DUMP TOXIC SUBSTANCES INTO OUR DRINKING WATER?
THE CASE FOR LAND APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY
Michael R. Overcash, Associate Professor
Dhiraj Pal, Research Associate
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina 27650
INTRODUCTION
When reviewed from an objective distance, the nation's industrial waste treatment
represents a certain philosophy in its approach to an environmental solution.   To a
large extent we do not convert waste into an environmentally acceptable product, we
do not convert waste to usable products, we do not detoxify wastes; instead the reigning philosophy is to provide minimum treatment and discharge to the nearest body of
water.   The bigger the body of water the better.   However, these same water resources
serve a large percentage of our population with drinking water.   Therefore the solution
that we as a society have evolved, if viewed by an outsider, is to take our industrial
wastes and toxic substances and dispose of them in our drinking water resources.   Such
an approach and the attitudes which lead this philosophy are assured of creating a number of problems especially as centralized industrial development occurs.
What have been the philosophies which have created the current approach to industrial waste management?   A first, major approach has been to focus almost exclusively on the ecological symptoms of water pollution.   That is, the assumption that the
problems would be solved if gross ecological impact such as eutrophication, colour, fish
kills, etc. would be prevented.   This has lead to the almost exclusive attention, in the
late 60's and early 70's, on such parameters as BODs, TSS, pH and D.O.   The substantial problems manifested by such pollutional parameters and the emphasis on the need
for waters fit for fishing, swimming, and recreation are indeed important parts of the
total environmental picture.   However they are just one part, with the remaining pollutional problems being far more difficult and pervasive.   One of the remaining environmental impacts is with a variety of chemical pollutants and the magnitude of the treatment processes associated with industrial and municipal/industrial wastes.   The final
substantial environmental problem is with nonpoint source inputs, to the extent that
these can be controlled.   This latter problem area has been addressed in a number of
reports [1,2,3,4].   Thus one can conclude that one of the existing problems is the
continued regulatory emphasis on gross oxygen demand loads as a measure of pollution.
This emphasis continues despite recent court settlements directing attention to specific
pollutants of public health concern in drinking water.
Another manifestation of our industrial waste management has been the focus on
percentage removal of gross pollutional land.   Achievement of 99% removal is considered highly successful, yet with typical high industrial raw waste concentrations, the
effluent is still stronger than municipal waste.    It is the remaining  1% of the concentrated waste which is still creating environmental impacts.    In a study of
activated sludge treatment for textile  waste  [5], good percent removal was obtained,
but the dye compounds were virtually unaffected.    It is these dye compounds which
98