Waste Water Treatment Plants

Desalination is another way of producing fresh water to meet the growing needs of industry and households.

It is also a responsible means of managing this resource. As recognized pioneers in reverse osmosis desalination technology, we have been developing and integrating additional technologies and services ever since our first installation on France's Ile de Houat in 1969. We can deliver desalination plants within short time frames and at optimal investment and operating costs.

The design of a reverse osmosis desalination system calls for a series of treatment stages, such as:

• pretreatment of sea water or brackish water by clarification and filtration,


• reduction of water salinity by reverse osmosis,


• and final treatment of permeated water.

Drawing on industrial know-how, we develop solutions that maximize the output of reverse osmosis systems, incorporate the use of renewable energies for a plant's power supply, foster internal energy recovery, and implement procedures to disperse saline concentrates to protect marine flora and fauna.

The sanitary quality of drinking water poses a fundamental challenge throughout the world. Sanitary quality encompasses not only bacteriological aspects but also the need to control by-products resulting from treatment processes or chemicals used.

Available reserves of natural water are ground water, standing or running surface water, and sea water. Choosing what water will be treated before delivery depends on the quantity of available water, its quality (taking into account the possible variations), investment costs and the cost of the procedures that must be implemented to ensure that the water will be suitable for drinking. In some regions of the world, fresh water is so scarce that treatment processes must use as little water as possible.

We design treatment systems that range from the traditional to the more sophisticated, such as membrane-based systems, and offer local authorities technical solutions that meet their sanitary quality requirements, whether for a village of several hundred inhabitants or a major urban area. Making water potable typically involves several treatment stages and a variety of technologies :

• Specific treatment to reduce iron, manganese and arsenic or to thoroughly remove dissolved organic matter and micro-pollutants;


• Clarification and filtration to remove mineral and organic suspended solids and some dissolved organic matter from raw water;


• Desalination of sea water;


• Disinfection prior to delivery;


• Complete treatment from coagulation to disinfection in a package unit.

Today, the importance of preserving water resources is acknowledged as being of three-fold importance: human, environmental and economic.

Simultaneously preventing discharges while increasing the available resource at a lower price, is one of the major advantages of wastewater reuse. In addition, access to an alternative resource of sufficient and consistent quality and quantity can contribute to sustainable development in areas affected by water shortages and droughts.

The challenge of protecting public health brought about by the reuse of treated and disinfected wastewater also places constraints on communities with regard to technology, with particular attention required when selecting the treatment facility and ensuring the reliability of operating facilities.

To assist local authorities in their resource management policy, within which wastewater reuse takes pride of place, we offer many technical solutions which satisfy safety and sanitary quality requirements.

Depending on whether the water will be used for agricultural, urban or industrial purposes, and the regulations in force, several water treatment stages are possible:

• processing through quaternary treatment to reduce solid particles


• specific treatments to reduce non-biodegradable pollution and persistent micro-pollutants


• clarification through ultrafiltration membranes


• polishing to eliminate dissolved substances


• combined treatment associates several stages within a single structure (MBR), from biological treatment to purification by membranes.

To define and select an optimal sludge treatment we need to know :

• The sludge composition in relation to its origin


• The final destination of treated sewage sludge (recycling, recovery, destruction)

The steady growth in the volume of sludge generated by water treatment, linked both to demographic change and the increasing urban sprawl, leads to increasingly tighter constraints for the municipalities.

The treatment of sludge in order to reduce its volume and transform it into a recoverable product is now a necessity.

To support local authorities in the management of sludge and by-products treatment, which must be recycled, eliminated or recovered, we offer various technical solutions which implement proprietary or licensed processes for :

• Sludge thickening and dewatering,


• Sludge digestion in order to reduce it in size, increased dryness through dewatering, long-term stabilization, and the recovery of green energy from sludge in the form of biogas,


• Thermal, mixed or solar drying,


• Destruction through incineration.Type

Half of the water treated worldwide is urban wastewater.

The volume of wastewater continues to increase as a result of changing demographics, economic development and urban spread. Along with more stringent environmental safeguarding as a result of regulations and lifestyles, wastewater treatment is a major environmental challenge for local authorities.

Urban wastewater treatment is also a technological and economic challenge; the goal is to preserve biodiversity and protect water resources while ensuring the wellbeing of local populations.

To support local authorities with urban growth, we design treatment systems of varying complexity based on the quality of the effluent to be treated and the sensitivity of the medium.

Wastewater purification typically requires several treatment stages :

• Pretreatment,


• Primary treatment,


• Secondary treatment,


• Tertiary or combined treatment,


• Odor removal,


• Sludge treatment.