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How Sewage Is Treated
When a property is not connected to the main sewer system, wastewater has to be treated separately. Sewage treatment plants allow wastewater to be treated on-site before being released into a drain away or into the watercourse. This process turns sewage into clean, environmentally-friendly water that can be safely disposed of without harming the local ecosystem.
What Is Wastewater?
Household wastewater includes water from toilets, sinks, baths, showers, washing machines, and dishwashers, as well as any substance that is put down the drain or flushed down the toilet. This wastewater needs to be collected and treated before it can be released to prevent harm to the environment, protect waterways and wildlife, and reduce the spread of disease.
How Do Sewage Treatment Plants Work?
A sewage treatment plant is a popular alternative to a septic tank and will often be installed at rural or off-grid properties that don’t have access to the main sewer. Around 5% of UK homes are remote enough to not be connected to the main sewer system. Sewage treatment plants provide a safe, clean, and eco-friendly solution when wastewater needs to be discharged into a stream or ditch.
Sewage treatment plants consist of two chambers. In the first chamber, wastewater is separated into solids, or sludge, scum (fats and oils), and water. When this water passes into the second chamber, a pump aerates the water to promote the growth of good bacteria that break down and purify any organic matter. This makes the water safe for release into a drain away or the watercourse and prevents harmful sewage from being released untreated into the environment.
How Does Sewage Cause Water Pollution?
Water companies are permitted to release sewage into rivers in emergencies to prevent sewers from becoming overwhelmed, for example when there is heavy rainfall. In 2020, sewage was released into the UK’s waterways on more than 400,000 occasions, causing serious damage to the ecosystem of the rivers.
When untreated sewage is released into rivers or other waterways, microorganisms decompose the sewage, using oxygen from the water for aerobic respiration. This reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, causing harm to fish and insects living in the waterway.
Sewage introduces a large number of nutrients when released into water, which can encourage the growth of algae in rivers. In turn, this can block the light that plants need and when the algae are eaten by bacteria, the oxygen level in the water is further depleted.
How Does Sewage Treatment Reduce the Spread of Disease?
By removing harmful bacteria from wastewater, sewage treatment plants effectively reduce the spread of disease. Human waste can carry disease-causing organisms, while wastewater often contains harmful chemicals that can lead to a variety of health problems. Treating wastewater before it is released helps prevent this.
Contact Pumping Solutions
Pumping Solutions design and install sewage treatment plants throughout the UK. To arrange a site survey or find out more about our services, call 01775 711960 or use our contact form to get in touch.
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