One fragment of modern life goes unappreciated by most people, generally because it is

unseen. This revolutionary piece of technology is modern day septic systems, without these
systems, disease and waste could not be contained. The first sanitation systems were created in
2600 B.C (Metcalf) and could only be built by the wealthiest people. So many cultures were
desperate for a way to properly dispose of their waste that each invented a unique way to dispose
of it, these individual disposal systems set the foundation for many systems used in modern day.
Some poverty ridden cultures still consider rivers and open bodies of water as appropriate places
to dispose of their waste, yet history has concluded that this is an unsafe procedure, and results in
the spread of infectious disease. Once population rose and cities and towns had been formed,
many different forms of waste management had been created. These include different forms of
modern sewage systems, septic systems, and water treatment plants. Even though many laws and
processes have been developed to treat the waste created abundantly through everyday life, the
impact on the environment by these systems is still harmful to our world.
Deep below the surface of modern cities and many modern towns lies thousands of miles
of pipelines. These systems were inspired, and are very similar to what one would see nearly
5000 years ago. The process of waste disposal using pipelines begins to function when waste is
flushed from houses or buildings, both commercial and personal and ends up in a large concrete
or metal pipeline, many of which are over a century old. These pipes collect all the sewage from
every building in the area, which is thousands of tons daily. Some older systems also collect
water runoff from the street during times of rain or snow(American Society). This type of system
has been eradicated in many cities because it occasionally results in an overflow of raw sewage,
a potentially dangerous situation in terms of health. The sewage within these pipes will not just

disappear on its own, it runs through the pipes for miles, combining with other buildings sewage
and empties out into a sewage treatment plant.
A sewage treatment plant collects waste from residential, commercial, and industrial
buildings and removes contaminants from it. This process is not an easy one, and requires fuel,
energy, manpower, and many machines. The sewage undergoes grit removal, a process which
filters the waste for rocks, stones, glass, or any unordinary objects. The waste is then equalized to
ensure a steady flow throughout the rest of the system. Skimmers then remove fat, grease and oil
from the top of the sewage, this is a massive two step process that requires massive tanks and
expensive machinery. Following the removal of fats and greases, controlled bacteria is dispersed
throughout the waste. These bacteria break down and consume any biodegradable contaminants,
like feces. The next step separates the thick sludge that is the matter, like feces within the water,
and the water itself. The sludge is dried by heat processes and sold to farms as fertilizer. The
water is partially decontaminated by methane torches, and released into the ocean(burrian). This
process ensures that the waste product does not contaminate any water or food sources, and will
never make contact with other humans, however it is not an environmentally safe method, id
does keep the bacteria of sewage from reaching humans.
The environmental risks involved with pipelines and sewage treatment plants is drastic.
Methane buildup in underground pipelines contaminates the soil and in turn, plants which both
humans and animals may consume. In addition to effecting plants and animals directly by a
release of methane in pipelines, the sewage treatment facilities release an astonishing amount of
methane throughout their processes, both as a fuel and from the sewage. however, they also
release thousands of cubic feet of carbon monoxide and fumes due to the burning of fossil fuels,
which harm the environment and air quality. While removing bacteria from the water waste,

harmful chemicals are added which are powerful enough to kill any humans or animals who
consume a concentrated amount of it (Water and Environmental). Although not many die this
way, it is unknown how the chemicals being slowly diluted in the ocean, lakes, and rivers will
affect the environment in the long run. These systems are the fastest and most efficient way to
complete the sanitation of cities and towns economically, and the replacement of this system
would be outrageous for the government. However, it is important to protect the environment,
before it is damaged irreversibly.
A somewhat effective alternative for sewage treatment plants and pipelines are septic
systems. Septic systems are used for 25% percent of the worlds sewage disposal(Septic
Systems). These systems are large underground two chamber tanks that manage waste in
individual homes or buildings. These systems work magnificently in safely disposing sewage,
but only if maintained properly, which is a difficult endeavor. Many septic tanks become
overfilled, or aren't maintained regularly. They often overflow and result in the contamination of
hundreds of square feet of land. The overflow can bring disease and infection, along with
bacteria and an awful odor to the surface(Septic Systems). This can cost over ten thousand
dollars at the expense of the individual owner, while posing serious risk to the environment both
by releasing bacteria, methane, and the use of fossil fuels burned by machinery excavating the
contaminated earth.
Many septic tanks, and even farms will use denitrification systems to help keep their
waste materials from overloading, this system actually works flawlessly if the environment is not
considered. Denitrification systems use bacteria that breaks down contaminants, and organic
matter. The waste product of the bacteria is nitrate, a gas. Any and all organic matter devoured by
the heterotrophic bacteria is consumed and broken down until released. The result is a clean,

