What Is Wastewater And Why Treat It? – Quarter 3, 2018

Clean water is important not only to humans, but also wildlife and vegetation. If not properly treated, water can carry disease, negatively impacting the environment and your health. The main principle of treating this water is to remove as much of the solids and contaminants before the remaining water (effluent) is discharged back into the environment.
Water that reaches the treatment plant have three major components: sanitary wastewater, inflow and infiltration. Sanitary wastewater is derived from fixtures inside your house or business. This includes water from sinks, showers, bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers and may contain oil, soaps, food scraps, human waste and chemicals. Sanitary wastewater is expected and the usual quantity is known.

Inflow is stormwater entering the sewer system. Sources of inflow include drains from foundations, roofs, downspouts, window wells, outdoor basement stairwells, and groundwater/basement sump pumps. These sources are typically improperly or illegally connected to sewer systems. Stormwater should be entering the stormwater collection system or allowed to soak into the ground without entering the sanitary sewer system. Improper connections can contribute a significant amount of water to sanitary sewer systems.

Infiltration is the seepage of ground water into the sewer system through cracks and leaks in sewer piping, manholes and loose sewer connections.

Every sewer system has some infiltration and/or inflow (I&I). Inflow and infiltration add “clear” water to sewer systems increasing the load on the system. “Clear” water belongs in stormwater sewers or on the surface of the ground. Excessive I&I increases the cost to treat and eliminate wastewater. All water entering the treatment facility must be treated as wastewater, causing an increase in costs when treating large amounts of “clear” water unnecessarily.

Should you know of any sources of I&I, sump pumps or improper sewer connections, please contact us immediately so we can help the homeowner correct the situation.
Every gallon we receive must be treated the same. Help us keep the cost of treatment to a minimum by eliminating any sources of I&I.