Reducing Sewage Water Pollution: Strategies For A Cleaner Future

Water pollution is a pressing issue that jeopardises human health and safety. Unsafe water kills more people annually than war and other forms of violence combined, and with less than 1% of the Earth's freshwater accessible, addressing water pollution is crucial. Sewage and wastewater are significant contributors to water pollution, with over 80% of the world's wastewater flowing back into the environment untreated. This has severe ecological and health consequences, threatening biodiversity and spreading diseases. To reduce water pollution caused by sewage, it is essential to explore effective treatment methods, infrastructure upgrades, and natural solutions.

Improve wastewater treatment plants

Wastewater treatment plants are a major element of water pollution control. Here are some ways in which they can be improved to reduce water pollution caused by sewage:

• Upgrading outdated infrastructure: Many wastewater treatment plants are outdated and undersized, and are nearing the end of their effective lives. Upgrading these plants with modern technology can help improve their efficiency and reduce pollution.
• Improving treatment methods: Primary, secondary, and tertiary (or advanced) levels of wastewater treatment exist. While tertiary treatment can remove more than 99% of impurities from sewage, it is often too expensive to be justified. However, in certain cases, it may be necessary to invest in more advanced treatment methods to adequately protect the environment and public health.
• Reducing inflows and infiltration: Inflow refers to stormwater entering sewers from inappropriate connections, while infiltration refers to groundwater entering sewers via defective or broken pipes. Reducing these inflows and infiltration can help prevent hydraulic overloads in treatment plants, reducing the risk of untreated sewage being discharged into waterways.
• Implementing stricter regulations: Governments should implement and enforce stricter regulations on wastewater treatment plants, including stream standards and effluent standards, to ensure that treated wastewater meets the required quality before being discharged back into natural water bodies.
• Adopting new technologies: Emerging technologies, such as membrane bioreactor processes, ballasted floc reactors, and integrated fixed-film activated sludge processes, can improve treatment efficiencies without requiring more land area. Additionally, cross-sector collaboration between conservation and public health sectors can lead to innovative sewage management solutions, such as waste-free toilets and resource recovery.
• Increasing capacity: In some cases, it may be necessary to increase the capacity of wastewater treatment systems to handle the volume of sewage generated. This can involve expanding existing plants or constructing new ones to meet the demands of growing populations and changing environmental conditions.

Reduce sewage overflows

Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is a condition in which untreated sewage is discharged from a sanitary sewer into the environment before reaching sewage treatment facilities. SSOs are caused by rainfall, blockage of sewer lines, infiltration/inflow of stormwater into sewer lines during heavy rainfall, malfunction of pumping station lifts or electrical power failure, and broken sewer lines.

To reduce sewage overflows, regular maintenance and timely upgrades of infrastructure are necessary. This includes fixing broken sewer lines and ensuring that pumping stations are functioning properly. Upgrading sewer systems can also help to separate stormwater and household sewage, reducing the amount of wastewater that needs to be treated.

In addition, natural areas such as wetlands, trees, and green roofs can help prevent stormwater from rushing into the sewer system, reducing the risk of overflows. Artificial wetlands and green infrastructure, such as green roofs, are often more cost-effective ways to expand the capacity of sewer systems than simply building bigger pipes.

Finally, public notification and reporting standards for sewage overflows can help to keep people informed and reduce health risks. The Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act, introduced in 2009, aimed to establish a uniform, national standard for monitoring, reporting, and notifying the public of municipal combined sewer overflows (CSO) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSO). The bill also authorized funding for such activities.

Stop untreated sewage entering rivers

Untreated sewage is a major contributor to water pollution, and it is essential to address this issue to protect human health and the environment. Here are some measures that can be taken to stop untreated sewage from entering rivers:

Upgrade and Maintain Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

The ageing wastewater infrastructure in many countries needs to be upgraded and maintained to effectively treat sewage before releasing it into rivers. This includes investing in modernizing and expanding treatment plants, as well as regularly maintaining sewer pipes to reduce the risk of leaks and overflows. Governments and water companies should allocate more resources towards this issue.

Improve Stormwater Management

Stormwater, which carries a range of pollutants, often ends up in the sewer systems, contributing to overflows. To mitigate this, cities can implement measures such as:

• Planting trees and restoring wetlands to absorb stormwater.
• Creating green roofs, which can retain and slowly release stormwater, reducing the amount that enters sewers.
• Constructing artificial wetlands, which can intercept millions of gallons of stormwater.
• Implementing Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) to manage stormwater effectively and sustainably, keeping it out of sewers.

Public Education and Behaviour Change

The public plays a crucial role in reducing sewage pollution. People should be educated about the impact of their actions and encouraged to:

• Only flush appropriate items down the toilet, such as paper, pee, and poo.
• Properly dispose of items such as wet wipes, fats, oils, and sanitary products instead of pouring them down the drain.
• Report any signs of sewage pollution to the relevant authorities.

Increased Monitoring and Transparency

Water companies should be required to increase the monitoring of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and provide live spill alerts to the public. This transparency will help hold water companies accountable and enable the public to make informed decisions about their local rivers.

Collaboration and Policy Change

Collaboration between government bodies, water companies, and environmental organizations is essential to drive policy change and secure the necessary funding to address this issue. Stricter regulations and standards for wastewater treatment and discharge can help ensure that sewage is properly treated before being released into rivers.

Protect and expand natural areas

Protecting and expanding natural areas is a crucial step in reducing water pollution caused by sewage. This approach focuses on preventing stormwater from reaching the sewer system in the first place, which is a smarter and more cost-effective strategy than simply investing more money into the existing system.

One effective way to achieve this is by planting trees and restoring wetlands. A single mature tree with a thirty-foot crown can keep 4,600 gallons of water out of the sewer each year. Wetlands are also highly effective at capturing stormwater; for less than $300,000, an artificial wetland can be constructed to intercept 3.25 million gallons of stormwater.

In addition to natural areas, green infrastructure in urban settings can also help reduce stormwater runoff. This includes strategies such as rain gardens, permeable pavement, and green roofs, which allow rainwater to soak into the ground instead of becoming runoff.

By implementing these measures, communities can help prevent sewer overflows and reduce the amount of pollution entering our waterways, protecting both the environment and public health.

Update wastewater infrastructure

Water pollution is caused primarily by the drainage of contaminated wastewater into surface water or groundwater. Wastewater treatment is a major element of water pollution control.

More than 80% of the world's wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused. This is due to outdated treatment plants and ageing infrastructure. In the US, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater per day. However, these facilities also release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has given America's wastewater infrastructure a "D" grade overall. The average age of sewer pipes in the country is 33 years, with some pipes in cities along the eastern seaboard being nearly 200 years old.

To address this issue, significant investments are needed to modernise and upgrade sewage treatment infrastructure. This includes constructing new treatment plants, separating stormwater from domestic wastewater, and improving the efficiency of treatment processes.

In addition to government initiatives, businesses and individuals can also play a role in improving wastewater infrastructure. For example, Ford Motor Company planted ten acres of vegetation on the roof of its Dearborn, MI truck factory, helping to keep four million gallons of rainwater out of the sewer system each year.

Upgrading and maintaining wastewater infrastructure is crucial to reducing water pollution caused by sewage. By investing in modern treatment facilities and separating stormwater and domestic wastewater, we can effectively treat and dispose of sewage, minimising its impact on the environment.

Frequently asked questions