sewg:sewage

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sewg:sewage [2025/12/05 10:41] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1sewg:sewage [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Low-impact sewage treatment+This topic is part of [[gt:water|Water & sewage]]. 
 +====== Low-impact sewage treatment ======
  
  
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- +===== What is low-impact sewage treatment? =====
-## What is low-impact sewage treatment?+
  
 It’s any kind of treatment of sewage that attempts to minimise pollution and the use of water, energy and synthetic chemicals, and to turn our waste into something useful (fertiliser / soil improver). It’s any kind of treatment of sewage that attempts to minimise pollution and the use of water, energy and synthetic chemicals, and to turn our waste into something useful (fertiliser / soil improver).
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-Pollution pathways: effluent from septic tanks can cause pollution to groundwater resources and surface water habitats if not adequately filtered through deep unsaturated soil. Source: [_Permaculture Guide to Reed Beds_](/reed/reed_beds).+_Pollution pathways: effluent from septic tanks can cause pollution to groundwater resources and surface water habitats if not adequately filtered through deep unsaturated soil. Source: _[Permaculture Guide to Reed Beds](/reed/reed_beds)_._
  
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-Newly-planted gravel reed bed system serving a single dwelling. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/).+_Newly-planted gravel reed bed system serving a single dwelling. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/)._
  
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-Collecting ‘night soil’ (aka human faeces) used to be a common practice in many parts of the world. Collections were made at night (and still are in some places), and deposited on agricultural land. We wouldn’t recommend this without composting first, as some human pathogens can survive outside the human body long enough to be passed on via food (although the risk is low).+_Collecting ‘night soil’ (aka human faeces) used to be a common practice in many parts of the world. Collections were made at night (and still are in some places), and deposited on agricultural land. We wouldn’t recommend this without composting first, as some human pathogens can survive outside the human body long enough to be passed on via food (although the risk is low)._
  
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- +===== What are the benefits of low-impact sewage treatment? =====
-## What are the benefits of low-impact sewage treatment?+
  
 We’ve learned to our cost that we can’t ignore water quality and still expect to have a healthy countryside and healthy lives. Thus, in the context of low-impact living, we need to diversify how we address the important issue of sanitation and to replace or back up the systems that rely on a ready supply of cheap fossil fuels for our electricity generation. proper sewage treatment is vital to the health of our wider environment. We’ve learned to our cost that we can’t ignore water quality and still expect to have a healthy countryside and healthy lives. Thus, in the context of low-impact living, we need to diversify how we address the important issue of sanitation and to replace or back up the systems that rely on a ready supply of cheap fossil fuels for our electricity generation. proper sewage treatment is vital to the health of our wider environment.
  
-One of the challenges with our current sewage treatment infrastructure is that it is heavily reliant upon fossil fuel inputs. The importance of removing sewage from our homes and treating it properly in on-site or municipal treatment systems can be easily overlooked until problems arise. For most households, power cuts are more likely to cause TV withdrawal distress than pollution anxiety. Yet without ongoing power supply to run blowers and pumps, our municipal sewage infrastructure will fail to work, and can discharge untreated sewage into our groundwater, rivers and seas. Many of the low-impact alternatives to conventional sewage treatment are more resilient to electricity shortages since they rely on gravity to move effluent through the system and to function. Examples include technologies such as reed beds, constructed wetlands, [zero-discharge willow systems and willow filters](willow_sewage_treatment) as well as a range of source-separation technologies such as urine diversion toilets, faecal separator units and dry toilets. More details on these below.+One of the challenges with our current sewage treatment infrastructure is that it is heavily reliant upon fossil fuel inputs. The importance of removing sewage from our homes and treating it properly in on-site or municipal treatment systems can be easily overlooked until problems arise. For most households, power cuts are more likely to cause TV withdrawal distress than pollution anxiety. Yet without ongoing power supply to run blowers and pumps, our municipal sewage infrastructure will fail to work, and can discharge untreated sewage into our groundwater, rivers and seas. Many of the low-impact alternatives to conventional sewage treatment are more resilient to electricity shortages since they rely on gravity to move effluent through the system and to function. Examples include technologies such as reed beds, constructed wetlands, [zero-discharge willow systems and willow filters](wsew:willow_sewage_treatment) as well as a range of source-separation technologies such as urine diversion toilets, faecal separator units and dry toilets. More details on these below.
  
