If you are experiencing wastewater toxicity or treatability challenges, RespirTek’s Technical Team can assist you in site-specific test designs to provide confidence to both dischargers and wastewater treatment plant management. Our staff offers years of experience working directly with significant industrial user companies and POTWs to ensure compliance with regulatory agencies. RespirTek’s respirometry-based wastewater assessments represent the best of respirometric science combined with biochemical and microbiological analyses to assist you in problem-solving wastewater issues. Since microbial respiration and substrate consumption are linked in microbiological systems, our automatic respirometers enable a higher degree of insight by monitoring the microbial respiration in real-time. These measurements are used to evaluate microbial kinetics, oxygen demand, and oxygen uptake rate in various configurations to evaluate the impact of new waste streams or to troubleshoot negative impacts on the POTW from current discharges.
Why Wastewater Testing Matters
Wastewater lab testing is essential for identifying potential health and environmental risks in your wastewater that could affect your community. Wastewater isn’t just water — it’s possible for a wide range of contaminants to make their way into the water as well. By working with a wastewater testing lab, your organization can learn more about what you’re putting into the environment and how it’s affecting the world around you.
Infectious diseases can spread through wastewater. Conducting wastewater tests helps identify what bacteria are currently present in the water and take steps to prevent the spread of disease. Wastewater tests can also assist communities in monitoring and quickly responding to the spread of disease. For example, many cities have used wastewater testing methods to track the spread of COVID-19 over time.
Working with a wastewater testing lab can also help assess your business’s environmental impact. Pollutants in wastewater can affect the health of local plants and animals. It’s also possible for wastewater contaminants to linger in the air and negatively affect air quality. By applying the appropriate wastewater testing methods, your business can ensure that your wastewater is not harmful to the wastewater treatment plant or to the environment.
Finally, wastewater testing labs can help your organization comply with local environmental regulations. For example, wastewater treatment plants must adhere to the Clean Water Act and other regulations from the EPA. By testing your wastewater, you can ensure it remains compliant and avoid fines or other legal consequences.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
Wastewater treatment plants are susceptible to upsets from many influent sources, which can be a time and resource drain on the local municipality. RespirTek’s services can help assess impacts to the plant from new dischargers and can also help troubleshoot unstable plant operations.
A few of our Service Points for wastewater operators and pre-treatment coordinators are:
- Determine oxygen uptake rates (OURs)
- Assess accurate charge/ loading cost to your Significant Industrial User (SIU)
- Natural attenuation of land-applied sludge
- Determine optimal Food to Microorganism Ratio
- Evaluate return sludge control
- Assess toxic additions damage to biomass and corrections options
- Obtain high-resolution microbial kinetic data for plant design or upgrades
Review a detailed list of treatment plant service points.
Significant Industrial Users
RespirTek has helped numerous industrial users satisfy regulatory and/or plant operators’ concerns about new discharges to the municipal treatment facility. RespirTek has a team of engineers and scientists to work with you and prepare a site-specific testing design that answers project-specific questions. Each wastewater project is unique, and we bring years (since 2001) of direct wastewater treatment testing experience to the discussion within a variety of scenarios such as: nitrification inhibition, optimization of discharge rates, low-temperature treatment, solids settling, and others.
A few of our Service Points for wastewater operators and pre-treatment coordinators are:
- Assessing the treatability or toxicity of organic and inorganic wastes
- Evaluating anaerobic/aerobic biodegradation potentials for specific organic chemicals or product lines
- Support for the design and operation of laboratory-scale and on-site pilot plants
- Measurement of kinetic parameters for plant design or retrofit
- Determination of optimum discharge concentrations that enable the wastewater-receiving plant to operate without upset
- Assessing nitrification potential and impacts from new substrates
Review a detailed list of SIU service points.
How Do Wastewater Testing Procedures Work?
Wastewater lab testing can take many forms. All wastewater tests should start by consulting with the wastewater testing lab to discuss the purpose, parameters, and goals of testing. In some instances, simply characterizing a wastewater sample through common analytical techniques is all that is needed. While in other cases, an extensive study plan and lengthy testing is required.
Wastewater tests for the purpose of characterizing wastewater samples are often used to monitor waste streams for pollutants, disease, or other contaminants. These tests start by collecting wastewater samples from the relevant source. Then, the testing lab assesses the samples, using sophisticated scientific techniques to determine what substances are present in the water. This includes testing for bacteria and other pathogens, chemicals, minerals, grease, and more. Once testing is complete, the client receives a detailed breakdown of the wastewater tests.
Wastewater treatment lab tests are often used to assess the treatability or toxicity of organic and inorganic wastes and to support the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants. These tests start by designing a study to capture all of the relevant parameters and fulfill all of the testing goals. Wastewater samples are then collected from various parts of the processing systems. Then, the testing lab implements the study, using techniques such as respirometry, mineral and organic analyses, and biodegradability testing to assess the kinetic and treatability parameters of the treatment process. Once testing is complete, the client receives a detailed breakdown of the wastewater tests, which they can use to adjust their treatment process.
It is important to remember that wastewater samples often contain living microorganisms, and so, a quick turnaround time between collecting samples and initiating testing is critical.
Why RespirTek?
RespirTek is a certified wastewater testing lab based in Ocean Springs, MS. Our team has extensive wastewater testing expertise and can develop custom testing plans based on your environmental concerns and goals. We offer a seamless testing process for clients with efficient operations and detailed results.
Please contact us at 228.392.7977 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with our technical team to learn how your company can benefit from our wastewater testing services.