Wastewater treatment stages

The pumping station contains three Archimedes screw pumps, each having a flow rate of 5,500 m³/hour. The pumping station lifts the wastewater from the pipe entering the plant, which is located at a depth of 8 m, to the wastewater treatment plant installations.

The municipal sewage contains large objects that must be removed prior to further treatment. They are removed with mechanical bar screens that are comprised of variably-spaced parallel steel bars.

The wastewater contains relatively heavy inert materials such as sand and stones. These materials are termed grit and are extracted from the wastewater in dedicated settlement tanks.

Air is reintroduced into the wastewater in the aeration basins in order to improve the settlement properties of the wastewater.

Following the pretreatment processes, the wastewater is discharged into primary clarifiers. The wastewater remains in the clarifiers for several hours, during which some of the suspended solids settle and oily scum is removed. The settled solids are collected and constitute part of the sludge that is treated separately from the liquid.

Biological treatment is performed in the aeration basins, in which air is supplied in order to provide microbes with the oxygen that they need in order to purify the wastewater. The process is based on a very high concentration of microbes that decompose the organic material in the wastewater and convert it into new biomass, carbon dioxide and water.

Wastewater leaving the aeration basins is discharged into secondary clarifiers. Suspended particulates settle in these basins that primarily contain microbes active in the wastewater decomposition process. Effluents produced in the clarifiers are sent to the Mekorot Water Company.

Effluents produced in the secondary clarifiers are discharged into a reservoir located next to the treatment plant, which is operated by the Mekorot Water Company. Here, the effluents undergo disinfection with chlorine and are discharged into a pipeline to the Jezreel Valley where they are stored in reservoirs cooperative (Tishlovet Kishon) and are used for irrigating farmlands in the valley.