Sewage

From ArticleWorld


Sewage is a term used to define liquid waste products that derive from industrial, domestic or municipal sources and they are disposed of by using a pipe system. A common mistake appears when talking about the physical infrastructure itself, containing drains, pumps, screens etc. The term used for it is sewerage and not sewage.

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Composition

Sewage composition differs from one location to the other and can include one or more of the following:

  • Human waste (or Black Water) including bodily fluids, paper. A common component of sewage is also Grey Water and the water collected from natural events like rain or storms is labeled as Storm Water. In some occasions ground water is also present as it infiltrates the pipes.
  • Waters used in industrial processes or activities
  • Sea Water ingress or direct water ingress (river water or man-made liquids)

A large city also has in its sewage composition one or more of the following:

  • Water
  • Bacteria and Pathogens
  • Organic particles or different types of soluble organic material together with inorganic particles
  • Microscopic organisms
  • Gases and/or toxins
  • Macro-solids
  • Other substances or objects that ended up in the sewage.
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Disposal

Bigger cities have implemented two draining systems: one that carries runoff from streets through storm drains and sanitary sewers, which carry the rest. A manhole is a common access path to both of them. A special attention is given to the disposal methods because untreated sewage that is directly taken to rivers or other disposing places can have a powerful and negative impact upon the environment and public health.

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