Physical methods include processes where no gross chemical or biological changes are carried out and strictly physical phenomena are used to improve or treat the wastewater.  

Examples would be coarse screening to remove larger entrained objects and sedimentation (or clarification). In the process of sedimentation, physical phenomena relating to the settling of solids by gravity are allowed to operate.  Usually this consists of simply holding a wastewater for a short period of time in a tank under quiescent conditions, allowing the heavier solids to settle, and removing the "clarified" effluent.  Sedimentation for solids separation is a very common process operation and is routinely employed at the beginning and end of wastewater treatment operations.While sedimentation is one of the most common physical treatment processes that is used to achieve treatment, another physical treatment process consists of aeration -- that is, physically adding air, usually to provide oxygen to the wastewater.  Still other physical phenomena used in treatment consists of filtration.  Here wastewater is passed through a filter medium to separate solids.  An example would be the use of sand filters to further remove entrained solids from a treated wastewater.  Certain phenomena will occur during the sedimentation process and can be advantageously used to further improve water quality.  Permitting greases or oils, for example, to float to the surface and skimming or physically removing them from the wastewaters is often carried out as part of the overall treatment process. 

In certain industrial wastewater treatment processes strong or undesirable wastes are sometimes produced over short periods of time.  Since such "slugs" or periodic inputs of such wastes would damage a biological treatment process, these wastes are sometimes held, mixed with other wastewaters, and gradually released, thus eliminating "shocks" to the treatment plant.  This is call equalization.  Another type of "equalization" can be used to even out wide variations in flow rates.  For example, the wet well of a pump station can receive widely varying amounts of wastewater and, in turn, pump the wastes onward at more uniform rates. 

Chemical treatment consists of using some chemical reaction or reactions to improve the water quality.  Probably the most commonly used chemical process is chlorination.  Chlorine, a strong oxidizing chemical, is used to kill bacteria and to slow down the rate of decomposition of the wastewater.  Bacterial kill is achieved when vital biological processes are affected by the chlorine.  Another strong oxidizing agent that has also been used as an oxidizing disinfectant is ozone. 

A chemical process commonly used in many industrial wastewater treatment operations is neutralization.  Neutralization consists of the addition of acid or base to adjust pH levels back to neutrality.  Since lime is a base it is sometimes used in the neutralization of acid wastes. 

Coagulation consists of the addition of a chemical that, through a chemical reaction, forms an insoluble end product that serves to remove substances from the wastewater.  Polyvalent metals are commonly used as coagulating chemicals in wastewater treatment and typical coagulants would include lime (that can also be used in neutralization), certain iron containing compounds (such as ferric chloride or ferric sulfate) and alum (aluminum sulfate). 

Certain processes may actually be physical and chemical in nature.  The use of activated carbon to "adsorb" or remove organics, for example, involves both chemical and physical processes.  Processes such as ion exchange, which involves exchanging certain ions for others, are not used to any great extent in wastewater treatment. 

Biological treatment methods use microorganisms, mostly bacteria, in the biochemical decomposition of wastewaters to stable end products.  More microorganisms, or sludges, are formed and a portion of the waste is converted to carbon dioxide, water and other end products.  Generally, biological treatment methods can be divided into aerobic and anaerobic methods, based on availability of dissolved oxygen. 

The purpose of wastewater treatment is generally to remove from the wastewater enough solids to permit the remainder to be discharged to a receiving water without interfering with its best or proper use.  The solids which are removed are primarily organic but may also include inorganic solids.  Treatment must also be provided for the solids and liquids which are removed as sludge.  Finally, treatment to control odors, to retard biological activity, or destroy pathogenic organisms may also be needed. 

While the devices used in wastewater treatment are numerous and will probably combine physical, chemical and biological methods, they may all be generally grouped under six methods: 

Preliminary Treatment

Primary Treatment

Secondary Treatment

Disinfection

Sludge Treatment

Tertiary Treatment

Degrees of treatment are sometimes indicated by use of the terms primary, secondary and tertiary treatment.  Tertiary treatment, properly, would be any treatment added onto or following secondary treatment.