Flushing the facts: Understanding wastewater treatment

We learned about the water cycles in school - how water seemingly vanishes through evaporation, forms clouds, and returns to your neighborhood as rainfall.

But did you learn where your toilet water goes after it disappears down the drain? It might not be the most glamorous topic, but wastewater treatment is crucial to keeping our water clean and safe.

So, let's take a look at this essential process.

The U.S. Geological Survey puts it simply: Wastewater is used water.

Where are we using water? Think about your sinks, showers, toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers. Businesses and industries also contribute to the use of water that is in need of cleaning.

"Nature has an amazing ability to cope with small amounts of water wastes and pollution, but it would be overwhelmed if we didn't treat the billions of gallons of wastewater and sewage produced every day before releasing it back to the environment," states the USGS "Treatment plants reduce pollutants in wastewater to a level nature can handle."

Wastewater treatment facilities in the United States process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater every day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"The collection and treatment of domestic sewage and wastewater is vital to public health and clean water," states the EPA. "It is among the most important factors responsible for the general level of good health enjoyed in the United States."

While often overlooked, the work done at wastewater treatment plants is crucial to public health. These unsung heroes remove harmful pollutants from wastewater, safeguarding our rivers, lakes, and overall well-being.

The treatment process is complex and a vital service that often goes unnoticed despite having a profound impact on our daily lives.

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So how does wastewater treatment work?

Characteristics of wastewater change regularly, and so while part of the process is automated, it takes constant monitoring to ensure correct levels are maintained to clean the water properly.

Where the wastewater goes depends on whether your plumbing is connected to a public sewage line or not. A septic system is normally used for wastewater treatment in areas where public sewage service is not available. In other areas, homes are sometimes linked to the public system by pipelines that take waste to a wastewater treatment plant.

Common in rural areas without centralized sewer systems, septic systems are underground wastewater treatment structures that use a combination of nature and technology to treat wastewater, according to the EPA.

Maintaining a septic system is crucial to our waterways, and investing in regular maintenance will save you money in the long run. A few hundred dollars every three to five years for maintenance is more affordable than dropping $8,000 to $25,000 to replace a system, according to the EPA. Plus, a failing septic system can contaminate drinking water wells and can bring wastewater above the surface, creating a health hazard for you, your neighbors, and animals.

About 20% of homes in the US use septic systems, according to the EPA. An estimated 10% to 20% of them fail at some point. Common causes include aging infrastructure, inappropriate design, overloading with too much wastewater in too short a period of time and poor maintenance.

Of course, septic tanks are different and vary in household size, total wastewater generated, the volume of solids in wastewater, and the septic tank size itself.

The EPA has a list of things you can do to ensure your septic system is working correctly.

• Have your system inspected every three years by a qualified professional or according to your state and local health department's recommendations.
• Have your septic tank pumped, when necessary, every three to five years.
• Avoid pouring items such as oils, grease, chemicals, paint, or medicine down the drain.
• Keep cars and other heavy vehicles parked away from the drain field and the tank.
• Follow the system manufacturer's directions when using septic tank cleaners and additives.
• Repair leaks and use water-efficient fixtures to avoid overloading the system.
• Maintain plants and vegetation near the system to ensure roots do not block drains.
• Use soaps and detergents that are low suds, biodegradable, and low phosphate or phosphate-free.

In Texas, a permit is required for the installation of septic systems. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approves permit requests and oversees if the tank works properly after installation. Texas law also allows TCEQ to designate a local authority to manage the process. The Brazos River Authority is the designated organization for this process for homeowners at two of its three reservoirs: Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Limestone.

For those not on a septic system, wastewater takes a journey beneath their property. It travels through a network of pipes, passes through several pump stations, and eventually reaches a plant. At the facility, the water and its contents undergo a complex process of separation and purification. The treated water then moves back into the water system, and the solids are usually disposed of in a local landfill.

When there are unexpected passengers during the process, major problems can occur.

Items such as paper towels, toys, cotton balls, feminine hygiene products, and "flushable" wipes can clog not only your plumbing system but the city's sewer pipes and the local wastewater treatment system as well. Toilets or other drains also should not be used to dispose of household hazardous waste, such as cleaners, auto fluids, and many types of oil. It's also very important to remember that the toilet is not the proper place to dispose of medications that are no longer needed.

Flushing these types of items down the toilet is not only expensive for homeowners, but it can also cost you more through increases in city utility fees when the city must pay to clear pipes and wastewater treatment plants of these items. It's important to be mindful of what you flush down the toilet. Certain items, like fats, oils, and grease, also can clog pipes or damage plants.

Unfortunately, a lot of people use the toilet like a trash can. For them, it's out of sight, out of mind. But it causes problems. Toilets, septic systems, and sewage treatment plants are designed to handle water, human waste, and easily degradable toilet paper – nothing else.

The best way to avoid these expensive clogs is to remember to flush only the three P's: pee, poo, and (toilet) paper.

And no, "flushable" wipes are not considered paper. If you are in doubt about what is safe to flush down the toilet, keep it simple — when in doubt, leave it out.

The BRA has been involved in treating wastewater since the 1970s. Besides water supply, as part of its stewardship of clean water, the BRA operates and maintains a number of wastewater treatment plants throughout the Brazos River Basin. Plants operated for the cities of Temple, Belton, Hutto, Sugar Land, Clute, and Richwood treat millions of gallons of wastewater through various biological, chemical, and physical means to both state and federal standards before returning the cleaned water to our waterways.

The next time you flush the toilet, remember all the hard work that goes into keeping our water clean. Being mindful of what's flushed and supporting and educating others on responsible wastewater management can help everyone play a part in protecting our precious water resources for generations to come.