WHAT IS WASTEWATER?

Did you know that…?

When we talk about wastewater, we are referring to the liquid that is flushed from toilets, showers, sinks, and other sources, which is discharged into pipes that lead directly to the sewer system. This also includes wastewater discharged by businesses and industries, as well as rainwater.

• Domestic Wastewater: refers to liquid waste from homes, residential areas, commercial establishments, or institutional facilities. They can be subdivided into: Blackwater: water containing urine and other waste from the toilet; and Graywater: soapy water that may contain grease, originating from the shower, bathtub, sink, dishwasher, laundry area, and washing machine.
• Municipal or Urban Wastewater: liquid waste from an urban area, resulting from domestic and industrial activities, carried through a sewer system.
• Industrial Wastewater: originates from industrial processes, which may stem from agriculture or livestock farming.
• Rainwater: is caused by rain runoff, which flows off roofs, streets, yards, etc. The initial flows collected are generally heavily contaminated due to the debris that has accumulated on the surface being washed away.
• Industrial Liquid Waste: originates from various industrial processes, and its composition varies depending on the specific process from which it originates.
• Agricultural Wastewater: originates from surface runoff in agricultural areas and is characterized by the presence of pesticides, salts, and a high content of suspended solids.

Wastewater is stored in containers called septic tanks, which use pipes or sewer lines to direct the water—via pumps—to treatment plants, which are a series of facilities equipped with systems specifically designed to remove contaminants from the water.

Once at the treatment plant, the water undergoes a series of processes—whether chemical, physical, or biological—to remove contaminants from it.

The method chosen for wastewater treatment will depend on access to treatment plants and can range from a process as simple as settling and filtration to more complex processes such as full water purification.

One of the major benefits of wastewater treatment is that it produces a large amount of clean, reusable water that is readily available for reuse. This type of treatment is also known as wastewater treatment.

However, to achieve the desired result and obtain that benefit, a series of steps must be followed in water treatment, depending on the level of purification required for the water.