Wastewater Treatment Industry

Industrial Compressed Air Solutions To Ensure Water Quality

• What is compressed air used for in the water and wastewater treatment industry?
• The importance of efficiency, reliability, sustainability and air quality
• How can Ingersoll Rand help?

What Is Compressed Air Used For In The Water And Wastewater Treatment Industry?

Compressed air plays a vital role in water and wastewater treatment processes, primarily for applications such as aeration, mixing, brine treatment, the activated sludge process, and separation. It is also used for primary sedimentation, a process used to remove floating organic materials and suspended solids. Other potential applications include slurry liquid pumping, sewage treatment, back washing sand filtration, secondary treatment of water and both aerobic and anaerobic digestion, two biological treatment processes which act to break down organic matter in either the presence of (aerobic) or absence of (anaerobic) oxygen. The wastewater treatment market is subject to numerous fluctuations, including water pollution, water scarcity, and population growth. This is why we aim to help our clients by providing them with a reliable, stable compressed air system that allows them to get on with their operations uninterrupted, whatever the circumstance.

Importance Of Efficiency, Reliability, Sustainability And Air Quality In Water And Wastewater Applications

1. In wastewater treatment, there are four considerations that underpin industrial processes: efficiency, reliability, sustainability and air quality. Instead of considering these in isolation, it’s more beneficial to think of them in union, and think about them when analysing your current compressed air set-up.
2. To minimise the environmental impact of your wastewater treatment processes, ensuring the energy efficiency and sustainability of your compressed air equipment is really important, as it is thought that energy consumption is one of the largest expenses in the industry. Between 3 and 15% of a nation’s electrical power is predicted to be used annually for wastewater treatment, meaning that air compressors and other equipment should be energy efficient to reduce your overall energy consumption and, in turn, your environmental impact. 
3. All compressed air equipment should also be able to reliably deal with smaller and large volumes of treated water and treated wastewater. It should also aid the biological treatment and disposal of organic matter, organic pollutants, organic waste and activated sludge during the activated sludge process. These processes must adhere to stringent environmental regulations set by the environment agency, requiring all compressed air equipment to ensure sustainable operation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change. 
4. Another important consideration when trying to maximise the sustainability of your operations and the quality of treated water is the quality of the compressed air you use to power your industrial wastewater treatment equipment. To ensure the production of reliable, safe, clean water for water companies, all compressed air must be contamination-free.  

How Can Ingersoll Rand Help?

Take A Look At Our Industrial Solutions

Ingersoll Rand offers a wide range of industrial solutions utilising technological advancements and new technologies to ensure high-quality air, and efficient, sustainable and reliable wastewater treatment processes. Our portfolio includes..

1. Reciprocating Compressors: These compressors are ideal for processes in your sewage treatment plants where portability and or fixed operation are required. 
2. Oil-Flooded Rotary Screw Compressors: Our oil-flooded rotary screw range is also available with VSD (variable speed drive), which means they can automatically adjust their compressed air output to achieve optimal efficiency, whilst also minimising energy use at any load. This enables you to operate more sustainably even when your wastewater stream and wastewater discharge volumes change, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of your industrial wastewater treatment plant.

3. Oil-Less Reciprocating Air Compressors: To ensure you are adhering to stringent regulations, these compressors are ideal to mitigate oil contamination in your compressed air to ensure clean, safe treated water.

4. Oil-Free Rotary And Centrifugal Compressors: These models are suitable for heavier uses and high requirements regarding air quality, including for aeration and agitation wastewater treatment processes.

5. Compressed Air Treatment: As mentioned, to ensure the production of safe, contamination-free clean water is of vital importance for treatment plants. This means that the compressed air you use to power your industrial wastewater treatment equipment must be of high quality. To ensure reliable, contamination-free air, we offer our water and industrial wastewater clients a comprehensive range of compressed air treatment equipment. This includes everything from air filtration and compressed air dryers to condensate management units, fitted with efficient drain valves.
6. Proactive Monitoring & Control: Proactively monitor your compressed air system without any additional work, detecting issues before they become costly downtime with our Helix™ Connected Platform, and gain 24/7 visibility into your system through to-the-minute data, insights and alerts wherever you are. Take this even further with Ecoplant, our advanced control platform that integrates with your compressed air network to reduce downtime and maximise efficiency!

Interested in finding out more about the compressed air solutions we offer for the water and wastewater treatment industry?

Please contact one of our expert team or visit our Waste and Wastewater Treatment industry landing page.