Abstract: A method and apparatus for the treatment of wastewater effluent from a laundromat combines multiple filtering, particularly including, bag filters, to remove particulates including fine particulates followed by treatment in a weak base anion exchange resin bed to remove MBAS. The weak base resin was found to remove MBAS and organics such as LAS which were highly de-adsorbed in the efficient regeneration of the resin. The weak base anion exchange resin is preferably macroporous in the sulfate form. The invention contemplates multiple bag filters of different degrees of coarseness.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating wastewater effluent from diversely laundered household wash as in a laundromat provides for collecting and holding the effluent in a first tank for at least an average wash cycle for equalization and to a pH of 8.5 to 11, and then transferring the equalized wastewater to a second tank for acidification to a first predetermined pH of not less than about 6.5 and preferably 6.5 to 6.9, and then adding a coagulant, preferably a PAC with a basicity of 45 to 50%, to effect a second predetermined pH of not less than about 5.0 and preferably 5.2 to 5.4 for coagulation at the second pH to form treated water and a sludge. The treated water is decanted from the sludge and filtered to remove 1 to 50 micron particulates. The filtered water is then passed through a weak base anion exchange resin to remove MBAS to provide treated water.