Page 564 - Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse

534 Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Recycling, and Reuse

treatment equipment. Newer treatment technologies and the decentralized
implementation of these technologies through network analysis and optimi-
zation tools will allow plants to use closed loop cycles for water (minimizing
fresh water requirements and towards zero liquid discharge).
Looking at the current pace of technological developments, it is futile to
speculate on what the future holds. We do, however, anticipate the follow-
ing trends:
• Developments based on utilization of living species: microorganisms,
algae, plants, or aquatic species such as fish. The objective here would
be to find biological natural resources that can consume, degrade, or oth-
erwise remove pollutants with or without specificity.
• Satellite monitoring, wireless sensing, and BIG data: Satellite monitoring
of water discharges and quality, as well as a large number of distributed
wireless sensors, is expected to increase dramatically in the future. The
BIG data generated through these efforts and corresponding data analysis
tools have a potential to dramatically impact industrial wastewater treat-
ment technologies and implementation.
• Public–private partnerships: Increased numbers of public–private partner-
ships across the world are expected. Major cities are expected to establish
renewable energy and waste management facilities that can effectively treat
domestic wastewaters and generate electricity for the populace.
• Start-up companies: New, small, and dynamic start-up companies are
expected to play a much larger role in developing new wastewater treat-
ment technologies. Traditionally, wastewater treatment technologies have
been developed by companies which were in the business of providing
turn-key plants. In the coming years, start-up companies dedicated to
developing new IP and technologies are expected to play a significant role.
• Collaboration and joint research programs: There are a number of
governmental and non-governmental agencies working actively in the
area of wastewater treatment. There has also been an increasing trend
for joint collaborations between institutes and governments. The future
will certainly see a rise in these activities focusing on various research
needs and implementation involving cooperation for exchange of ideas,
results, and technologies.
The future is expected to see socio-economic and environmentally sustain-
able solutions to both domestic and industrial wastewater treatment prob-
lems, with increased partnership in the two areas. Future wastewater
treatment plants will not only treat wastewaters to meet discharge standards,
but they will also generate power to meet the cost of their own operations,