How collection works
Depending on the laboratory and local requirements, liquid waste may be collected in containers next to the analyzers, stored on site and then transported off site. Where point-of-use treatment is not installed, wastewater can also be routed to external holding tanks:
- Laboratory effluent flows into holding tanks outside the building.
- It builds up on site, still untreated.
- When the tanks need emptying, a licensed sewage contractor pumps the effluent into a tanker.
- It is driven off site for treatment or disposal.
What each step adds
- Storing waste on site
- Moving containers around the laboratory
- Trucking the waste away
- Paying for disposal
- Potential staff exposure and spills during handling
How on-site treatment works
With on-site treatment, wastewater is treated close to the analyzer that generates it, using a configuration selected for the application and effluent characteristics. A typical TRESA cycle has four stages: collect, condition (dilution and/or filtration), treat (UV-C, or ozone + UV-C for TRESA TL) and discharge to an approved drain or sewer, subject to applicable local requirements.
What changes for the laboratory
- The wastewater is dealt with on the spot, not sent elsewhere.
- With direct treatment, nothing waits around for collection.
- Where permitted and applicable, there may be no need to transport treated liquid waste off site.
- Treatment cycles are automated and monitored by the system.
- Staff no longer carry or pour hazardous liquids by hand.
Discharge requirements differ by country and site, so the applicable requirements should be confirmed for each installation. See Laboratory wastewater and sewer discharge requirements.