Grey Water and Sewage: Understanding the Benefits and Treatment Processes

This report discusses the benefits of using grey water and sewage treatment processes. It explains the stages of wastewater treatment and provides examples of successful experiences in using treated water. The report also lists water pollutants and their effects on the environment.

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Environmental science
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2.2.1 Grey Water (Abdullah)
Greywater refers to gently used wastewater obtained from sources among them laundry,
kitchens as well as bathroom. Greywater is relatively clean and is not comparable to blackwater
(water from toilets). Any water that drained from a dwelling unit with the exception of toilet
water can be classified as Grey water. Grey water may as well be containing hair, grease, dirt or
certain household cleaning products as part of its traces (Chong et al., 2015).
Despite looking dirty, grey water is usable for other purposes and might unnecessarily be
recommended for disposal into the sewage system, as is the case with other waste types.
Grey water can be collected through various ways as follows:
 Manual collection: This method requires just a bucket as well as a jug that are used in
the collection of the water by hand. The water may then be used for the purposes of
irrigation or even as a substitute for fresh water for flushing (Oh et al., 2018).
 Simple Piping: This technique adopts plumbing connection between the wastewater
drainpipe of washing machine and the lawn. The water finds its way to the yard through
the underground piping. This method is accompanied with low costs of maintenance.
 Integrated Sewage and Piping: Involves the integration of the entire houses plumbing
into a system of Grey water collection.
2.2.1.1 Benefits of using Grey water (Abdullah)

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a. Conserves freshwater: The use of Grey water lowers the amount freshwater that is
utilized in the household for other purposes.
b. Reduction of wastage of water: Using grey water for other functions that are
performed by freshwater serves to lower water wastage by half (Bui et al,2016,p
14).
c. Lowers energy consumption: Energy demand for pumping water in and around a
house is reduced with a reduction in demand for fresh water.
d. Reduced consumption of chemicals: By reducing the amount of water directed to
the sewage plants result in a reduction in the levels of chemicals used in the
treatment of water.
o Landscape beautification.
o Enables reuse of nutrients.
o Filtering of organic substances from water.
o Recharge of ground water.
o Operation of the Greywater system.
The Greywater system process encompasses three stages, among them:
Stage 1:Greywater collection: Collection is done from the washing machines, sinks or even
bathes through either piping or with sinks.
Stage 2: Storage and treatment:
Storage is encouraged for not more than 24 hours to determine that there is no accumulation of
bad smells.
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Stage 3:Use of Greywater: The system should be linked in the most recommended manner to
guarantee the term of use. (Bui et al., 2016).

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2.2.4 Sewage (Aws)
Sewage or wastewater is the water source of the surrounding community after it has been
used for many reasons. Sewage or waste water is a mixture of water that carries wastes that are
removed from rainfall collected on roofs, yards, hard-standings, domestic sources, direct access
of river water, highway drainage, commercial and industrial waste (Mehrjouei,Müller & Möller,
D., 2015,p.2019).Sewage waste travels through building plumbing system into a sewer. It will
then be carried into an onsite sewage facility or elsewhere. It might then be combined with grey
wastewater in the sewer (delware.gov).
Domestic waste involves the various waste products which are generated due to the
normal day to day utilization of domestic premises (Mehrjouei,Müller & Möller, D.,
2015,p.2019).The waste is usually collected as a core part of the waste management ,collection
and disposal system. Some include solid waste from garbage’s and rubbish like disposables, bad
food packaging and compost. Some also include the household hazardous waste.
Domestic waste however needs to be disposed carefuly.Some of the methods that can be
literally utile to dispose of the waste include incineration methods and recycling waste disposal.
The domestic waste can also be recombined with grey water in the sewerage system This step is
done in order for it to be released in a pit (Bui et al, 2016, p 14).Safety measures need to be
undertaken and continuous inspection of the sewer should be done. This is to ensure that the
domestic wastes is treated and it is not an effluent to human beings premises. It also ensures that
the sewer does not block after carefully treating it.Domestic wastes has various effects on the
environment
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2.3 Water Quality
2.3.1.2 List of Water Pollutants (Abdullah)
 Pathogens: These may be in the form of bacteria, viruses or protozoa. Coliform
and E. coli are the two main most common pathogenic bacteria that are
responsible for water pollution.
 Inorganic matter: These, specifically heavy metals among them copper, barium,
arsenic, chromium as well as mercury even though of minimal harm in very small
levels serve to be pollutants upon an increase in their concentrations in water
(Ribeiro et al., 2015).
 Macroscopic Pollutants: These large and visible substances find their ways into
the waterways or even water bodies. The initial common pollutant is often trash.
In most cases, plastic wastes are usually disposed of into the large water bodies
against the legal provisions. As a result, they can as well end up in the oceans and
lakes upon deposition in rivers and streams accidentally. Nurdles are another
group of macroscopic pollutants. The other include metal, pieces of wood and
even such things as shipping containers as well as shipwrecks. Water polluted by
this group of pollutants tends to be the easiest to manage. However, it poses an
urgent environmental concern. Conversely, eliminate bigger contaminants to
prevent disruption of the aquatic systems as well as contamination on chemical
breakdown of the bigger objects (Von Sperling & Lemos., 2017).
 Organic matter: These refer to materials that contain carbon in their makeups.
Methyl tert-butyl ether has turned out to be one of the most commonly detected
volatile organic chemical. Water contaminated with the chemical can cause

