The Differences Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Systems

Water is a precious resource used by everyone for drinking, cooking, bathing and more. However, despite the abundance of water on earth coming from rain, lakes, rivers and other sources, only a small portion of water can be used for consumption. For this reason, the dirty water that is disposed via drains and toilets is often recycled. Two methods that may be used to treat wastewater are aerobic and anaerobic.

Both aerobic and anaerobic systems use bacteria to treat the water. These bacteria often consume the organic matters found in the wastewater, thereby cleaning it.

One type of aerobic system is the aerated stabilization basin, which generally consists of a substantial area filled with oxygen. The contaminated water enters this basin where it’s typically cleaned by the bacteria, which use the oxygen to deteriorate the matter in the water and change it to carbon dioxide.

During this process, the bacteria generally break down the organic matter without using oxygen. One type of anaerobic system is the batch system, which uses a reactor where the bacteria are usually mixed with the dirty water and then sealed until the bacteria consume the organisms in the water.

Both the aerobic and anaerobic systems can be effective ways to treat used water so that it can be utilized again. For more information about aerobic and anaerobic systems, please call The Nibbler Company.