Connecting ISO 14001 and Wastewater Treatment
- Home
- Blog
Categories
Latest Post
ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Course
ISO 14001 Foundations Course
ISO 14001 Internal Auditor Course
ISO 14001 Lead Implementer Course
Many organizations use large amounts of water in their industrial processes, causing potable water to become unfit for use. They are legally obliged to decontaminate the effluent before discharge. This is achieved through various wastewater treatment processes. So, what does ISO 14001 have to do with this? The answer lies in policy commitments.
Importance of Policy in Wastewater Treatment
Clause 5.2 of ISO 14001:2015 requires top management to establish an environmental policy based on the organization’s purpose. This policy must address the environmental impacts of their activities.
Take Company A, for example, a vehicle maintenance depot. Their wastewater contains oils, greases, and solid matter. Key environmental impacts include groundwater and soil pollution from pollutants entering waterways due to spillages or leakages of oils, detergents, and solvents.
The policy must include three specific commitments:
Identify and Meet Compliance Obligations: This includes legal requirements and relevant expectations of interested parties. For Company A, this means collecting wastewater in a sump before treatment in an onsite effluent treatment plant.
Commit to Protect the Environment: Prevent pollution and make specific commitments dictated by the nature of environmental impacts.
Ensure Continual Improvement: Continually improve environmental performance.
The Law Comes First
All organizations must comply with legal requirements regarding wastewater, whether ISO 14001-certified or not. Compliance avoids fines, prosecution, or loss of operating licenses. For ISO 14001-certified organizations, complying with legislation is the minimum. Additional voluntary actions are based on protecting the environment, improving performance, and considering interested parties’ needs.
How an Effluent Treatment Plant Must Comply with Legal Requirements
Effluent treatment plants remove suspended solids (as sludge) and floating oils from wastewater. Emulsified oil is removed by chemical treatment. Lime is added to neutralize the wastewater before discharge to the municipal sewer.
The quality of treated effluent must comply with local regulations, which set maximum allowed contamination levels. For example, if the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) exceeds a set limit, the company pays a surcharge.
Protecting the Environment Within Wastewater Treatment
Beyond legal requirements, here are ways to protect the environment:
Company A: Implements a policy for sustainable resource use, recycling, and reusing wastewater in cooling equipment. This reserves high-quality water for potable use.
Company B: A Coca-Cola franchise with an internal Environmental Management System. This system has stricter wastewater quality requirements than local laws. Company B must meet these higher standards.
Company C: A mining company extracting river water for processing. They might recycle water for local agricultural use, considering the needs and expectations of interested parties.
Disposing of contaminants, oil, and sludge also impacts the environment. Waste oil may be recycled and used as fuel, reducing environmental burdens.
Continual Improvement
Organizations implementing ISO 14001 must make continual improvement a permanent objective. This means striving for performance improvement even if current performance meets legal standards. For example, reducing sludge that goes to landfills by optimizing processes.
Conclusion
ISO 14001 demands that organizations prevent or mitigate negative environmental impacts beyond legal obligations and exploit improvement opportunities. Consequently, certified organizations are expected to have a different approach and better performance in wastewater treatment than non-certified ones.
By following these guidelines, your organization can align wastewater treatment practices with ISO 14001, ensuring environmental protection and compliance.
