What is the primary function of clarifiers in wastewater treatment?

The primary function of clarifiers in wastewater treatment is to allow sedimentation of solids. In this process, wastewater flows into the clarifier, where gravity helps separate suspended solids from the liquid. As the water sits in the clarifier, heavier particles settle to the bottom, forming a sludge layer, while cleaner water rises to the top. This separation is essential for reducing the pollutant load in the treated effluent and is a critical step before further treatment processes, such as filtration and disinfection, are applied.

Clarifiers play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of the entire wastewater treatment system by ensuring that solid waste is effectively removed, thus improving the quality of the resulting effluent that will either be discharged or subjected to further processing.