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Frequently Asked Questions about
Wastewater
WHAT DOES A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DO?
Treatment plants remove impurities contained
in wastewater so that the treated wastewater can be safely returned to the environment.
This same stabilization process occurs in nature to break down wastewater into its most
basic components of carbon dioxide and water. Common methods of treatment include
physical, biological and chemical treatment steps to stabilize the wastewater. Norweco
wastewater treatment plants are designed to accelerate and control nature's process to
insure proper treatment is provided.
WHERE DOES THE WATER
GO ONCE IT IS TREATED?
Treated wastewater is returned to the
environment by a number of different methods. Depending on the degree of treatment and
local regulations, it may be absorbed into the soil, discharged directly into a surface
waterway or reused by a method like spray irrigation.
ARE WASTEWATER
TREATMENT SYSTEMS REALLY NECESSARY? MY GRANDPARENTS NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT THEM.
Your grandparents also had to worry a lot more
about typhoid, cholera and other infectious diseases that are transmitted by unsanitary
water. Wastewater treatment systems serve primarily to protect the health of the general
population by insuring that water supplies remain clean. In today's world, people live a
lot longer than they used to and higher population concentrations result in increased
organic loading to the waterways from a variety of sources. Modern wastewater treatment
systems contribute to a safer, cleaner environment by reducing this organic load and
controlling the presence of bacteria and waterborne diseases.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A SEWER SYSTEM AND AN ONSITE TREATMENT SYSTEM?
A sewer system is a series of pipes that
collect wastewater and transport it to a remote location where the wastewater is processed
by a municipal treatment system. An onsite treatment system collects, treats and disposes
of wastewater from a single source in the same location that it is generated. Municipal
and onsite treatment systems utilize many of the same treatment processes, but a municipal
sewer system collects and treats wastewater from many different locations.
WHY ARE ONSITE SYSTEMS
NECESSARY? WHY DON'T THEY JUST RUN SEWERS EVERYWHERE?
Population density, the topography of the
area, soil conditions and numerous other factors are involved in the construction and
operation of a sewage collection system. Increasing migration to suburban and rural areas
make municipal sewers more difficult and costly to build and maintain. Onsite treatment
systems are often the most practical and cost-effective solution for wastewater treatment
and disposal.
I
RECENTLY MOVED FROM
THE CITY TO THE COUNTRY. WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS TO HAVING A SEPTIC TANK OR ONSITE
TREATMENT SYSTEM?
A good rule of thumb is don't put anything
into your wastewater treatment system that is not biodegradable. Your local health
department can provide you with guidance on the operation and care of your onsite
treatment system. Just as a municipal treatment plant requires a staff to provide
operation and maintenance, your onsite system will require periodic inspection, service
and maintenance. Remember, your onsite treatment system is an asset that you own. Like any
other asset (such as a car, furnace, etc.) the better you take care of it, the better it
will serve you.
I CANNOT LOCATE MY SEPTIC TANK. HOW DO I FIND IT?
Your local health department should have information regarding the location of your septic
tank. Also, a local septic tank pumping service or your Norweco distributor can employ
several different types of technology to verify the tank location.
MY LOCAL REGULATORY
AGENCY WANTS ME TO PAY THEM TO INSPECT MY ONSITE SYSTEM, OR TO BUY A SERVICE CONTRACT FROM
A LOCAL COMPANY. WHY SHOULD I DO THIS?
All wastewater treatment systems require
periodic service and maintenance. A service contract from a local company or regulatory
agency is an economical insurance policy against premature system failure and forced
replacement. This type of service contract is usually much cheaper than paying municipal sewer
bills.
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