Laboratory tests when designing and building a gray water treatment plant

Gray Water also known as Sullage Water and Gray Water is the water generated from dishwasher drains, showers, laundry, bathrooms, sinks, etc. Gray water is typically recycled in flushing toilets, irrigating farm fields, and other non-potable facilities. It is important to conduct laboratory tests periodically before and after building the station.

Gray water is less harmful than black water, which allows for preserving water and the environment and reducing water waste. As water supply conditions deteriorate due to global warming, reusing, and recycling greywater is an inevitable solution to our water problems. Gray water generally contains pathogens due to traces of human and animal waste, pipe cross-connections from black water tanks, effluent streams, etc.

As water becomes increasingly valuable, gray water testing is crucial to determining whether or not the water can be reused. Testing gray water for several purposes is also critical because the discharge of untreated gray water into the environment can lead to oxygen depletion, the spread of disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and increased nutrient levels in the surrounding ecosystem.

Important requirements when designing and building a gray water treatment plant

1. Obtaining the necessary license to establish gray water treatment plants from the Ministry of Water and Electricity.
2. Do not use treated gray water for purposes other than those designated for that purpose or by the specifications of that water. If used for agriculture, that water should not be used in water sprinklers unless the irrigation is during periods when the irrigated area is devoid of people.
3. The entity operating the treatment stations must adhere to operating these stations by scientific and technical principles. The instructions contained in the operating manuals, and conducting periodic analyses and examinations.
4. Do not store treated gray water for more than 24 hours, to prevent the proliferation of bacteria and the spread of odors.
5. All members of society and governmental and private institutions must participate in raising awareness about the importance of recycling and reusing water, whether it is gray water or treated black water, as one of the non-traditional sources to reduce the total demand for freshwater needs.

Specifications and standards of water produced from the gray water treatment plant

First: Natural properties:

• It must be free of floating materials.
• Total suspended solids maximum permissible 10 mg/L
• pH level: Maximum permissible limit: 6 – 8.4 mg/L

Second: Organic chemical properties:

• The maximum permissible biochemical requirement for oxygen is 10 mg/L
• Chemical requirement for oxygen maximum permissible 50 mg/L
• For total organic carbons, the maximum permissible limit is 40 mg/L
• It must be free of oils and grease

Third: Chemical compounds:

• The maximum permissible limit for nitrates is 10 mg/L
• Ammonia maximum permissible limit is 5 mg/L
• Residual-free chlorine maximum permissible 0.2 – 0.5 mg/L

Fourth: Bacterial properties:

• The total number of coliform bacteria should not exceed (2.2) per 100 milliliters

The importance of conducting laboratory tests for graywater

At Water Care, we provide a complete set of laboratory tests to test and analyze gray water. A gray water test should be performed to confirm whether the water is within acceptable limits. And that quality standards are maintained to the required standards.

We provide our services to various sectors such as residential, commercial, industrial, and waste management sectors. All different types of tests such as physical, microbiological, solids, and chemical are performed by experts in the field of testing and analysis with cumulative experience to provide accurate results for greywater-related problems.

We provide complete gray water solutions with fast, accurate test results at a cost-effective price to customers globally.