During the process of sewage treatment, microbes break down organic material so the water is clean enough to be discharged back into the water supply. Problem is, many of the additives available to put into wastewater contain less-than-deal ingredients like silicone and mineral oil.
But Bioscience Inc., an Allentown company that makes wastewater treatment products, just introduced a new liquid to its Microcat line, which uses natural microbes to break down contaminants. The new liquid, officially called Microcat-DF, is used to control the foam that is a natural consequence of the water treatment process.
Jay Hill, a product manager at Bioscience Inc., explains that natural organisms in wastewater help contaminants settle so they’re easier to separate. But if they’re allowed to proliferate too much, the result is foam that inconveniently overflows from storage tanks. For that reason, Hill says, sewage treatment facilities need to carefully balance how many of these organisms can stay in the water.
Microcat-DF is placed in the aerators of storage tanks at water treatment plants, Hill says. Without detailing its ingredients, he says it’s better for the environment than many common foam control agents because its does not contain silicone or petroleum.
Source: Jay Hill, Bioscience Inc.
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen