Definition: Industrial (process) wastewater

Category: Environment

Water discharged after being used in, or produced by, industrial production processes and which is of no further immediate value to these processes. Where process water recycling systems have been installed, process wastewater is the final discharge from these circuits. To meet quality standards for eventual discharge into public sewers, this process wastewater is understood to be subjected to ex-process in-plant treatment. Cooling water is not considered to be process wastewater for purposes of this questionnaire. Sanitary wastewater and surface runoff from industries are also excluded here. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/OECD_ESTAT_JQ_Manual_version_4_2018.pdf