Different Types of Sewers

How many types of sewerage systems are there?

Sewerage system, a network of pipes, pumps, and force mains for the collection of wastewater, or sewage, from a community. Modern sewerage systems fall under two categories: domestic and industrial sewers and storm sewers. Sometimes a combined system provides only one network of pipes, mains, and outfall sewers for all types of sewage and runoff. The preferred system, however, provides one network of sewers for domestic and industrial waste, which is generally treated before discharge, and a separate network for storm runoff, which may be diverted to temporary detention basins or piped directly to a point of disposal in a stream or river.

Watch the video above for a detailed explanation of the different types of sewers.

How do wastewater treatment plants work?

What happens after you flush?

It’s a topic we’d rather not think about, where does last nights dinner go when we flush it down the drain?

While you may already be grossed out just thinking about it, this question leads way to a significant subset of civil engineering and a massive amount of public funding.

Just like all dogs go to heaven, all drains in a city lead to a wastewater treatment plant where that wastewater gets turned back into water that we can drink. Now, you may be thinking that you’d rather just let bygones be bygones and not think about this nasty part of real life, but here’s the thing. Chances you’ve drunk water that was waste at some point… So, you might want to take some time to understand the engineering process that makes dirty water, clean.

Sanitizing vs. coronavirus? Don’t flush disinfecting wipes or rubber gloves

ATTENTION ELIZABETH AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Be safe about coronavirus — but after disinfecting in your home, don’t flush rubber gloves, disinfecting wipes, or any other items you’ve used down the toilet.

Reporting on the matter is Bob Mayo, from WTAE News. The request originated from Penn Hills emergency management coordinator Chuck Miller. He was concerned enough about the potential harm to pumping stations and the wastewater treatment plant to contact Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 and ask us to help get the word out.

The advice applies to any community. 

“Yes, people have been doing it. Please stop,” Miller said. “Help us help you.”

Miller got a concerned call from from a supervisor at Penn Hills’ Water Pollution Control Department Monday morning.

“They’ve noticed an increase in items being flushed down the toilets that shouldn’t be there — i.e. rubber gloves, sanitation wipes, Clorox wipes, things like that,” Miller said.

It could cause expensive damage and troubles at Penn Hills pumping stations and treatment facilities — but you could also face trouble closer to home.

“If it would get stuck in their own home in their own pipes, they would have backed up sewage in their own house, which is a costly repair,” Miller said.

Penn Hills processes about 75% of its wastewater. The other 25% is processed by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, ALCOSAN.

ALCOSAN is not seeing trouble yet — but agrees with the advice about not flushing those items.

“You’re not really sure what they’re doing. They can clog up your pipes at home. They can clog up your pipes in the neighborhood, and they can cause us trouble if we have a big, big, big overload of it,” ALCOSAN spokesman Joey Vallarian told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.

Miller says clogging the sewer system could also cause sewage system backups in your neighborhood, further stressing and exposing those who have to respond to the problem.

“Fire departments to deal with the flooding, you’re going to have water pollution control people come out and deal with the clogged pipes, and have to possibly dig up streets and things like that. And that’s what we’re trying to prevent,” Miller said.

Vallarian says you should only flush three things down your toilet. You know two of them. The third is toilet paper.

“Those are the only things to put down the toilet,” Vallarian said.

That doesn’t include those thick disinfectant wipes.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “Those things do not break down.”

To read the original article and watch the video: Click Here

For continuing updates or additional information Coronavirus (COVID-19) please check the following links:

Pennsylvania Department of Health: www.health.pa.gov

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor: www.governor.pa.gov

Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD): www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department/resources/COVID-19/Covid-19.aspx

Center for Disease Control (CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/coronavirus

5 Ways to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus

Now that the coronavirus outbreak has reached nearly every corner of the globe, governments around the world are calling on their citizens to do their part to stop the spread of the disease.

We recommend being vigilant about the following during the outbreak.  

  1. HANDS – Wash with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds, if soap and water is not available use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
  2. ELBOW – Cough into it
  3. FACE – Don’t touch eyes, nose or mouth
  4. FEET – Stay more than 6ft apart
  5. HOME – Even if you don’t feel symptoms, you can still have the virus. If you don’t need to leave your house, please stay home.
For continuing updates or additional information Coronavirus (COVID-19) please check the following links:

Pennsylvania Department of Health: www.health.pa.gov

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor: www.governor.pa.gov

Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD): www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department/resources/COVID-19/Covid-19.aspx

Center for Disease Control (CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/coronavirus