What is the difference between wastewater and sewage?

With the increase in environmentally friendly waste options available around the globe, the topics of wastewater and sewage have become more widely spoken about topics in the community. Although a lot of people believe that they are the same concept, sewage and wastewater are actually two different things. Sewage is a subgroup of wastewater, and they both are major components to waste systems, each playing a specific role in the overall process.

What is wastewater?

Wastewater is any water that has been used and tainted by humans, whether it be at home, in the workplace or from other applications. It is any water that goes down the drains, sinks and toilets and is made of 99% and 1% other matter. There are three different types of wastewater - greywater, blackwater and sewage - and all require their own treatment plans to ensure the treated water is environmentally safe once the treatment is complete.

*Sneaky tip - If you see the word ‘effluent’ being used, this is the term for treated wastewater!

What is sewage?

Sewage is, in essence, a subset of wastewater and includes business and industry waste, known as liquid waste. Sewage is the wastewater that generally comes from your toilet and laundry and generally contains urine, faeces and laundry waste. Amazingly, a 4-person household generally produces around 400-500 litres of sewage a day!

Can you use the words wastewater and sewage interchangeably?

Not really. As sewage is a subdivision of wastewater, using the terms in replacement of each other isn’t the correct usage, as wastewater is the overall picture and sewage is a small part of that. If you have any questions regarding wastewater, sewage or other water treatment options, please give us a call at 1300 722 517 or complete our online job booking form .