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leukemia, tumors as well as lymphoma in the intestines, kidneys as well as
thyroid glands.
2.4 Waste water as a water resource (Aws)
Before the 20th century, wastewater was largely discharged in water bodies for example streams,
rivers, lakes, bays, or oceans (Oh, K.S et al 2018, p.161). They were left untreated and human
waste was left “to the ecosystem “. The goal of sewers nowadays is to guide their contents to a
wastewater treatment plant instead of directly to a body of water like before. (McGraw-Hill
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology).As shown in figure 1 (Ribeiro,Nunes,Pereira &
Silva,2015,p.37), Local residences produce an average of (200 – 300L) of wastewater per person
every day, 99% of this wastewater is water; the other 1% is the polluted wastes. (Queensland
government).
 Figure 1 – Percentage of sewage treatment (Ribeiro,Nunes,Pereira &
Silva,2015,p.37),
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2.4.1 Examples of successful experiences in using treated water: (Sea metrics)(Aws)
 95% of water that enters the home goes down the drain daily.
 Florida re-used 719 million gallons per day for many purposes in 2013.
 Internationally, about twenty million of the lands are watered with wastewater and
might increase in the next decades as water stress increases (Ribeiro,Nunes,Pereira &
Silva,2015,p.37),
 Israel recycles 80% of its sewage or wastewater using it for irrigation.
 In the United States, 1 billion gallons per day of treated wastewater is regained to
meet undrinkable water desires.
2.4.2 Wastewater treatment stages: (safer environment) (Aws)
The wastewater treatment procedure involves three stages called, primary, secondary, and
tertiary treatment (Von Sperling & de Lemos Chernicharo 2017, p.66). Primary stage water is
mainly used to irrigate crops that are not used by humans. It can also be used to irrigate orchards,
vineyards, and some processed food crops. Primary stage water is also discharged to the ocean or
is sent to secondary treatment. Secondary stage water is used for restricted irrigation, ex golf and
racecourses. Tertiary stage water is used in manufacturing, toilet flushing, washing cars and
watering gardens.
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References (Abdullah)
Bui, S., Clark, C., Hoang, A., Le, K., Mishler, S., Soler, J. and Tran, T., 2016. Residential
Greywater Recycling System
Mehrjouei, M., Müller, S. and Möller, D., 2015. A review on photocatalytic ozonation used for
the treatment of water and wastewater. Chemical Engineering Journal, 263, pp.209-219
Oh, K.S., Leong, J.Y.C., Poh, P.E., Chong, M.N. and Von Lau, E., 2018. A review of greywater
recycling related issues: Challenges and future prospects in Malaysia. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 171, pp.17-29
Oh, K.S., Poh, P.E., Chong, M.N., Chan, E.S., Lau, E.V. and Saint, C.P., 2016. Bathroom
greywater recycling using polyelectrolyte-complex bilayer membrane: Advanced study of
membrane structure and treatment efficiency. Carbohydrate polymers, 148, pp.161-170
Ribeiro, A.R., Nunes, O.C., Pereira, M.F. and Silva, A.M., 2015. An overview on the advanced
oxidation processes applied for the treatment of water pollutants defined in the recently launched
Directive 2013/39/EU. Environment International, 75, pp.33-51
Von Sperling, M. and de Lemos Chernicharo, C.A., 2017. Biological wastewater treatment in
warm climate regions (p. 857). IWA publishing
References (Aws)
1- http://www.yourhome.gov.au/sites/prod.yourhome.gov.au/files/pdf/YOURHOME-Water-
WastewaterReuse.pdf
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2- https://saferenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/sewage-treatment-%E2%80%93-for-
recycling-of-waste-water-use-of-biosolids-and-to-generate-renewable-energy-for-cleaner-
safer-and-greener-environment/
3-
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268354166_SEWAGEWASTEWATER_TREATMEN
T_TECHNOLOGIES_A_REVIEW [accessed Oct 23 2018].
4- https://ehp.qld.gov.au/water/monitoring/wastewater.html
5- https://www.seametrics.com/blog/water-recycling-facts/
6- https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/files/sewagefaq.pdf