What Is Wastewater Management?

Wastes often build up in our water sources.

Organized society has made managing our wastewater fairly easy, compared with the founders of our country who had little technology to rid themselves of polluted water. Without monitoring and management of our water wastes, disease and sickness would be much more rampant. Household waste water can cause just as many problems as industrial wastewater, so take a few tips from the EPA for reducing wastewater and improving your septic tank performance.

History

Managing wastewater goes back hundreds of years, but wastewater treatment was fairly primitive until the last 100 years. According to a 2000 report on the history of urban wastewater management, the early methods for managing polluted water were very decentralized. Most water was simply dumped into cesspools. Because of the sparse population of early America, this did not cause many hazards or problems, even in urban areas. However, management shifted to centralized systems using familiar public sewage systems as population grew and sanitation became a greater concern.

Identification

Wastewater management works essentially like it sounds; monitoring the amount of wastes--whether it be fecal matter or chemicals--that go into our water resources to keep quality at acceptable levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Management of wastewater also includes ensuring the proper method of disposal of wastewater. Pollution in public water sources are regulated by state and local governments in partnership with the United States EPA's Office of Wastewater Management.

Function

Wastewater management serves a vital role in maintaining the safety of environmental and public health, according to the EPA. Wastes we dump in our waters often come back to hurt ourselves. Toxins leached from wastewater can destroy or contaminate marine life. Because marine are an important source of food, contaminants in fish often make people sick. Even if you do not eat fish, drinking polluted water can still cause sickness and illness.

Monitoring

Industries and businesses that wish to rid themselves of pollutants by putting them in water sources must receive a permit from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, according to the EPA's NPDES website. The NPDES program is decentralized with states approving permits instead of a federal office. Individual homes that use a septic system or a municipal waste system are not required to obtain a NPDES permit.

Prevention/Solution

You can do your part to improve the health of the environment and reduce the spread of disease by improving the efficiency of your septic tank. Septic tank maintenance not only protects your home and raises its value, but it can also prevent spillage that contaminates the water you drink. The EPA's septic tank owner guide claims that you should have your tank inspected every three years. You should never pour wastes down the drain. Finally, try reducing water usage; consider a low-flow toilet as toilets account for up to 30 percent of household wastewater.

References

• EPA; Wastewater Management
• EPA; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
• EPA; Water Pollution Effects

Resources

• Urban Wastewater Management in the U.S.; Burian, Nix, Pitt, Durrans (2000)
• EPA; Septic Tank Owner Guide