Every homeowner needs to understand how wastewater from their household is handled after it leaves their home. Why? It helps you know why plumbers tell you not to pour certain substances down the drain or flush various things down the toilet. It also helps you learn why wastewater needs to be treated. Here are some important things to note about domestic wastewater treatment.

Understanding Domestic Wastewater

Domestic wastewater is a mixture of what you pour down drains in kitchen sinks, laundry rooms, bathrooms, washbasins and baths and what you flush down the toilet (this also includes the urinal drain).

These wastes are grouped into two:

• Blackwater — The wastewater that comes from toilets and urinals.
• Greywater — The wastewater that is collected from kitchen sinks, laundry rooms, bathrooms, washbasins and baths.

What Happens to Domestic Wastewater?

You are required to install a domestic wastewater treatment plant. This plant is responsible for treating your wastewater and making it safe for the ecosystem (treatment minimises the impact of domestic wastewater on surface water, groundwater and living things).

If you know nothing about such a domestic wastewater treatment plant, don't worry; hiring a domestic wastewater plant specialist will solve all your problems. The specialist guides you in choosing a wastewater treatment plant that meets the needs of your household, for example:

• The size of a domestic wastewater treatment plant that can accommodate the amount of wastewater produced.
• The features of the plant that help kill/reduce/minimise the specific contaminants found in your household wastewater (household chemicals, excess nutrients, infectious viruses and disease-causing bacteria).

The specialist also helps you choose a domestic wastewater treatment plant that does not increase your energy bills.

What Happens at the Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant?

Wastewater is directed to a holding tank where heavy waste solids sink and lighter substances float. The liquid in the middle (in between the heavy solids that have already sunk and the floating substances) is then filtered through an inlet to another tank or chamber.

In the second chamber, bacteria break down organic matter in the wastewater to minimise its harmful impact on the ecosystem. After this process, the wastewater may still need to pass through another holding tank for heavy solids to sink and lighter substances to float.

When this has taken place, the last stage is to disinfect the wastewater, which, in most cases, is achieved through exposure to UV. This helps improve the quality of the effluent to make it reusable, recyclable or safe for release to the atmosphere.