What is Wastewater and Sewage? Treatment & Infrastructure Guide

Wastewater, or waste water as it is sometimes written, is water that has been used and undergone a reduction in quality from its original state. Wastewater can come from a variety of uses including commercial, industrial, domestic, farming and agricultural activities, storm-water or surface water runoff, and from sewer inflow or infiltration.

Municipal wastewater (also called sewage) is usually conveyed in a combined sewer and is generally treated at a specialist wastewater treatment plant designed specifically for this purpose.

Once treated wastewater is typically discharged into a receiving body of water via an effluent pipe.

Self-Contained Wastewater Treatment Systems

Wastewaters generated in areas without access to centralised sewer systems tend to rely on on-site wastewater systems that serve that facility only. These self-contained wastewater treatment facilities often include a septic tank, drain field, and optionally an in-situ wastewater treatment unit used to purify, or at least treat the wastewater so it can be safely discharged.

What is Sewage?

Sewage is a specific type of wastewater that encompasses domestic wastewater and is therefore contaminated with human waste from domestic toilets. However, the term sewage is also used to describe any type of waste water.

Sewerage is the term used to describe the physical infrastructure, including distribution pipes, pumps, filters, screens etc. that are used to move sewage or wastewater from its point of origin to the wastewater treatment plant or point of disposal.

Testing sewage and wastewater for metals and heavy metals

World Class Wastewater Treatment Solutions

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With offices in London serving the South and South East England, Manchester (North West), Birmingham (Midlands), Bristol (South East England and Wales), Leeds (North and North East) and Glasgow (Scotland), supported by regional teams of specially trained engineers, site service specialists and technical experts we can offer water management solutions across the whole of the UK.