With a BA in electrical engineering and an MBA, Thomas Wettermann has worked in industrial settings for more than three decades. He has also studied intellectual property law, and worked on the development of technical patent portfolios in his role as an electrical engineer for Chicago law firm McDonnell, Boehnen, Hulbert and Berghoff LLP. Some of Thomas Wettermann’s specializations include factory automation, air conditioning, pulp and paper, and wastewater treatment systems.
Wastewater from homes, offices, and industrial facilities contains a wide variety of sediments and toxins that need different procedures for removal. The most basic level of purification involves allowing heavy particles in contaminated water to settle in a contained space, such as a household septic tank. Over time, gravity pulls the sedimentation to the bottom and the water at the surface drains into a separate container. This is water treatment at the primary stage; it is generally the first step in the process, and it prepares the water for more refined secondary processes. Water at this stage is not consumable since lighter particles, germs, and water-soluble toxic chemicals are still present.
At the secondary stage, treatment plants attack biodegradable matter such as human waste and detergents. Using processes like biofiltration or oxidation, the filtering mechanisms draw out or break down materials using chemical reactions or microbes in controlled environments. Secondary-treated water is still unsafe to consume but it contains less environmental pollution.
At the tertiary treatment level, processes remove pathogens from the water. This requires microfiltration and disinfection using agents like chlorine, ultraviolet radiation, or ozone. Once the water is clear of pathogens, it is safe to use in homes and to return to groundwater in fragile ecosystems.
Quaternary treatment steps up the level of purity from tertiary treatment with a further line of oxidation processes or fine filtering that degrades even tinier contaminants. Fine filtering, one of the two popular treatment methods, employs a special membrane that cannot be penetrated by certain ions and other unwanted particles, trapping these contaminants on one side of the filter while water passes through.
