What to Do About Our Poo?
There has been a lot of attention on how, as a community, we handle our wastewater – the water that we flush and goes down our drains. In most cities and villages, our wastewater is piped to water treatment plants for treatment before it is discharged to a nearby stream or river. If we live in the country, wastewater is usually treated with an on-site septic system. A septic system collects and filters wastewater before it enters the groundwater or nearby lakes or streams. Both methods need maintenance and careful planning to prevent water pollution. Septic systems need to be inspected and pumped out every 3-5 years, and wastewater treatment plants need infrastructure upgrades or all new facilities to accommodate growth. No matter how you look at it, human waste must go somewhere: treating our poo costs money and systems need to be maintained.