The concept of equalization ...

The concept of equalization is very clear: to feed the wastewater treatment plant with as much possible constant flow and pollutants concentration. There are in literature the methods to calculate and to design the equalization basin. In my opinion in many industrial discharge one well designed equalization basin is the basis of the success of the wastewater treatment plant.

The concept of segregation for me isn’t very clear. If I have an industrial discharge to treat and the production is only 10 hours/d or 5 days/week and I store the water to feed 24h/24 or 7 days/week is this segregation?

I suppose that segregation can be applied for toxic or overload discharge to have the possibility to treat it separately or to dilute this water dosing it in the normal effluent up to remain under critical condition.

The problem is to apply segregation in the plant. To make an example if the discharge is related with one desultory and scheduled production it’s very easy but if come from accidents or not scheduled activity it’s very difficult because you can detect the negative effects on the wastewater treatment plant too late. I know that there are some on-line instrument based on oxygen uptake rate able to protect the plant but I don’t have experience on this kind of instrument.