Textile effluent is among the most difficult industrial wastewaters due to reactive/disperse dyes, salt, bleaching chemicals and finishing agents. Dye molecules resist biological breakdown — conventional biological treatment alone is insufficient for color removal.
As one of the world's largest textile producers, Turkey enforces strict color (Pt-Co) discharge limits. The Textile Sector Communiqué specifies wavelength-based limits at 280-436-525-620 nm.
Arsistek delivers sector-specific design for knitting, weaving, denim, carpet, hosiery, finishing and printing plants. Tailored chemical + biological + ozone/PAC hybrid systems per influent characterization.
Textile Wastewater Characteristics
Profiles vary dramatically by process. Reactive-dye knitting plants produce fluctuating color loads, denim washing carries high suspended solids and indigo residue, while carpet and weaving finishing brings high salinity and sulfate.
Typical parameters: COD 800-3,000 mg/L, BOD 200-800 mg/L, color 1,000-5,000 Pt-Co, pH 6-12, sulfate 500-2,000 mg/L. This variability demands a robust and flexible process design.
Caustic/acid washes cause sudden pH shocks, making equalization tanks and automatic pH control critical.
Textile Treatment Process Flow
- Screening + equalization + cooling (hot dye bath flows)
- pH neutralization (automatic H2SO4/NaOH dosing)
- Coagulation-flocculation (FeCl3 + polymer)
- Primary clarifier or DAF
- Biological treatment (MBBR or activated sludge)
- Secondary clarifier
- Ozone oxidation (color + recalcitrant COD)
- Sand filter + activated carbon (high quality)
- Optional UF + RO for water reuse
Key Equipment
- Ozone generator (50-500 g/h)
- MBBR carrier reactor (specialized biofilm bacteria)
- Plate-frame heat recovery exchanger
- Automatic polymer make-up unit
- Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) column filter
- Dual-line equalization tank (acid/alkali shock)
- SCADA — real-time pH, COD, flow monitoring
Regulation & Water Reuse Opportunity
Under the Textile Sector Discharge Standards (SKKY Table 10.1), targets are COD < 250 mg/L, BOD < 100 mg/L, TSS < 100 mg/L and color limits at RES wavelengths. Plants in OSBs pretreat and the central plant finishes.
Textile is among the top-5 water-consuming sectors — 100-150 L per kg of fabric. With UF + RO reuse, 50-70% of wash/rinse water can be recycled, slashing both bills and effluent load.
Per BAT guidance for IPPC integrated permits, MBR is preferred; an anaerobic reductive step plus activated carbon is recommended for dye degradation.
Arsistek Edge in Textile
Textile References
Color-removing WWTP references in leading Turkish textile zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reactive and disperse dyes are engineered to resist biological breakdown. Conventional biology fails on color — ozone, Fenton or activated carbon advanced oxidation/adsorption is required.
Pt-Co (Platinum-Cobalt) is the standard color unit. For textiles, the RES system sets wavelength-specific limits at 436/525/620 nm — 5-7 m⁻¹ range depending on wavelength.
It depends. Ozone is cleaner (only O2 byproduct) but OPEX is high. Fenton is cheaper but produces iron sludge. Ozone is preferred for reactive-dye plants; Fenton for indigo/denim. Pilot testing decides the optimum.
Typically UF + RO recovers 50-70% of daily effluent for wash/rinse quality reuse, cutting water bills 40% and discharge volume by half.
Yes. Per the OSB communiqué, members must pretreat color, TSS, fat-grease and heavy metals. Failure damages the central plant and triggers penalties.
Yes. Container-type package systems are ideal for 50-500 m³/day textile plants. Larger plants (1000+ m³/day) use modular concrete-tank facilities.