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Where Does Sewage Go In The UK?
Sewage, or otherwise known as wastewater, is a mixture of domestic water from baths, sinks, washing machines and toilets. Every country has different ways of dealing with sewage waste, in the UK we treat sewage wastewater so it can be reused, this post should help you to learn more about where it goes and the process it goes through.
What Happens Without Treatment?
Without treatment for the sewage that we produce, the environment would be seriously damaged. Sewage that is untreated will contain organic matter, chemicals and all sorts of bacteria. The bacteria that is naturally present in the water will help to break down these substances. However, by doing this, a lot of oxygen will be used meaning that there would not be enough oxygen for fish or other animals in the water to survive. This is why we treat the sewage so that these environmental effects won’t occur.
Where Does The Sewage Go?
When you flush a toilet or empty the bath, all that water will go down the drain and into the pipe, it will then flow underground until it reaches a larger pipe system. The sewage will follow this network of pipes until it reaches a sewage treatment centre.
At the sewage treatment centre, the wastewater will undergo a series of treatments so that it can safely be released into our rivers and streams. This water that is released is strictly regulated by the Environmental Agency to ensure the water is at high-quality standards.
What is the Sewage Treatment Process?
In the first stage of cleaning the sewage, all large objects are removed as these could damage the equipment. This includes things like nappies, face wipes and sanitary products which should have never been put down the drain to start with.
In the next stage, things like human waste are still there, so this is where they will be removed. This happens by putting the sewage into a settlement tank where all the solids will sink to the bottom, allowing separation of the water and solids to occur.
At this point, all the visible bits of sludge have been removed, however, we want all of the bad bacteria and particles to be removed too. Air is pumped into large tanks in this stage which helps the good bacteria to break down the bad bacteria until it is all gone.
In the final step, the good bacteria will settle to the bottom of the tank where they can then be removed. At this point, the water is completely clean and ready to be released back into the environment.
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If you are looking for any more information regarding sewage processes or any other pumping solutions then feel free to get in contact with our experienced team, call us on 01775 711960 or fill out our online contact form.
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