Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Removal & Filtration
Total suspended solids are a regulated discharge parameter for commercial and industrial wastewater systems. As production increases, fine particulate matter accumulates in wastewater streams and becomes harder to control through settling alone. Without effective TSS removal, suspended material passes into sewers or waterways, driving permit exceedances. ALAR applies TSS wastewater treatment methods that physically separate suspended solids upstream, enabling consistent TSS treatment performance as wastewater conditions and production demands change.
Industry Solutions
Why TSS Removal Is a Core Wastewater Compliance Requirement
Environmental agencies regulate total suspended solids because particulate matter directly affects sewer capacity and receiving water quality. When TSS levels exceed permit limits, solids accumulate in collection systems, interfere with downstream treatment, and contribute to environmental degradation.
For commercial production and manufacturing operations, TSS wastewater levels often rise as output increases or processes change. Suspended solids generated during washing, rinsing, coating, cutting, or material handling remain dispersed unless actively removed. Once discharged, these particles are measured through routine sampling and averaging periods defined in discharge permits.
Consistent TSS treatment requires controlling suspended solids before wastewater leaves the facility. Pretreatment and filtration systems that remove particulate matter upstream provide more predictable compliance than approaches that rely on hauling or corrective action after exceedances occur.
What Creates High TSS Levels in Industrial Wastewater
Total suspended solids in industrial wastewater originate from materials that remain dispersed rather than settling out. These particles vary in size, density, and composition, which is why TSS removal wastewater programs must account for more than gravity separation alone.
Settleable vs. Non-Settleable Suspended Solids
Heavier particles may settle under calm conditions, but fine and lightweight solids often remain suspended through clarification. Changes in flow rate, agitation, or temperature can keep these particles in motion, allowing them to pass through basic treatment steps and elevate measured TSS levels.
Organic and Inorganic Contributors to TSS
TSS wastewater commonly contains a mix of organic solids, such as food residues, biological material, and process byproducts, along with inorganic fines from pigments, coatings, metals, and surface-finishing operations. Without targeted TSS treatment, these materials persist in the liquid phase and drive exceedances at discharge.
Why Settling Alone Is Often Insufficient for TSS Treatment
Settling tanks and basic clarification are commonly used as first steps in TSS water treatment, but they rarely provide consistent control on their own. Many suspended solids remain in motion due to particle size, density, or hydraulic conditions. As production rates fluctuate, these limitations become more pronounced and lead to variable TSS removal results.
Common limitations of settling-based TSS removal include:
- Fine particles that remain suspended and bypass clarification
- Flow variability that reduces retention time and separation efficiency
- Mixed organic and inorganic solids with different settling behaviors
- Space constraints that limit clarifier sizing or expansion
Addressing these gaps requires filtration and enhanced separation methods that stabilize TSS removal wastewater performance before discharge.
ALAR Equipment Solutions Used for TSS Removal Wastewater Applications
Achieving consistent TSS removal wastewater compliance requires matching treatment technology to how suspended solids behave in the process. ALAR applies multiple equipment platforms that address different forms of total suspended solids, from coarse particulate matter to fine, non-settleable solids.
Auto-Vac™ Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter
The Auto-Vac™ system is applied where fine suspended solids bypass clarification and settling. By pulling wastewater across a defined filtration surface under vacuum, this technology captures particles that remain suspended due to size or density. In TSS water treatment applications with variable loading, the rotary vacuum drum filter provides stable solids separation without relying on extended retention time.
Flex-O-Star® Batch Dewatering System
Flex-O-Star® systems support TSS treatment by separating and dewatering suspended solids generated during pretreatment and filtration. Removing these solids from the liquid phase reduces overall TSS levels and limits the amount of particulate matter carried forward in the wastewater stream.
Micro-Klean™ Plate & Frame Filter Press
For applications requiring higher solids capture and reduced moisture content, the Micro-Klean™ filter press provides pressure-driven separation. This system is often applied when concentrated solids must be removed to achieve low TSS discharge limits or to reduce disposal volume.
Flot-Star™
Flot-Star™ flotation technology targets suspended solids that are buoyant or slow to settle, including pigments, coatings, and emulsified material. By separating low-density solids early in the process, Flot-Star™ improves overall TSS removal performance.
Bio-Star™
Bio-Star™ systems are applied when biological treatment is required as part of a broader compliance strategy. While primarily focused on organic reduction, removing biomass solids also supports TSS control in select applications.
Clar-O-Floc™ Lamella Clarifier
Clar-O-Floc™ systems enhance gravity separation by increasing the effective settling area within a compact footprint. When paired with downstream filtration, lamella clarification improves TSS treatment consistency and reduces solids loading on subsequent equipment.
Industry Applications With High TSS Wastewater Loads
Total suspended solids challenges appear across a wide range of commercial production and manufacturing environments where particulate matter is generated during normal operations. Industries that commonly require dedicated TSS treatment include:
- Flexographic ink and printing, where pigments and binders remain suspended
- Food and beverage processing, generating organic solids from raw materials and cleaning operations
- Industrial waste hauling and transfer, with blended waste streams and variable solids profiles
- Oil and gas operations, producing wastewater with fine particulates and process residuals
- Paints, coatings, and surface finishing, where inorganic fines and overspray contribute to elevated TSS
In these applications, targeted TSS water treatment stabilizes discharge performance and supports consistent regulatory compliance.
Applying TSS Removal Systems to Existing Operations
Many facilities face TSS treatment requirements after production processes are already established. In these cases, achieving compliance depends on applying TSS removal wastewater solutions that fit within existing space, piping, and operating constraints rather than forcing major process changes.
ALAR TSS water treatment systems can be integrated into current operations as retrofits or as part of a phased upgrade. Pretreatment, clarification, filtration, and dewatering equipment are configured around actual wastewater characteristics, including solids loading, particle size, and flow variability. This allows suspended solids to be removed upstream while production continues uninterrupted.
