the bacteria will become dormant if temperatures drop too low). This can be a challenge in areas such as China which experience extremes between -10.6°C (13.0°F) and 25°C (77°F) throughout the year – however, for our client, Daxin Landfill in China, the weather did not pose a problem and the LAT Unit delivered over 95% uptime.

Environmental impacts 

A modern wastewater treatment plant is a valuable investment for any community as an effective solution can improve water quality in the local rivers, which can have a knock-on effect on habitats, farming, crops, and households; as well as providing better opportunities for recreational activities through reduced surface and groundwater pollution. Effective wastewater treatment can also improve air quality and reduce odours, as well as make areas more appealing and reduce waste dumping. 

Cost-effectiveness of modern wastewater treatment plants

Advancements in technology have driven innovation forward for wastewater treatment and made processes more sustainable, and faster, as well as reducing the chances of mechanical breakdown. However, as manufacturing and product development evolves every day and people develop new ways to manufacture textiles, construction materials, cleaning products, cosmetics, food products, and more, new contaminants are constantly being introduced into the environment. 

As many modern wastewater treatment plants now include sensors for identifying changes in wastewater composition, pH, temperature, and lots more; we can adapt more quickly to industry changes and ensure a high-quality output. At LAT Water, our equipment can analyse wastewater remotely in almost real time to detect variations, meaning our team can be sent out to conduct a full investigation quicker and provide a proactive response to any change. 

Alongside this, we pride ourselves in providing up to 95% clean water recovery from some types of wastewater, as well as significant energy savings. In a recent case study with Broadpath Landfill in Devon, LAT Water delivered an overall operational cost reduction of 48% and a further 70% reduction in energy use at the site. The bespoke LAT Unit provided to Broadpath Landfill was able to treat 10m³/day of raw leachate using only 7kwhr/m³ of electricity – creating an innovative new solution that not only saved the company money long-term but allowed them to reuse and recycle the treated wastewater and its useful compounds. 

Contact The LAT Water Team

Meet us at The World Biogas Expo 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham on the 29th – 30th of March. We’ll be available on both days of the conference at stand D205. 
You can also contact our team on +44 (0)1635 635900 or by emailing info@lat-water.local. Download our corporate brochure for more details about wastewater treatment solution

The post Benefits Of Investing In Modern Wastewater Treatment Plants appeared first on LAT Water.

Since January 2021, LAT Water has worked with Broadpath Landfill to help the site optimise its energy efficiency, provide more effective leachate treatment onsite, and reduce operating costs. Within the pilot stages of the project which included a single LAT Unit capable of treating 10m³/day, the unit managed to deliver a 48% reduction in operational costs and a 70% reduction in energy use by utilising waste heat as an energy source and recirculating this through the system. The raw leachate stream had total dissolved solids (TDS) of over 5,500 with high levels of ammonia, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The system additionally recovered a minimum of 70% water from the stream and reached up to 90% for some samples. 

Depending on the complexity of a wastewater or leachate stream, the LAT Unit can recover up to 95% clean water and still provide considerable energy savings (contact us to arrange a sample analysis). Many leachate inflow streams are known to contain combinations of magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, mercury, and many others and these can be toxic to wildlife and natural habitats, as well as potentially fatal if released into freshwater streams. 

This is why LAT Water is on a mission to revolutionise industrial wastewater treatment by providing cost-effective wastewater and leachate treatment solutions for industries across the globe. 

What is leachate and why is it a problem?

Leachate is produced when landfill waste begins to break down and liquify, and often contains suspended solids, metals, and other harmful waste which can be extremely toxic to wildlife. Landfills tend to contain difficult-to-break-down waste which cannot be recycled, and can therefore be more harmful than organic waste which can be processed much faster using anaerobic digestion. Some items can remain in a landfill for many decades and even centuries (e.g. aluminium cans that have not been recycled, non-recyclable plastics, rubber sole boots, etc.) and this can mean leachate can become saturated with high levels of toxins. 

What creates leachate and what does it contain?

Alongside the decomposition process creating some of the water in leachate, rainwater can also filter through the waste and increase the water levels to create a larger and heavier wastewater stream. With Met Office statistics showing increases in rainfall and flooding year-on-year, higher levels of leachate are likely to be present at each landfill location, making efficient leachate treatment even more urgent. 

What are the different types of leachate?

Leachate is usually categorised into three different types: young, intermediate, and old. These types take into consideration the physical age of the leachate as well as its composition. Young leachate tends to be less than 5 years old and contains more organic matter and has high COD and BOD values; intermediate leachate tends to be up to 10 years old; and old leachate is over 10 years old with an alkaline pH and high levels of ammonia nitrogen. 

Is leachate a good fertiliser?

Although leachate can have high levels of nitrogen, it contains too many metals and other toxins which makes it unsuitable for use as fertiliser without further processing. Digestate, however, which is produced as a byproduct of anaerobic digestion, is a very popular fertiliser. 

Contact The LAT Water Team

Find out more about our leachate treatment and wastewater management solutions by contacting our team on +44 (0)1635 635900 or emailing info@lat-water.local. You can also download our corporate brochure for more details. 

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