Wastewater Management

Wastewater treatment

This is one form of how to treat wastewater to remove some of the large pollutants evident.

Copyright Environmental Protection Agency

Wastewater treatment
Copyright Environmental Protection Agency

Wastewater treatment

This is one form of how to treat wastewater to remove some of the large pollutants evident.

Copyright Environmental Protection Agency

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Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by human activity or industry. It can be liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, or agriculture, and can contain of a wide range of contaminants at different concentrations.

Even simple everyday activities like showering, brushing your teeth, cooking and using the toilet create wastewater. Organic matter present in wastewater comes from human waste, food, household waste and industrial discharges. Some of these organic products can be broken down easily in the environment but others are no so easily degraded.

There is a constant strain between wastewater infrastructure and a growing population. Dublin City Council faces this problem and even with the planned upgrade of the Ringsend Waste Water Treatment Plant, maximum capacity will be exceeded by 2014.

Why Do We Need To Treat Wastewater?

Untreated wastewater poses a threat to public health and the environment. All wastewater is ultimately discharged back into the aquatic environment, and if the treatment is inadequate, the receiving waters may be polluted. These receiving waters may be used as a source of drinking water further downstream and, in this way, untreated wastewaters may pose a direct threat to public health.