A stream must be assessed before allowing wastewater to enter.
Assimilative capacity is the process used to determine the ability of a stream to accept water from a waste treatment plant. Determining the stream's capacity is based upon the self-purification abilities of the stream and effects from introducing the new water.
Assimilation Principles
The impact of water from a waste treatment plant to a stream is based on two principles. The stream does not consist of a sterile environment. The stream serves as an extension of the treatment process. These principles allow a method to determine how the stream will accept, ingest and dispose of the waste.
Stream Models
A mathematical model can be created to determine the effects of a specified amount of waste on a certain stream. This avoids the possibility of the stream falling below acceptable standards. The model allows the prediction of the effects of additional discharges of waste by other facilities. Ideally, the discharge of water increases while the total poundage of waste remains constant.
Dissolved Oxygen
A major factor in the health of a stream is the level of dissolved oxygen in the water. The dissolved oxygen level directly impacts creatures such as fish that obtain oxygen from the water. Oxygen is also necessary for bacteria to decompose the waste.
Tags: dissolved oxygen, from waste, from waste treatment, treatment plant, waste Stream
