Sewerage
Encyclopedia
Sewerage refers to the infrastructure
that conveys sewage
. It encompasses receiving drain
s, manhole
s, pumping station
s, storm overflows, screening chambers, etc. of the sanitary sewer
. Sewerage ends at the entry to a sewage treatment plant or at the point of discharge into the environment
.
In loose American English
usage, the terms 'sewerage' and 'sewage
' are sometimes interchanged.
. Others have slightly lower (though still substantial) percentages; e.g., 96% for Germany and 86% for Belgium.
Purification of sewage may not always be fully implemented. For example, in Belgium, only 64% of sewage is actually purified. Owing to cost constraints, sewage may be inefficiently treated (or not treated at all)—with potentially adverse environmental consequences. One proposed solution to these difficulties is the development of 'sustainable sanitation' by means such as composting toilets.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
that conveys sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
. It encompasses receiving drain
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
s, manhole
Manhole
A manhole is an opening used to gain access to sewers or other underground structures, usually for maintenance.Manhole may also refer to:* Manhole , a metal band from Los Angeles* The Manhole, a computer game...
s, pumping station
Pumping station
Pumping stations are facilities including pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastructure systems, such as the supply of water to canals, the drainage of low-lying land, and the removal of sewage to processing sites.A pumping station...
s, storm overflows, screening chambers, etc. of the sanitary sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
. Sewerage ends at the entry to a sewage treatment plant or at the point of discharge into the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
.
In loose American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
usage, the terms 'sewerage' and 'sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
' are sometimes interchanged.
Implementation and usefulness
In many European countries, citizens are obliged to connect their home sanitation to the national sewerage system (where possible). This has resulted in large percentages of the population being connected to a sewerage system. For example, the Netherlands have 99% of the population connected to the sewerage system, and 1% has an individual sewage disposal system, e.g., septic tankSeptic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...
. Others have slightly lower (though still substantial) percentages; e.g., 96% for Germany and 86% for Belgium.
Purification of sewage may not always be fully implemented. For example, in Belgium, only 64% of sewage is actually purified. Owing to cost constraints, sewage may be inefficiently treated (or not treated at all)—with potentially adverse environmental consequences. One proposed solution to these difficulties is the development of 'sustainable sanitation' by means such as composting toilets.
See also
- Sanitary sewer overflowSanitary sewer overflowSanitary sewer overflow is a condition whereby untreated sewage is discharged into the environment prior to reaching treatment facilities thereby escaping wastewater treatment. When caused by rainfall it is also known as wet weather overflow. It is primarily meaningful in developed countries,...
- Sewage collection and disposalSewage collection and disposalSewage collection and disposal systems transport sewage through cities and other inhabited areas to sewage treatment plants to protect public health and prevent disease. Sewage is treated to control water pollution before discharge to surface waters....
- Simplified sewerageSimplified sewerageSimplified sewerage is a low-cost sewer system that collects all household wastewater in small-diameter pipes laid at fairly flat gradients. Simplified sewers are laid in the front yard or under the pavement or - if feasible - inside the back yard, rather than in the centre of the road as with...