Advanced Treatment
At times, treatment beyond primary and secondary is necessary before allowing the treated water to leave the plant. Advanced treatment, also known as tertiary treatment, removes contaminants that are not removed in the previous steps. This advanced treatment can be additional removal of organic matter/solids, removal of toxic substances, or the reduction of concentration of nutrients.
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For more information on nutrient pollution, watch this video by the US Environmental Protection Agency
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes nutrient pollution as "...the process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae." Algae requires oxygen to live, so an increase of algae uses more of the available oxygen in the water. This depletion of oxygen negatively affects marine life. Even though the majority of nutrient pollution comes from nonpoint sources (a source that is not specifically designated. i.e., runoff from farms), it is important to remove the nutrients from the wastewater before discharging.
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