It's Only Wastewater, So Why Is Grit Removal Important?

By Author: Dan Bartels
Total Articles: 311
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When it comes to wastewater in industry, removing particles is probably one of the last things that you are concerned about. After all, this water is marked for waste, it is going to be treated accordingly, so why is there a need to remove any grit that is hanging in suspension? After all, the settling process should take care of it, right?

Actually, as we will see in this article, there are a few different reasons why your industrial wastewater treatment option needs to include grit removal among the first steps of a process to treat the water. The reasons vary from the legal to the financial to the chemical, so let's take a look!

The legal

Depending on the type of industry in which you work, it might be that local, provincial, or federal laws require the removal of certain types of grit before the water is treated. Remember, not all grit is just dirt; it can include many different elements and materials that can't be removed through the pooling process. Therefore, it may be that you are required to remove grit as a part of the treatment process.

The financial

Every piece of grit that remains ...
... in wastewater has the potential to cause damage to the methods by which the water is transported. This ranges from the pipe through which the water is carried right up to the filtration equipment you use in the next steps of water treatment. Solid particles forced along by water pressure, thousands of them each day, can really start to wear on many different areas of the water system. The inevitable result of this wear is increased costs to the business in terms of maintenance and replacement equipment.

The scientific

Remember not all grit is just dirt. In fact, no grit is just dirt, it is always made up of certain elements and ions that may be harmful not only to living processes, but also to the rest of the treatment process! Excess particles of certain natures may mean that absorption is hindered during the rest of the treatment process. Getting rid of the grit, then, will mean that the whole system functions as it should.

When it comes to wastewater treatment, every step must be followed in order to ensure that the entire process goes as it is supposed to. Grit removal is usually one of the first steps, because if it is not done right it may compromise the effectiveness of the entire system!