A California-based environmental engineering company involved exclusively in water, RMC Water and Environment develops a full range of water management solutions for local communities and public agencies. RMC Water and Environment frequently assists clients in the wastewater treatment sector, which uses treatment strategies such as disposal by dilution.

1. Wastewater Treatment 101:
Disposal by Dilution
RMC Water and Environment

2. Introduction
• A California-based environmental engineering company involved
exclusively in water, RMC Water and Environment develops a full
range of water management solutions for local communities and
public agencies. RMC Water and Environment frequently assists
clients in the wastewater treatment sector, which uses treatment
strategies such as disposal by dilution.
At its core, disposal by dilution involves depositing wastewater into
a sufficiently large body of water, such as a large lake or ocean.
Although the practice may sound suspicious at first, it does
represent an environmentally friendly disposal method when used
in the proper situations. As long as the contaminants in wastewater
can be broken down safely by oxygen, the dissolved oxygen in a
large body of water is often more than enough to handle the task.

3. Wastewater Treatment
• Because disposal by dilution involves introducing
contaminants to natural bodies of water, great care
must be taken to prevent harm to ecosystems.
Wastewater managers must carefully assess the
oxygen concentration of a water source, as well as
the nature of the contaminants in a wastewater
sample. If a body of water does not have enough
oxygen to break down contaminants aerobically,
anaerobic breakdown may take place, resulting in
objectionable organic matter. If toxic compounds
such as heavy metals or pesticides build up in
natural water sources, it can significantly disrupt the
natural food chains in the ecosystem.