Every gallon of treated wastewater that leaves your plant carries the reputation of your utility — and the health of everyone downstream who swims in, fishes from, or draws water from that receiving stream. Secondary treatment removes most of the organic matter and suspended solids from sewage, but it does not reliably remove the disease-causing organisms that entered the plant in raw wastewater. Effluent disinfection is the final, deliberate treatment step standing between your plant and a public health incident — and understanding why and how it works is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any wastewater operator.
Why We Disinfect Effluent
Domestic wastewater contains microorganisms shed by every person connected to the sewer system, including people who are sick. After preliminary, primary, and secondary (biological) treatment, effluent quality has improved enormo