science

Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America

Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America rather than just read about it. In short: Wastewater discharge standards protect water sources from pollution and mismanagement. Each country in Latin America has its own set of standards, and these vary according to types of water use, agricultural, industrial or recreational use.

Key takeaways

Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wastewater discharge standards protect water sources from pollution and mismanagement. Each country in Latin America has its own set of standards, and these vary according to types of water use, agricultural, industrial or recreational use. Water quality is maintained by controlling the physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. The majority of water laws include fines for noncompliance. In many cases fines are inadequate and do not stop offending. In other cases the standards are lax and monitoring is sub-par. This article summarizes the majority of wastewater discharge standards in Latin America, complemented with a country ranking considering the quantity and severity of their regulations. Also, a comparative analysis of relevant standards is made, and a real case description for each country when the regulation was not accomplished.

Chile In Chile, the Ministry of Publics Works developed the standard, the decrete number 609, approved on May 7, 1998. This norm was created with the aim to control the effluents discharged into the sewer system. This norm establishes the maximum discharge concentration in sewer systems and also the different parameters that will be monitored, depending on the economic activity developed by each industry. It also establishes the methods that must be used for taking samples of each parameter. The control of the norm is responsibility of the company that provides the service of recollection of wastewater, being the regulator of sanitary services companies the main responsible. If a company produces disruption in the service, in terms of quality or quantity of the recollection, the companies of recollection of wastewater could suspend the service to that company. Case description In May 2009 Aguas Andinas, controlled by the Spanish Enterprise Agbar, will pay a fine because of a lawsuit presented against it by a group of neighbors because of the foul smells coming from the "La Farfana", a waste water treatment plant. This is one of the waste water recycling plants of Aguas Andinas. The bad odors caused digestive and psychological problems. The organization announced that it will appeal this judgement, based on the argument that it was due to a couple of precise episodes beyond its control that did not cause any environmental or personal harm. In June 2007, the Sanitary Services Superintendent's Office (SISS) started a lawsuit against the paper company Licancel after "not complying with the 90 Supreme Decrete, that regulates waste water disposal". As the Superintendent's Office said, this decision is based on the investigation been forwarded that confirmed that this organization discharged its waste water without complying with the norm. As legislation establishes this office can propose and apply the corresponding sanctions, such as fines between one and a thousand Annual Tributary Units (UTA). This means around 392 Million Pesos.

Bolivia The norm for discharge is under the Law 1333, approved on April 27, 1992. This law is the general law of environment, and for the specific case was created a regulation for water pollution. This regulation is applied to every entity that produces contamination in the water. In the case of the discharge over sewer systems the regulation is under Chapter IV. It is stated that every company must agree with the company that provides the service of recollection of wastewater and the limits of discharge. The limits presented in this article, are those for new companies and for companies in process of identification of the type of body water that the company will discharge. Case description In August 2003, all the mining producers working in the city of Potosí must discharge their waste waters to a specific dike; otherwise they will be obliged to stop their operations. This statement, made by the director of Environment and Sustainable development, Limbert Paredes, who pointed out that this agreement was taken between the Mining Engineers Association of Potosí, law representatives and authorities of Potosí County. These companies installed in the upper side of the city must build a pipeline to discharge their waste water by the end of June 2003, which was not done. Because of this, a new meeting was held and a new deadline was given, August 9. In February 2009, the neighbors of the "Mercado Walter Khon" have demanded attention from local authorities because streets were flooded with waste water coming out from the sewers. Because of this social pressure, the city council made the maintenance and cleaning of the sewers close by the area where waters arose. Besides some maintenance facts that helped in the flooding, the city council does not restore the S-2 pumping station. Therefore, the wastewater is not properly pumped into the treatment plant. According to the city's responsible, Marcelo Vidal, because of the constant rain added to garbage and plastic bags, the sewer system is not working properly. Even though he pointed that the main problem's origin is in the pumping station, the situation has not been solved up to date.

Peru In Peru, the norm has only few parameters with limits. These parameters are: temperature (35 °C (95 °F)), fats and oil (100 mg/L), PH (5 – 8.5), BOD (1000 mg/L) and settleable solids. However a more comprehensive norm was developed by the ministry of housing, which now is under review and analysis of the Ministry of the Environment. In the present article, the values presented are the ones under approval. This new regulation was developed because of the damage that industrial wastewater is causing to the sewer system. For example, in year 2006 a study showed that 58% of the sample (24 companies) surpassed the limit of BOD5 established in the current norm. In the same year other study showed that 57% of the sample (9 companies) surpassed the same norm. Case description In 2010, water quality was one of the main problems of Peru. Only 25% of the domestic water is treated, and the rest of it is thrown into rivers and lakes. This is why a series of measures have been addressed by government. In April 2010, the "National Authority of Water" will implement different laboratories in order to determine the pollution degree of wastewater from industries. Penalties of up to 36 million Soles have been announced for companies that do not treat their residual water.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America: Requirements of wastewater sewer discharge in Latin America — Requirements of wastewater sewer discharge in Latin America

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America

In research: Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Latin America, Water in North America, Water in South America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America in simple terms?

Why does Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wastewater discharge standards in Latin America.