Tiếng Việt
中文 (中国)
The phone rings at midnight with a call from the plant manager. A summons arrives from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment. A fine of hundreds of millions of dong and an order to suspend operations hang overhead. Is this the “nightmare” that business leaders always dread? Industrial wastewater that is not managed properly is not just waste but a ticking time bomb, threatening the very survival of the business.
The cost of operating the wastewater treatment system keeps swelling, outdated technology no longer meets the new discharge standards, and every passing day brings more anxiety. At NGO International, with nearly 10 years of hands-on experience, we do not simply build a treatment plant. We build a solid “shield” that protects your business from every legal risk and turns environmental costs into a smart investment. NGO’s team includes technical consultants with more than 20 years of experience in wastewater treatment.
I. Classification of industrial wastewater
Industrial wastewater, also called production wastewater, is generated by the manufacturing and processing activities of factories. It generally falls into two types: production wastewater, or mixed wastewater consisting of production wastewater and domestic wastewater. Industries that discharge large volumes of wastewater with a high level of pollution include seafood, textile dyeing, paper and pulp, rubber processing, metal plating, food processing (especially beer and soft drinks), metallurgy, metalworking and more.
II. Composition of industrial wastewater
The main pollutants in industrial wastewater are inorganic substances (metallurgical plants, building material plants, inorganic fertiliser plants…), dissolved organic matter (measured as BOD), trace organic compounds that cause odour and taste (phenol, benzene…), organic substances that are hard to biodegrade, and some organic substances that are toxic to aquatic life (benzene, chlorobenzene…)
Industrial wastewater may also contain high levels of oil, grease, floating matter, suspended solids, heavy metals and nutrients (N, P).
Table: Typical pollution characteristics and risks by industry
| Industry | Characteristic Pollutants | Operational & Environmental Risks |
| Textile dyeing | High colour, COD, BOD, dyeing chemicals, heavy metals, surfactants. | Severe colour pollution, high toxicity, hard to biodegrade, very high treatment chemical costs. |
| Electroplating, metallurgy | Heavy metals (Cr6+, Ni, Cu, Zn), cyanide (CN-), extremely low or extremely high pH. | Acute toxicity, complete destruction of the biological system, equipment corrosion, the highest legal risk. |
| Food processing | High COD, BOD, fats, N, P and SS (starch, protein, oil and grease). | Easily overloads the biological system, produces foul odours, and forms a layer of oil and grease that causes blockages. |
| Paper production | Very high COD, BOD and SS (pulp, fibres), lignin, bleaching chemicals (chlorine). | Large organic pollution load that is hard to degrade and consumes a lot of energy and chemicals. |
| Chemicals, pharmaceuticals | Organic solvents, aromatic compounds, residual active pharmaceutical substances, high biological toxicity. | Requires specialised advanced treatment technologies, with very high investment and operating costs. |
III. Typical physical and chemical properties of industrial production wastewater
1. Physical properties
- Colour: Depending on the type of production, wastewater can have many different colours, such as grey, brown, black, or even the characteristic colours of chemicals and dyes… The colour partly reflects the content of organic and inorganic compounds and the presence of suspended impurities.
- Odour: Industrial wastewater can give off characteristic odours such as chemical smells, the foul smell of decomposing organic compounds, the smell of oil and grease, or other harmful odours, affecting the surrounding environment if not well controlled.
- Temperature: The temperature of industrial wastewater is usually higher than that of natural water because of production processes and equipment cooling. High temperature reduces the solubility of oxygen and affects the efficiency of biological treatment.
- Solids: These include floating solids, suspended solids, colloids and dissolved solids. The solids in wastewater are very diverse: from dust particles, soil and organic residue to common dissolved inorganic compounds such as sodium, calcium, sulphate… These solids can be partly removed through settling, filtration and coagulation in the treatment system.
2. Chemical properties
The chemical composition of industrial wastewater is very complex, including both organic and inorganic compounds:
Organic components: Compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, oil and grease, organic substances containing nitrogen and phosphorus, pesticides, phenol, surfactants… Some of these substances can be toxic to the environment.
