by Spike Carlsen after the lush ht, out of e attitude most of us have wher it comes to flushing the toilet, popping the bathtub drain or run ning the dishwasher. But all that waste- water goes some- where. And that ons Hes ite somewhere" is sheen ad ; 4 usually a wastewater ve SAS treatment facility, or Bere as an on-site septic ~ Recycled Recyclable «Prntod on Recycled Paper (20% Postcon sumer) Feprintad bythe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with pormission from THE FAMILY HANOYMAN Magazine, Home Sorvice Publcavons, Inc an bitte of Reader's Digest Avsoctation, Ine. 7800 Intemational Dive, ute 950. Minnespali, MN 55425. Copynght 1997 Al Fights Raservard(inetuent) House Sanitary disposal hasn't always been the norm. U GRIT REMOVAL (CHAMBER to usher wastes for cities—even tho with a popul more than a million rivers and lakes, that the U States realy began cleaning up Here's the poop. SEPTIC SYSTEMS prohibitively expen (Fig. Al are e-quarter of the ‘wastewater b ~ersflowstoa which sends it ouHelse absorption or leach trenches. From here the wastewater is absorbed by the surrounding gravel and soil: 2 small amount is wicked up to the surface to evaporate or be con sumed by vegetation. The sludge on the tank bottom decomposes with the help of bacte ria, Lots of grease can slow or even Use less water; treat less water Regardless of whether your house is connected to a septic system or wastewater treatment facility, the less water you use, the less wastewater needs to be processed. Following are a few water-saving tips: = When it’s time to remodel, install a low-flush toilet. Older toilets use 5 gallons per flush, but those made within the past 10 years use 3.5 gallons, and many built today use 1.6 gallons. If we all converted to low-flush toilets, the United States would save 3 bil lion gallons of water PER DAY. 1 Fix drippy faucets. & faucet dripping twice a second wastes 50 gallons of water—and treatment—per week ‘= Don't leave the water running. Keep a jug of water in the fridge wipe out the bacterial action of a septic tank, and ifthe gs allowed to low into the leach field, itcan coat and clog the rock and soil and prevent absorption, Because ofthis, garbage disposals are not recommended for homes with septic tanks unlessa grease trap isincorporated into the sys tem. The grease trap, located between the kitchen sink and septic 50 you don’t have to run water to got a cold drink. Turn off the water when it’s not needed while shaving, brushing your teeth or washing your car. tank, has special baffles to trap action ofasystem. These chemicals tionally projected, but with careful grease before itenters the septic may also migrate into the drinking planningand maintenance, systems system. The grease inthe trap must _ water supply if there'sa well onthe can ast indefinitely. bbe pumped out regulary property. Likewise, plastics, diapers, Septic system owners may not condoms, cotfee grounds, tampons. WASTEWATER sgetnailed with monthly sewer andl ca litter can contribute tothe TREATMENT FACILITIES fees —but those who neglect pump: premature demise of aseptic Wastewater treatment simulates ing their tank, or are careless with system. nature's purification process—but what they dispose of, wil get nailed Septic systems and drainage atamuch accelerated pace. While with a clogged drainfield and even fields are carefully designed, based water released froma treatment tually abill fora new septic system, on soil conditions and the numt facility isn’t “drinking water” clea, Paints, varnishes, waste oiland pes of people living in a house. Life itislikely to match ot exceed the the bacterial spans of 20 years or more are tradi purity of the body of water it's ticides can des FIG. C SLUDGE. produced a environmentally sound ways. After it's dewatered, it can be burned for heat, composted to create soil amendments, even fed and the ash turned into building materials,HoUse released into. processalive ‘Treatment Fig. B) can be During disinfection, harm ‘broken down int ive basic ful bacteria and other microor steps, though processes may be ganismsin the water are killed combined and vary greatly byadding chlorine, or running from plant to plant the water past banks ofhigh- Inpretiminary treatment, intensity ultraviolet lights. This wastewater is delivered to the isto preventthe discharge of facility via sewer pipes, someas harmful organisms or large as 12 tin diameter. At pathogens into the receiving this tage, less than 0.5 percent bbody of water. At this point the of the wastewaters solids; the wastewater has been inthe rests water and dissolved mat- plant for 8 to 16 hours. ter. The wastewater flows In some plants, water moves, through bar screens to remove ‘onto advanced treatment, most trash and debris, then slowly oftento remove phosphorus moves through a grit tank and nitrogen, which stimulate where sand and heavy particles algae growth and eventually settleand are removed. deplete the oxygen levels of During primary treatment, lakes or rivers. Some forms of water moves on to sedimenta- advanced treatment areso tion tanks where it’s undis- thorough, the water is used to turbed fora few hours. Solids water yards and parks. In most that sink are scraped from the cases though, it's discharged bottom ofthe tankand into streams, rivers lakes or removed. Grease and oils that oceans. float tothe top are removed Each household generates with large rotating skimmers. about 500 bs. per year of the About 15 percent of US. treat- solids or sludge removed dur- ment plants discharge water ing treatment Fig. C1. Often after this tage the sludge is simply buried, but Secondary treatment begins increasingly it’s being recycled. with the wastewater wending its Insome cass the sludge is way through a chain of concrete ‘dewatered and then combined basins. The water is mixed and with other ingredients to create ‘oxygen is introduced, to begin fertilizers and soil amend- the aeration process. This sets ‘ments, Sludge may also be upan environment where the incinerated, and the ashes used active bacteria, called activated asasoil conditioner orincon- sludge, feed on the incoming struction materials. Sludge can waste solids and dissolved also be composted or organic matter, thus speeding, processed to produce methane up the treatment process. The {, which can in turn be water then flows into clarifying ‘burned to supply heat fora tanks where the heavy, activat- portion ofthe facility. {7 ced sludge microorganisms set- tleout. As oddasit seems, some ofthis sludge is recirculated ane ed ard back into the aeration tanks to Iason: BON WARNES provide active microorganisms ovata OENMS UNDEXE, tokeep the bacterial treatment homonntenras senvces IME FAMILY HANDYMAN ARCH 1997 443.