Sewage vs. Sewerage: Know the Difference - Essay Sample

Introduction

The difference between the sewage and sewerage is important to underline primarily due to the fact that the terms are often used interchangeably and confused for the other. However, the knowledge of difference brings out fundamental aspects of the two words that distinguish them as one refers to a substance while the other refers to the process through which the substance is effectively managed. In that regard, sewage refers to wastewater that finds itself percolating on the ground or finds its way into drains and water collection bodies such as swamps, lakes and rivers, etcetera.

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Therefore, sewage refers to a myriad of liquid waste products from households and include wastewater from toilets, baths, kitchen sinks, and industrial waste. Sewage is classified into three based on its source. The first category consists of Foul Sewage, which is sewage from domestic use from the wastewater of various household uses earlier presented. The second category comprises Industrial Sewage, which includes wastewater from a production plant and may vary in potency and contents depending on the nature of the production processes in the industrial plant. The third and final category is Storm Sewage, which is rainwater that percolates into the ground or drains on streams and sewer systems immediately following rains.

On the other hand, sewerage refers to the man-made processes meant to clean sewage from the environment by collecting these different categories of waste and subjecting them to a treatment process before releasing the treated liquid into rivers, streams, lakes and even the seas. To that extent, sewerage is an environmental undertaking that is particularly meant to ensure that the environment is protected from degradation through sewage.

Does rainwater have an impact on waste removal strategies?

First, it is necessary to separate stormwater waste from waste products that are found in sewage. As established earlier, sewage consists of both solid and liquid wastes that are primarily sourced from domestic water use or industrial water use. On the other hand, stormwater or rainwater is known to contain waste materials that are on the ground on or rooftops when it pours. According to Paula Luu, a communications manager at Pacific Institute in California, stormwater will typically contain waste materials such as trash, chemicals, metals, and soil that it collects from rooftops, the surface of the ground, and the street. Stormwater is particularly a problem in the cities than in the countryside because of the large amounts of contaminants found in developed areas as well as the lack of natural surfaced where rainwater can percolate into the ground. Because most city dwellings are paved all around, the levels of rainwater runoff increase within a short time even when the rains are not heavy (Luu, 2014).

Secondly, it is also necessary to point out that it is a legal requirement that all new constructions provide a separate drainage system for stormwater from that which is used for sewage. Consequently, stormwater drainage systems are built to empty runoff into the nearest water bodies. The contaminants that are found in runoff such as vegetation debris such as twigs and leaves, plastic bottles, and other forms of trash, etcetera often end up polluting beaches, ponds, lakes, and rivers (Luu, 2014). In the end, waste removal strategies that pertain to sewage are not affected by stormwater because rainwater does not use the same drainage systems that lead to treatment plants for sewage. However, waste removal from stormwater drainage systems such as streams and trenches is required to remove blockages from debris and allow free flow of runoff.

How is sewage classified?

Sewage is categorized into different groups that are primarily a product of evaluation of the source of the sewage. Three main categories of sewage exist which at times can appear mixed with one another in a sewer system. They are namely: industrial sewage, foul sewage, and storm sewage.

Storm Sewage

Perhaps the most common after foul sewage, storm swage is at times referred to as rainwater runoff. It comprises of the runoff that immediately follows a period or rainfall where the downpour carries with it debris from the ground as well as from the rooftops, and streets. Storm sewage is often separated from foul and industrial sewage because it does not consist of the same types of waste products found in them.

Foul Sewage

Is the most common of the three main categories and comprises of sewage resulting from the use of water for domestic purposes such as showering, washing utensils, and flushing the toilet. Foul is comprised of solids and liquids that are approximated to each account for 50% of the contents of the sewage. Foul comes from residential buildings, businesses, and institutions as well where similar use of water as in the domestic setting is witnessed.

Industrial Sewage

It is different from foul in the sense that it amounts from industrial processes that end in the production of waste liquids that include chemicals that are particularly based on the traits of the particular factory and its production processes. In that regard, the industrial processes also dictate the composition of solids and liquids found in industrial waste.

Other Classifications of Sewage

Other than the fact that sewage can be a mixture of any or all of the three types discussed above, sewage can also be classified based on the state that it is as either:

• Strong or weak in regards to the organic contents contained in it.
• Fresh or stale depending on the state of decomposition of organic elements found in it.
• Treated or untreated as pertains to whether it has passed through the treatment plant and is cleansed or not.

What is dry rubbish?

Simply put, dry rubbish is an assortment of household refuse that include among others rags, cans, vegetable matter, boxes, plastic and glass bottles, food containers, cinders, used cigarettes, food leftovers, etcetera. Dry rubbish consists of items that can be recycled and those that should be disposed of by burying into the ground or by burning. According to Lemann (2008), waste sorting is a method utilized in the separation of dry waste based on various categories that ensure various categories of recyclable items are distributed in different trash bins that can later be emptied for recycling.

Moreover, sorting of dry waste ensures that organic waste is separated for proper disposal which is often responsible for the foul smell of trash due to organic decomposition. By separating dry waste for recycling purposes it is noteworthy that such efforts result in environmental conservation efforts despite keeping the environment clean. Lemann (2008) adds that different countries have various methods of solid waste disposal and recycling that suit their capabilities and needs. However, recycling is not common especially in the third world and, therefore, should be championed.

References

Lemann, M. F. (2008). Waste Management. New York: Peter Lang.

Luu, P. (2014, July 31). Planning for rain: Why stormwater management matters during the drought. Retrieved 04 22, 2019, from Pacific Institute: https://pacinst.org/planning-for-rain-why-storm-water-management-matters-during-the-drought/