ALAR manufactures industrial wastewater treatment equipment for worldwide distribution.
Industrial wastewater is a moving target; no two waste streams are alike. ALAR understands the difference and uses its chemical, engineering and technological expertise to deliver results that work.
Responsible industrial wastewater management makes the difference between regulatory compliance and non-compliance. ALAR offers a variety of mechanical and chemical pretreatment systems that allow customers to make an educated decision.
ALAR’s Auto-Vac™, Flex-O-Star®, Micro-Klean™, Dissolved Air Floatation and Clarifier systems effectively remove solid particles from the liquid, producing clean/dischargeable [non-potable] water along with dewatered dry solids. ALAR also designs and builds industrial chemical pretreatment and pH neutralization systems for batch treatment or continuous flow process wastewater applications.
The ALAR® Auto-Vac™ is a rotary vacuum drum precoat filter that effectively removes solid particles from the sludge, producing dewatered dry waste. Typically, this waste is disposed of at a local landfill without further drying. The Auto-Vac™ is self-cleaning with every revolution, which prevents blinding or clogging, and provides rapid filtration and extremely high filtrate clarity.
The ALAR® Auto-Vac™ filtering system, available in 16 filter sizes, is skid mounted, pre-piped and pre-wired for easy installation. It is offered in both semi-automatic and automatic modes of operation. This design works with virtually any industrial waste.
The ALAR Flex-O-Star® is an automatic batch or continuous flow chemical pretreatment system, combined with the Auto-Vac™ RVDPF technology.
This system provides comprehensive wastewater treatment for water-based effluents, slurries, and problem wash waters. The design is universal and works with virtually any industrial liquid waste. ALAR’s Flex-O-Star® is engineered to incorporate a two-step filtration process: Chemical & Mechanical.
The first step, chemical treatment, breaks the solids and liquids apart by automatically adding pretreatment chemicals such as pH adjusters, polymers (coagulants and flocculants) or clay.
The second step, mechanical filtration, physically removes the precipitated solid particles from the sludge.
The Flex-O-Star® is a skid-mounted, pre-piped and pre-wired system; available in 12 sizes.
The ALAR Micro-Klean™ is a robust pre-piped, solid steel plate-n-frame dewatering filter press; equipped with an automatic hydraulic ram and solids collection bin. The Micro-Klean® will filter the sludge until the solids fill each plate. Over time, the buildup of solids will block any more water from passing through the filter. When the filter press is full, the operator will blow out residual moisture, open the press plates and scrape them down. The solids will fall into a collection bin and the filtrate is discharged into the sewer or returned to the chemical pretreatment cycle.
The Micro-Klean™ is available in 2 to 20 ft3 size options, automatic open/close ram, roll-off solids hopper, chemical batch treatment skid option, PLC or manual control.
The ALAR DAF / Dissolved Air Flotation System is a wastewater clarification system that incorporates dissolved air to aid in the flotation of fine solids, fats, oils and grease. The concentrated float is skimmed off the surface with a sweeping wiper blade and discharged into a sludge trough. The sludge is disposed of or pumped to a dewatering filter.
The ALAR Clar-O-Floc Clarifier™ Plate Clarifier is a gravity settling and decant system.
The Clarifier produces a clear effluent through the separation of liquid from settling solids. Concentrated heavy solids “sink” to the bottom of the clarifier and are pumped to a sludge settling tank and dewatering filter.
The ALAR Chemical Pretreatment and pH Neutralization Equipment is designed to meet effluent discharge compliance via batch treatment and dewatering or simple pH neutralization and disposal. Sometimes, pH adjusting wastewater, without filtration, through a neutralization system meets city sewer discharge requirements.
However, many industrial wastewaters containing emulsified solids, oils, soaps, surfactants, or dissolved metals require pH adjustment in order to precipitate [drop] out of solution prior to filtration or dewatering.
The majority of ALAR wastewater treatment systems are pH driven; oftentimes requiring acid to lower the pH and break the emulsification, followed by caustic to raise the pH and precipitate the contaminants. In most cases, this simple pH adjustment is all the solids, oils and metals require to be captured by a 1-micron precoat filter such as the Auto-Vac™, Flex-O-Star® or Micro-Klean™.
ALAR designs each system to meet the customer's build-to specifications. ALAR begins with stock layouts, and customizes the auxiliary equipment according to the customer's specifications.
These stock layouts are available in PDF format. Contact ALAR for more information.
Case Studies
Food Manufacturer Solves TSS & BOD Wastewater Problem
ALAR was contacted to help design and build a wastewater treatment system that would achieve maximum productivity with minimum effort and expense.
Frequently Asked Questions About TSS Removal & Wastewater Treatment
TSS limits are enforced through discharge permits issued by municipalities or environmental agencies. Facilities are typically monitored through routine sampling and reporting, with limits applied to daily maximums, averages, or both, depending on the permit structure.
Yes. Many municipalities impose surcharges when TSS concentrations exceed allowable thresholds. These fees are intended to offset the added burden placed on public treatment infrastructure by high-strength wastewater.
Some facilities choose waste hauling as a disposal option, but it often results in higher long-term costs and less control over compliance. On-site TSS removal wastewater treatment allows suspended solids to be managed before discharge and reduces reliance on off-site disposal.
Acceptable TSS levels are defined by discharge permits or local sewer authority requirements. These limits vary based on receiving system capacity, regulatory jurisdiction, and whether wastewater is discharged to a municipal system or surface water.
Yes. TSS water treatment systems are commonly designed with scalability in mind. As production volumes or solids loading increase, treatment capacity can be expanded through system upgrades or additional separation stages.
