Method and system for the efficient and sustainable electrochemical treatment of wastewater

A method for the electrochemical treatment of wastewater comprising the steps of:

• a. supplying a wastewater stream to be treated to a reactor tank, wherein the wastewater stream to be treated comprises a contaminant, and supplying a wastewater stream having a contaminant concentration from the reactor tank to a first electrolyzer,
• b. treating the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank in the first electrolyzer, wherein the first electrolyzer comprises a stack of electrolytic cells, each electrolytic cell comprising an anode of a first composition, and discarding an effluent stream from the first electrolyzer into the reactor tank,
• c. monitoring the contaminant concentration in the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank,
• d. repeating the step of treating the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank in the first electrolyzer and discarding the effluent stream from the first electrolyzer into the reactor tank until the first electrolyzer has a contaminant removal rate of about 0 mg/h;
• e. thereafter, stopping the treatment of the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank in the first electrolyzer and treating the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank in a second electrolyzer comprising a stack of electrolytic cells, each electrolytic cell comprising an anode of a second composition, which is different than the first composition of the anodes in the first electrolyzer, the second composition of the anode of the electrolytic cells in the second electrolyzer being selected from a material which treats byproducts of the reaction in the first electrolyzer,
• f. treating the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank in the second electrolyzer and discarding an effluent stream from the second electrolyzer back to the reactor tank,
• g. monitoring the contaminant concentration in the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank,
• h. discarding the effluent stream from the second electrolyzer back to the reactor tank until the contaminant concentration in the wastewater stream supplied from the reactor tank to the second electrolyzer reaches a target value, and
• i. discarding the wastewater from the reactor tank.