What type of treatment utilizes sand and carbon filters in wastewater processing?

The use of sand and carbon filters is characteristic of tertiary wastewater treatment, which is the advanced stage following primary and secondary treatment processes. Tertiary treatment aims to further purify wastewater to remove remaining impurities and contaminants that persist after the earlier stages.

In this process, filtration techniques such as sand filtration and activated carbon filtration are employed to enhance removal of suspended solids, pathogens, and dissolved organic compounds, thereby improving water quality for eventual discharge or reuse. Tertiary treatment might also involve additional treatment methods such as chlorination, UV treatment, or advanced oxidation processes, all designed to achieve very high levels of purity.

This level of treatment is particularly important in applications where the effluent will be discharged into sensitive environments or reused for irrigation and industrial processes, requiring stringent quality standards.