A surface sensing assembly is in communication with an open channel having a material moveable relative to the open channel. The surface sensing assembly includes a light source directing a light beam toward the material, a photo-detector capturing an image of the light beam interacting with the material, and a controller coupled to the light source, the photo-detector, and at least one actuator. The controller is configured to determine an indication of surface topography of the material based on the image. The controller is also configured to control the at least one actuator to adjust a characteristic of the material based on the indication of surface topography.

A system for treating metal-contaminated wastewater includes a primary treatment sub-system, a secondary treatment sub-system, and a tertiary treatment sub-system. The tertiary treatment sub-system includes a reactor tank, a source of ballast material, a source of coagulant, a solids-liquid separator, and a controller configured to recycle ballasted solids from the solids-liquid separator to the reactor tank an amount sufficient to generate metal hydroxide floc in the reactor tank to reduce a concentration of dissolved metal in the reactor tank.

A nonpowered mixing and coagulation basin is provided, which generates turbulences of at least two kinds inside the mixing and coagulation basin to which the raw water flows so that foreign matters contained in the raw water come into contact with each other while circulating by a water flow to be coagulated into a predetermined size, and a dissolved air floatation device using the same. The nonpowered mixing and coagulation basin has multiple stages with different packing materials and packing densities to form turbulent flows inside the raw water and control a flow speed, thereby uniformly mixing raw water and coagulant to enhance coagulation efficiency. The nonpowered mixing and coagulation basin simultaneously carries out mixing and coagulation at the front end part of the water treatment system, reduces equipment expenses by having no electric motor and agitator, and reduces power consumption because it does not use any power unit.

A method and apparatus for removing the barium and strontium salts in water that flows back to the well head after hydrofracturing in gas well drilling. Trace levels of iron salts may also be removed from the waste frac water, followed by removal of the calcium and magnesium salts, where applicable. The barium and strontium salts are precipitated in the inert sulfate form, which renders the resulting solids mass suitable for conventional landfill or on-site disposal, and more significantly, for potential reuse and as an additive to certain well drilling processes. The calcium and magnesium salts are similarly inert and suitable for conventional disposal. The process may be managed to selectively remove barium and strontium salts to desired levels, depending upon the intended reuse or disposition. The apparatus may be provided in a highly compact portable configuration that is transportable by a highway vehicle.

A scrubber wastewater treatment method, according to one possible embodiment, includes obtaining a measurement of a turbidity or of a suspended substance concentration of scrubber wastewater and, upon determining that measurement of turbidity or suspended substance concentration is within a certain range, performing treatment. A scrubber wastewater treatment device, according to one possible embodiment, includes a magnetic powder adding device controllable to add a magnetic powder to be added to scrubber wastewater having been generated by treating combustion exhaust gas in a scrubber, and a controller configured to control an amount of the magnetic powder added by the magnetic powder adding device in accordance with a measurement value obtained by a sensor.

A method of treating wastewater including calcium ions and radium ions includes charging the wastewater into a container via an inlet in the container, precipitating a portion of the calcium ions in the wastewater within the container as calcium carbonate, removing an outflow via an outlet in the container, and recycling a portion of calcium carbonate precipitates formed in the container and removed in the outflow back into the container to achieve requisite removal of NORM present in the flowback water and produce limited volume of sludge that can be easily disposed in Class II disposal wells.

The present disclosure relates to recycling automotive phosphate rinse water. An apparatus and method is disclosed for treating process water containing phosphate. The apparatus may include a process water line. The process water line may be in fluid communication with a sample process water line. The sample process water line may be in fluid communication with a dilution line. The sample process water line, the dilution line, and a phosphate analyzer may be in fluid communication with a diluted process water line. The apparatus may also include a chemical additive feed line in fluid communication with the process water line downstream from the sample process water line.

Separation methods and systems for converting high concentrations of animal wastes and other nutrient-rich organic materials into nutrients and other useful products such as struvite and potassium struvite. Advantageously, the system and methods do not require the addition of external chemicals other than an acid and a base.

The present invention provides a method of treating wastewater in a wastewater system. The wastewater system comprises a treatment plant comprising a treatment space and a sewer system comprising a sewer space. The treatment plant further comprises a treatment inlet for supplying wastewater to the treatment system from the sewer system. The method comprises the step of: providing a treatment parameter being significant for purification of wastewater in the treatment plant, determining an actual spare plant capacity indicating an amount of wastewater which can be supplied to the treatment space, and determining an actual spare wastewater storage volume indicating an amount of wastewater which can be retained in the sewer space. The amount of wastewater supplied through the treatment inlet to the treatment plant is varied based on the treatment parameter, the actual spare plant capacity, and the actual spare wastewater storage volume.

A method of inhibiting scale in an industrial water system includes the steps of dosing the industrial water system with a water treatment polymer comprising at least 10 mol % of carboxylic acid monomer and a quaternized naphthalimide fluorescent monomer as disclosed herein, and then monitoring the fluorescence of the water system. The polymers are also useful for flocculation and coagulation in wastewater treatment.