How do sewage treatment plants work ❓
The job of a sewage treatment plant is very simple. It cleans all the wastewater a building produces (think showers, baths, toilets, dishwashers and sinks) so that it can then be discharged safely into a river or stream. With all the nasties removed, the water it produces should pose no harm to plants, wildlife or fish 🐟
So how do they do this? All sewage treatment plants work in similar ways. First, the wastewater flows into the primary chamber, where gravity separates any solids from the liquid. The solids sink to the bottom to form what’s known as a sludge which will be tankered away at a later date 📔
The remaining liquid flows into the second chamber for treatment. In this biological zone, compressed air is pumped in, and this added oxygen encourages the naturally occurring aerobic bacteria to flourish. Some sewage treatment plants also have rotating discs which give the bacteria a larger surface area to grow on 💨
At this point, the treated effluent goes into the final part of the tank – a calm area that allows the bacteria to settle at the bottom (for removal back into the first tank) while the clean liquid can flow out either to a watercourse (subject to Environment Agency consent) or to a drainage field 🌊
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