Industrial wastewater treatment can cover sewage created by human waste, industrial wastes from manufacturing, mining, and other heavy industries plus agricultural waste created by animals, livestock and pesticides.

The iron and steel industry, mines and quarries and the food industry are many contributors to the heavy category of industrial waste. And with this kind of waste, treatment is necessary in order to provide clean drinking water and avoid ground contamination or any Hazmat concerns.

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the worst environmental disaster in history. But, this disaster did serve to give the public an education in oil skimming equipment and techniques:

"Many oils can be recovered from open water surfaces by skimming devices. Considered a dependable and cheap way to remove oil, grease and other hydrocarbons from water, oil skimmers can sometimes achieve the desired level of water purity. At other times, skimming is also a cost-efficient method to remove most of the oil before using membrane filters and chemical processes. Skimmers will prevent filters from blinding prematurely and keep chemical costs down because there is less oil to process.

"Because grease skimming involves higher viscosity hydrocarbons, skimmers must be equipped with heaters powerful enough to keep grease fluid for discharge. If floating grease forms into solid clumps or mats, a spray bar, aerator or mechanical apparatus can be used to facilitate removal."

Some industrial wastewater treatment plants use chlorine gas to disinfect water similar to how it is used in swimming pools. Treatment plant expert and chemists have long realized that chlorine is 3 times as effective in killing e Coli bacteria than is bromine. Chlorine is also 6 times more effective than using iodine.

But, chlorine gas is a hazardous material. It was used in both World War I and the Iraq War as a weapon. This is why industrial wastewater treatment plants are generally equipped with emergency gas shut-off valves that both detect and shutoff the flow of chlorine or other halogen gases saving the lives of employees.

Because chlorine gas can quite easily damage a person's respiratory system, special breathing apparatus and other Hazmat equipment may be used by industrial wastewater treatment personnel. The first line of defense, however, is shutting off the gas and getting it contained. The second line of defense to illness, injury or even death is getting the toxic substance cleaned up safely.