Index >> Waste Water Microbiology >> Sewage Treatment

Sewage Treatment - Sewage treatment can be defined as an artificial process in which sewage is subjected to remove or alter its constituents to render it less offensive or dangerous.

Objectives of the sewage treatment are:

-to convert waste and wastewater into a readily reusable resource.

-to prevent pollution of any water body to which treated or reused water enters.

-to reduce the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) of sewage from 30 mg/l to about 20 mg/l in the final effluent.

-to destroy the causative agents of waterborne diseases.

If the inadequately treated wastewater is used for culturing oysters and other shellfish, they may harbour pathogenic microorganisms and thus become unsafe for human consumption. If the feeding grounds of water fowls are polluted by these wastewaters, it may lead to great losses in the water fowl populations.

If the wastewater is discharged without proper treatment into water bodies used for swimming and other recreational water sports, dangerous consequences may result.

Depletion of dissolved oxygen may result in water bodies due to the accumulation of organic matter from sewage. This may ultimately kill the aquatic life. Moreover, toxic chemicals from industrial effleunts may accumulate in water bodies which endanger the whole ecosystem.