pressureless tank that will not overflow or or explode, and is not full of dangerous disease. No
matter how beneficial the results are, the systems release of greenhouse gasses is
overwhelmingly large and has released a recognizable amount of toxins into the air (Howarth).
The denitrification system is not a worthy replacement for septic systems, as the release of fossil
fuels is too large and cannot be contained in a manner that wont result in damage to the
environment.
The environmental impacts of septic and denitrification systems are severe. Despite the
overwhelming success and convenience of these systems when properly maintained and not
overused, they can contaminate above and underground water sources, which leads to public
health and pollution problems(The impact). The environmental effect outweighs the benefits
greatly. Co2 released into the air disintegrates to ozone layer, which is a leading factor in global
warming. With a constantly rising population, septic systems will not be able to contain all the
human waste produced, and as a result illness due to contamination will be widespread and
greenhouse gasses will be released exponentially. Septic systems also fail to give access to the
water within the sewage, water treatment plants have developed methods to convert sewage into
drinkable water. With an underground system that drains water into the soil, water purification
facilities have no access and therefore potentially recyclable water is lost in the earth.
Water treatment is the process in which human waste is purified to the quality needed to
produce drinking water. To complete this process, a water treatment plant must remove entirely
all suspended solids, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, minerals such as iron, manganese and sulfur,
and other chemical pollutants such as fertilisers(Andriamirado). They do this in eight separate
processes which include chlorinating, aerating, coagulating, adding polyelectrolytes, filtrating,
desalination, and disinfecting. These water treatment methods have expanded to third world

countries, and reduced the risk of waterborne illness by 20% percent(Safe Water). Water
treatment plants have created a very effective way to handle waste in a manner that also benefits
society, in that it takes sewage and creates a life necessity, which is essentially recycling water
that would have been wasted otherwise.
The result of massive water plants is not always perfectly pure water but water sometimes
contaminated with non-lethal amounts of chlorine or other chemicals. Private water purification
companies have risen with their own unique technologies used to treat wastewater and create
fresh drinking water inside individual buildings. The CEO of pelican water, a private water
purification company states Most municipal water systems use chlorine or chloramines to treat
water which are chemicals designed to kill living organisms. While they do an excellent job
treating your water, they create dry skin and hair, unpleasant taste and odors that many people do
not like. (Water Treatment). While water treatment plants can remove sewage and any
contaminants in public water, they also add their own chemicals to ensure the water does not
become infected. The added chemicals can result in negative health effects on people and
animals who consume them. Organic, inorganic, radionuclides, and microorganisms all often
find their way into public water systems. Private companies offer ways to rid this contaminants,
using UV light and other, usually harmless methods.
Water treatment plants, much like sewage treatment plants result in the the release of
carbon dioxide and hydrogen gasses, as well as many other greenhouse gasses that contaminate
the air and surrounding environment. The method of removing contaminates is usually effective
at doing so, but the process of purifying water simply uses too much energy for an imperfect
process. hundreds of different contaminants in water are the cause of disease and dysfunctions of
the body, a complete list of possible minimal contaminants in water and their results has been

documented by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (drinking water). The list
assists in drawing the conclusion that the waste product of the water treatment plant is not made
up for by the waste removal from drinking water. Sacrificing air and soil quality for better water
quality, which still contains harmful chemicals, is not a reasonable trade. Personal investments in
home water purification systems in order to ensure pure water is unreasonable considering the
amount of waste released as a result of the process.
Sewage treatment and disposal has been a work in progress, one that began in 2600 B.C.
and is still in continuing today, slowly. In the 4615 years that sewage disposal systems have been
around, a flawless or even efficient treatment method has yet to be developed. In order to create a
safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly waste disposal system, attention must be
drawn to the issue. An age-old process that goes unnoticed in todays society must be dug up and
re-analyzed. The government should invest in companies willing to explore more
environmentally friendly methods of sewage treatment in order to increase the efficiency of
sewage disposal in the future. Of course, technology has advanced to produce different ways to
handle the waste humans produce every day, however it still poses a major threat to the
environment which could result in devastatingly harmful effects in the future.

Metcalf, Leonard; Eddy, Harrison P. (1922). Sewerage and Sewage Disposal: A Textbook. New
York: McGraw-Hill
American Society of Civil Engineers and Water Pollution Control Federation Design and
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Andriamirado, L., Asensi, D., Ballard, T., Bele, P., Bernard, M., Bourdelot, J., Brunet, J., &
Cachot, L. (2007). Water treatment handbook 1 (7th ed.). Rueil-Malmaison, France: Degrmont

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