Inorganic components: These include alkalinity, chloride, heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium…), inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, gases such as H₂S and CH₄, other toxic substances, and the pH value. Some components can accumulate and cause long-term harm to the ecosystem.
3. Biological properties
Industrial wastewater contains not only chemical compounds but also carries many biological risks, mainly due to the presence of:
- Pathogens: These include viruses and disease-causing bacteria that can spread through wastewater, especially wastewater from the food, healthcare and seafood processing industries…
- Parasites: Worm eggs, parasites… may also be present in wastewater and pose a risk of disease transmission to humans and aquatic animals.
IV. Industrial wastewater treatment methods & technologies
Unlike domestic or medical wastewater, the industrial wastewater of a single industry can also differ greatly between companies, because of different production processes, input materials with different properties or composition, and whether the production technology is outdated or modern, all of which affect the volume and concentration of the pollutants generated.
It is therefore necessary to rely on test samples to analyse in detail the properties of the wastewater and the concentration of each pollutant, so as to select the industrial wastewater treatment methods and technologies suited to each pollutant:
V. Featured project
- Challenge: A large textile dyeing plant in Southern Vietnam faced an old treatment system that frequently failed the colour and COD standards. Monthly chemical operating costs ran to hundreds of millions of dong with unstable results, and the authorities repeatedly “blew the whistle” on the plant.
- NGO International’s solution: After a survey, we proposed a plan to renovate and upgrade the system. The focus was on applying advanced technology to thoroughly remove colour and hard-to-degrade organic compounds.
- Impressive results:
- Effluent quality consistently meets QCVN 13-MT:2015/BTNMT, Column A (the regulation in force when the project was carried out; replaced by QCVN 40:2025/BTNMT from 1 September 2025).
- Removal of > 98% of colour and > 95% of influent COD.
- 40% lower chemical costs in monthly operation.
- The system allows 30% reuse of the treated water for the washing stage, helping to reduce the cost of supply water.
- The company feels fully confident during environmental inspections.
“Working with NGO International was the best decision we ever made. They did not just supply a system, they delivered a complete solution and total peace of mind. From now on, we can focus entirely on production without worrying about wastewater.”
– Mr. L.Q.H, Operations Director
VI. Frequently asked questions
The cost depends entirely on the industry, the flow rate (m³/day), the level of pollution and the required effluent quality (QCVN 40:2025/BTNMT…). Contact NGO for a FREE survey and the most accurate “tailor-made” quotation.
QCVN 40:2025/BTNMT is the general national technical regulation on industrial wastewater, applicable from 1 September 2025. It replaces QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT and also merges the separate regulations that previously applied to many industries, such as textile dyeing (QCVN 13-MT), paper and pulp (QCVN 12-MT) and seafood processing (QCVN 11-MT). Plants already in operation, or projects whose EIA report was approved before 1 September 2025, may continue to apply the old regulations until 31 December 2031. NGO always advises on and designs systems that comply with the regulation applicable to your industry.
Sludge (especially sludge containing heavy metals) is hazardous waste. After its volume is reduced by a sludge press, it must be collected and treated by licensed and qualified units in accordance with the law.
Absolutely. Treated water that meets the standard (especially after UF and RO membrane filtration) can be reused for many purposes, such as cooling machinery, cleaning the workshop and watering plants, and even fed back into some production stages, saving considerable clean water costs.
Because we are problem-solving experts. With 10 years of experience, diverse technological capabilities and a “tailor-made” approach, we do not just build a facility but also deliver peace of mind, economic efficiency and long-term partnership, ensuring your investment is worthwhile.
Industrial park and industrial cluster wastewater treatment video
See more at:
https://ngoenvironment.com/en/solution.html
Because wastewater contains different pollutants in both quantity and quality, it is very difficult to design one process and one solution that works effectively for all types of industrial wastewater. If your company is looking for a technology to treat a specific type of industrial wastewater, please contact NGO for support at +84 24 7300 0890, or send an email to office@8ngo.com
Talk to an NGO engineer
Free survey and consultation. Send us your wastewater type (industrial or domestic), flow rate (m³/day), influent analysis results if available and required effluent quality; an NGO engineer will propose a suitable technology and a realistic quotation.
Offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City · +84 24 7300 0890 · office@8ngo.com
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