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Sewage - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

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Sewage is the waste water and solids that come from homes, businesses, and industries. It includes water from sinks, toilets, and drains, and may contain human waste, food scraps, soap, and chemicals.

In GCSE Chemistry, sewage is important because it must be treated before being released into the environment. Sewage treatment uses a combination of:

  • Physical processes (like sedimentation and filtration)

  • Biological processes (using bacteria to break down waste)

  • Chemical treatments (to remove harmful substances)

Treating sewage helps reduce pollution, protect aquatic life, and ensure clean water for people and ecosystems.

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Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.

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