Sources of waste water
- Water is used on a daily basis in a domestic environment
- For example, washing-up dishes, showers and baths and cooking
- When you run water down a drain, it passes through sewers and then finally to sewage treatment plants
- Agricultural waste from animal farms and nutrient run-off which is collected from fields produces an abundance of waste water
- Both domestic and agricultural sewage needs to be processed to remove organic matter, harmful microbes, particulates and toxins
- This can then be safely returned to freshwater sources i.e. lakes and rivers
- If this process did not take place, it could potentially pose health risks for the population
- Waste water that is produced by the Haber process and other industrial processes needs to be gathered and treated appropriately
- Harmful chemicals and organic matter are present in industrial waste
- This therefore means that additional treatment has to be in place to ensure it is safe for the environment
Examiner Tip
Waste water, sometimes called 'grey water', cannot be allowed to run untreated as it contains dangerous substances and toxins and is detrimental to the environment and health.