For many businesses, especially those operating across manufacturing and mining, wastewater treatment can require significant resources and investment due to the quantities of wastewater generated and the complexity involved in the treatment process.
Due to this, industrial wastewater treatment and management is becoming one of the biggest challenges across the world, and with the rising cost of living and running a business, companies are being forced to pass more and more of these expenses to their on customers – thus affecting the whole supply chain.
Effective wastewater treatment is critical for the safety of local residents but also the environment – industrial wastewater can contain a variety of pollutants, including but not limited to industrial chemicals, heavy metals, organic organisms, and toxins. If not properly treated, industrial wastewater can damage ecosystems and even pose a health risk to humans.
This is why choosing the right industrial wastewater treatment company for your business is so critical – a good company will not only have the expertise to treat your specific type of wastewater effectively, but will also be able to provide further guidance to support your business as a whole and make your operational processes even more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Here are some of the factors you should consider when choosing an industrial wastewater management company:
- The type of wastewater you generate
Even within the same industry, no two wastewater streams will be exactly the same! The type of wastewater you generate will always need to be analysed before a bespoke solution for treatment can be engineered (and to provide an indication of the level of treatment we can provide, we offer initial sample testing in our MicroLAT). In some industries such as the agricultural or food and beverage industries, the byproducts of wastewater treatment can create new products such as plant fertiliser or soil conditioners which can be reused within the supply chain as a cheaper and more sustainable way to grow crops.
- The volume of wastewater you generate
Alongside the type of wastewater, the volume of wastewater you generate is usually one of the other key areas an industrial wastewater treatment company will want to learn more about before offering a bespoke treatment solution. As most treatment plants will have an optimal input flow volume, sometimes more than one treatment plant can be required per site in order to effectively treat the volume of wastewater being produced. (At one of our landfill sites, we installed two LAT Units working together to achieve a clean water recovery rate of 85%).
- Your budget
Wastewater treatment can be a big company investment as your partner company will often provide services over a number of years and may even make up part of your company’s long-term operational or environmental strategy. This is why it’s important to be open with businesses about your budget as they may have a range of options for achieving a desired outcome or may be able to offer further guidance and support. At LAT Water, our wastewater treatment plants have consistently helped our clients reduce their operational costs as the LAT Unit uses waste heat as an energy source, allowing for maximum energy recovery from existing resources and reducing your energy requirements. (Remember that the Government also makes a number of grants available to businesses to help them become more sustainable.)
- The provider’s commitment to environmental sustainability
Working with a wastewater treatment partner whose environmental sustainability goals align with your business will make it easier to achieve a desired outcome as you’ll know you’re both working towards the same end goal. Treatment companies that are invested in making a difference environmentally will also usually be more forward-thinking and innovative, meaning they are also more likely to have the latest technologies at their disposal.
- The provider’s location & ability to provide remote services
In the age of working from home, it’s important to know your wastewater treatment provider can assist your teams remotely and provide good customer service across your physical and virtual locations. For example, the LAT Unit can be controlled and monitored remotely from anywhere – giving you complete visibility of the system 24/7 and alerts to any emerging issues. When required, LAT Water’s engineers will also be on-hand to provide repair and maintenance support onsite.
Here are some additional tips for choosing an industrial wastewater management company:
- Get quotes from several different companies before making a decision and aim to get a sample analysis with your top companies to ensure they can provide the service you need.
- Ask about the company’s maintenance and repair policies, and where possible, look to find out the typical uptime of their plants throughout each season of the year to assess how the plant operates during periods of high and low temperatures.
- Get everything in writing, including the terms of the service agreement – might go without saying, but it’s very important to ensure every conversation you’ve had with your solutions provider is reflected in the final contract so you can be sure of the service you’ll be getting long-term and any applicable warranties and guarantees are clearly stated.
By following these tips, you can be sure to choose an industrial wastewater management company that will meet your needs and provide you with the service you deserve.
FAQs:
What are the major criteria for selecting a site for a wastewater treatment plant?
Some of the key factors involved in site selection include the size of the required plant and the number of treatment plants that will be installed, proximity from residential areas (taking into consideration pending proposals for construction), land formation (e.g. type of soil, the slope/incline, underground stability, etc.). Other criteria may also include distance from main roads and route accessibility for large vehicles to ensure the wastewater treatment plant’s parts can be delivered for initial construction as well as future maintenance.
How do you choose a wastewater treatment process?
Usually, the treatment requirements and process will be determined by the type of wastewater produced, the volume of wastewater produced, and arrangements for the treated wastewater and its byproducts. For example, a distillery may recycle treated wastewater as part of its cooling system and the byproducts of wastewater treatment may be turned into crop fertiliser – meaning the treatment process will need to include a way to separate these products and filter them to different locations around the site.
Contact The LAT Water Team
If you’re looking for a new industrial wastewater treatment provider, contact our team on +44 (0)1635 635900 or by emailing info@latwater.com. 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.
