Wastewater New York State Practice Exam

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What is the role of secondary clarifiers in wastewater treatment?

To remove pathogens
To settle solids from liquid
To aerate the water
To promote chemical reactions

The correct answer is: To settle solids from liquid

Secondary clarifiers play a crucial role in the wastewater treatment process by allowing the separation of solids from the treated liquid, which is essential for effective treatment. After biological treatment processes, such as aeration, have occurred, the secondary clarifier helps to settle out the biomass, or mixed liquor suspended solids, that have formed. This settling process allows for the clearer liquid to be separated from the dense sludge. The settled solids, or sludge, are typically recycled back into the biological treatment system to maintain the population of microorganisms that aid in further treatment. Beyond this, secondary clarifiers help achieve the necessary effluent quality that meets regulatory standards by providing a means for additional solids removal, thus ensuring that the treated water is suitable for discharge or further purification. While other processes such as pathogen removal, aeration, and promoting chemical reactions are important in wastewater treatment, they occur in different stages or units of the treatment process rather than within the secondary clarifier itself.