Wastewater is water generated after the use of
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does in ...
,
raw water,
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...
or
saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes.
Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface runoff / storm water, and any
sewer inflow or sewer infiltration".
In everyday usage, wastewater is commonly a synonym for
sewage (also called
sewerage, domestic wastewater, or municipal wastewater), which is wastewater that is produced by a community of people.
As a generic term wastewater may also be used to describe water containing contaminants accumulated in other settings, such as:
*
Industrial wastewater: waterborne waste generated from a variety of industrial processes, such as manufacturing operations, mineral extraction, power generation, or water and
wastewater treatment.
**
Cooling water, released with potential thermal pollution after use to condense steam or reduce machinery temperatures by conduction or evaporation.
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Leachate: precipitation containing pollutants dissolved while percolating through ores, raw materials, products, or solid waste.
*
Return flow
Return flow is surface and subsurface water that leaves the field following application of irrigation water. While irrigation return flows are point sources, in the United States they are expressly exempted from discharge permit requirements under ...
: the flow of water carrying suspended soil, pesticide residues, or dissolved minerals and nutrients from irrigated
cropland.
*
Surface runoff: the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess
rainwater,
stormwater,
meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
.
**
Urban runoff, including water used for outdoor cleaning activity and landscape irrigation in densely populated areas created by
urbanization
Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...
.
*
Agricultural wastewater:
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, star ...
wastewater generated from
confined animal operations.
References
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