How is wastewater treated for use as recycled water?

Water treatment technology has been developed to mimic nature's cleansing process. Prior to its use, recycled water undergoes four levels of purification to produce a high quality water that meets or exceeds water quality standards.

Primary Treatment Stage

The wastewater is collected in large tanks where settled and floatable materials are removed for further treatment and disposal. The wastewater, which still contains dissolved and suspended organic material, continues to the next stage of processing.

Secondary Treatment Stage

The wastewater is further treated in aeration tanks which contain naturally occurring microbes and enzymes that consume the remaining dissolved and suspended organic material. Air is bubbled through the tanks to supply the microbes with oxygen. Settling is then used to separate these microbes from the treated water.

Tertiary Treatment Stage

Filtration and disinfection processes, using specialized granular material or membrane filters, are used to remove any remaining suspended solids.

Show All Answers

1. Is recycled water safe to use?
2. What is recycled water?
3. How is wastewater treated for use as recycled water?
4. How is recycled water distributed?