They are the basis of how traditional wastewater treatment facilities operate:
- Primary Wastewater Treatment: it involves sedimentation of solid waste within the water. This is done after filtering out larger contaminants within the water. The water is passed through tanks and filters that separate water from the contamination.This primary batch of sludge contains nearly 50% of suspended solids within wastewater.
- Secondary Wastewater Treatment: makes use of oxidation to further purify wastewater. There are three ways to do it:
additional sediment is removed from wastewater.
- Aeration: entails mixing wastewater with a solution of microorganisms. The resulting
mixture is aerated for up 30 hours.
- Oxidation Ponds: utilizes natural bodies of water like lagoons. Wastewater passes
for a period of time and then is retained.
- Tertiary Wastewater Treatment: is mostly comprised of removing phosphates and nitrates from the water supply. Activated carbon and sand are materials that assist in this process.





