Water, wastewater... what's the difference?

We in Water Pollution Control (WPC), as well as other environmental professionals toss around the terms "water" and "wastewater" every day, without a doubt as to their meanings.  Outside of our profession however, differences in the two terms might not be so clear.

A better term for what we usually just call "water" is "drinking water".  It is what comes out of the faucet, spigot, and garden hose.  And although drinking water is also used for things like bathing, cooking, and car washing, the idea remains the same:  it is safe to drink.

Drinking water starts out as lake water, river water, or groundwater.  Drinking water providers like Huntsville Utilities (www.hsvutil.org) draw "raw water" from one of those sources and pump it to a facility called a "water treatment plant" or "filter plant".  Here, the raw water is routed through a series of settling tanks and filters to remove particles so small, they are measured in millionths of an inch.  Chlorine is added, and the “finished water” is ready to drink.  A large network of pumps, storage tanks and pipes then moves the drinking water into our homes.

Wastewater, as it is known to environmental professionals, is what others often call "sewage".  Wastewater is essentially what is produced when drinking water is used indoors.  The drinking water used to bathe, cook, or flush becomes wastewater when it falls through the drain.  And tens of thousands of Huntsville’s people depend on WPC to take it from there.

WPC has its own large network of pipes to collect wastewater from homes and businesses and convey it to a WPC facility for treatment.  These facilities, called "wastewater treatment plants" operate much differently from water treatment plants.  Wastewater treatment plants first utilize a series of screening and settling processes to remove large, inorganic solids.  Next, natural biological processes are used to break down and remove organic matter.  More settling is used to remove the natural bacteria which have consumed the organic matter.  Finally, the cleansed water is disinfected.  What came into the treatment facility as polluted water (wastewater) has now been purified to natural streamwater quality.  The reclaimed water is released into a waterway.

The reasons for treating – as well as the ways of treating - drinking water are very different from those for wastewater.  So are the costs.  In recent years, customers in all across the country have seen the amounts of their sewer bills catch up with and even surpass those of their water bills.  This trend has raised questions from some.  However, in virtually every city where wastewater operations are not subsidized with other public funds (such as sales taxes or property taxes), sewer bills are indeed higher than water bills.

Basic, essential differences between drinking water treatment/distribution systems and wastewater collection/treatment systems play a large role in this cost trend.  Changes in environmental regulations have affected sewer costs even more.  The relationship is simple:  tougher environmental regulations mean higher standards for wastewater collection and treatment, which in turn cost more money.  Increases in sewer system costs translate into increased sewer rates.

The Huntsville Water Pollution Control Department works diligently to provide the highest quality wastewater treatment services possible at a fair and reasonable cost.  Removing pollution from our area’s wastewater is still an inexpensive way to protect both the community’s health and the environment… inexpensive, but not free.