Wastewater Treatment Plants vs Sewage Treatment Plants

Many people think that ‘wastewater’ is the more polite term for ‘sewage’, and these two different terms are often used interchangeably, with the thought of wastewater treatment plants and sewage treatment plants being the same thing. But this is not exactly the case, and using these words interchangeably can often cause some confusion.

Wastewater and sewage do share many similarities, but at the same time, they are two completely different terms, and the difference should be fully understood, especially if you are someone who works in a related industry.

Let’s have a look at the differences between wastewater and sewage.

Defining Wastewater

Wastewater is predominantly made up of water, but there are often a wide variety of other elements that can be found in wastewater which make it dangerous for the health of the general public.

What are some of the other things that can be found in wastewater? It can be anything from germs, to small sharp needles, to rocks and stones. The variety of items and pathogens found in wastewater is so diverse as it comes from a variety of sources, including the drainage of kitchen sinks, showers, etc.

There is also wastewater that comes from non-residential sources such as dairies and factories. This water usually requires additional treatment steps as they often contain dangerous and strong chemicals.

Wastewater treatment plants can often flood in bad weather and that is why it’s important that stormwater is collected separately.

Defining Sewage

Sewage is similar to wastewater in that it contains all of the components that wastewater does. It is in fact a subset of wastewater. But the major difference is that sewage’s only source is the toilet. Your toilet water is drained differently to the other water in your home.

But many different types of things are flushed down the toilet, which is why sewage can have many of the same components as wastewater. Sewage needs to be treated differently from wastewater because of the large quantities of organic waste.

Whether you are looking to construct or install a wastewater treatment plant or a sewage treatment plant, here at BMP Civil, we provide comprehensive treatment plant and pump station services in the Blue Mountain area. Get in touch with us today for more information!