Wastewater quality and process concepts

Textile manufacturing requires substantial quantities of fresh water, which in turn produce correspondingly largen quantities of cost-intensive wastewater. Depending on the process steps the wastewater produced contains: organic substances (COD/BOD5), size, tensides (surfactants), organic complexing agents, dyes, halogenated organic compounds, sulphites and heavy metals. Wastewater from the textile industry is readily biologically degradable, if the largely lacking nutrients nitrate and phosphate are added accordingly.

Wastewater treatment requirements vary depending on the size of the business and the wastewater quantity. Due to the large diversity of the individual finishing processes, the wastewater load should be determined on a process basis. In general the wastewater is largely treated in-house and then in municipal wastewater treatment plants. In the cases of direct discharge into a receiving water, process combinations consisting of the process steps named below have proven successful. In Germany the minimum requirements of the wastewater regulations (Abwasserverordnung – AbwV) Annex 38 (textile production, textile finishing) must be complied with for direct discharge of the treated wastewater into a receiving water.

The following process steps are used generally – depending on the size of the operation – for the treatment of wastewater from the textile industry:

Process steps:

• Mechanical wastewater pretreatment
• Flotation with chemical precipitation/flocculation
• Storage and homogenisation
• Neutralisation
• Biological treatment
  • Anaerobic wastewater treatment
  • Aerobic wastewater treatment (SBR/MBR plants)
• Filtration
• Sludge treatment and energy generation from biogas
• Exhaust air treatment
• Automation (EI&C technology, process and remote monitoring, etc.)

We offer turnkey, integrated solutions and individual concepts for water and wastewater treatment in the textile industry.

The optimum process technology is selected, taking into consideration the operational requirements, the need to minimise disposal quantities and energy consumption and/or to generate energy. This technology can be used for the respective wastewater composition and results in the required discharge limits.

We unite all technical know-how required to implement technical industrial water treatment tasks. From individual consulting, development, to production, installation, commissioning, through to maintenance/service and optimisation, we work with strong partners.

Range of products:

• Filter screens
• Oil removal
• Mixing and equalising reservoirs/neutralisation
• Catalytic oxidation of the sulphides
• Flotation plants with chemical precipitation/flocculation
• Aerobic biological wastewater treatment (incl. nitrification and denitrification)
• Permeate storage tanks
• Dye removal
• Chemical dosing and storage
• Sludge treatment
  • Sludge dewatering
  • Sludge thickening
  • Sludge drying