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Where Does Our Wastewater Go?
In city homes, wastewater runs into a sewerage
system. Our toilets, baths, showers, washing machines and sinks are
all connected to the sewerage system. This system can be made up of
small and large pipes, a pumping station and treatment plants. When
the wastewater is treated, harmful chemicals and bacteria are removed,
turning it into a purified liquid called effluent
and solid waste called sludge.
There are regulations in Australia to make sure that effluent is clean
enough to be released into the environment. In other countries though,
this is not the case. In countries that don’t have proper sewerage systems,
raw sewage is often pumped straight
into rivers and the sea, causing all sorts of environmental and health
problems.
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