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-Danish zero-discharge [willow system](/sewg/sewage). Note the two different heights of willow growth (photograph taken in late June). The foreground shows vigorous fresh growth after coppicing the previous February. The back half of the system shows growth in its third year, due to be coppiced the following February. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/).+_Danish zero-discharge [willow system](wsew:willow_sewage_treatment). Note the two different heights of willow growth (photograph taken in late June). The foreground shows vigorous fresh growth after coppicing the previous February. The back half of the system shows growth in its third year, due to be coppiced the following February. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/)._
  
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-![Waterless urinals](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/sewage-waterless-urinals.jpg)+![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/sewage-waterless-urinals.jpg)
  
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-[[Waterless urinals]] don’t use mains water to flush, and can divert urine to be diluted (or composted with straw, sawdust etc.) and used as fertiliser.+_[[wlur:Waterless urinals]] don’t use mains water to flush, and can divert urine to be diluted (or composted with straw, sawdust etc.) and used as fertiliser._
  
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 There are quite a number of low-impact sewage treatment or sanitation options available, although they pertain mostly to people with a bit of space for an on-site system. In urban areas, you'll be restricted to mains sewers or possibly a compost toilet if you have enough space in your garden for utilising the rich soil that is the natural result. However, simply [peeing on your compost heap](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/taking-the-pee/) (at night perhaps, for modesty) is an excellent way to recycle N, P and K back into your soil and keep it out of the local municipal treatment system. For readers not connected to a mains sewer there are more options, with a variety of price tags and carbon footprint budgets, as listed in the image below. There are quite a number of low-impact sewage treatment or sanitation options available, although they pertain mostly to people with a bit of space for an on-site system. In urban areas, you'll be restricted to mains sewers or possibly a compost toilet if you have enough space in your garden for utilising the rich soil that is the natural result. However, simply [peeing on your compost heap](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/taking-the-pee/) (at night perhaps, for modesty) is an excellent way to recycle N, P and K back into your soil and keep it out of the local municipal treatment system. For readers not connected to a mains sewer there are more options, with a variety of price tags and carbon footprint budgets, as listed in the image below.
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-Sewage treatment and sanitation options. Source: derived from [_Septic Tank Options and Alternatives_](/sept/septic_tanks).+_Sewage treatment and sanitation options. Source: derived from [_Septic Tank Options and Alternatives_](/sept/septic_tanks)._
  
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-[Compost toilets](/cptt/compost_toilets) require no water to flush, no pipework to sewage treatment plants, no chemicals to treat waste, and produce useful compost.+_[Compost toilets](/cptt/compost_toilets) require no water to flush, no pipework to sewage treatment plants, no chemicals to treat waste, and produce useful compost._
  
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-50% of phosphorus (P), 75% of potassium (K) and 90% of nitrogen leaves the human body as urine rather than faeces – which makes human pee a great fertiliser. Source: Michigan Tech.+_50% of phosphorus (P), 75% of potassium (K) and 90% of nitrogen leaves the human body as urine rather than faeces – which makes human pee a great fertiliser. Source: Michigan Tech._
  
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 [Dry toilets](/cptt/compost_toilets) are the archetypal low-impact sanitation option. Properly designed and built compost toilets have no discharge to groundwater or surface water, use no water for flushing, sequester carbon naturally as compost, and return biomass and nutrients to the earth where they belong. Dry toilets are a form of source separation. [Dry toilets](/cptt/compost_toilets) are the archetypal low-impact sanitation option. Properly designed and built compost toilets have no discharge to groundwater or surface water, use no water for flushing, sequester carbon naturally as compost, and return biomass and nutrients to the earth where they belong. Dry toilets are a form of source separation.
  
-Other source separation technologies include urine-diverting toilets, urinals (if the urine is collected for use as a fertiliser - [[waterless urinals]] are particularly effective for this since the storage volume requirements are greatly reduced), faecal filter systems such as woodchip filters or faecal separators. These systems can combine the ease and familiarity of flush toilet infrastructure with the safe and effective recycling of biomass and nutrients to agriculture.+Other source separation technologies include urine-diverting toilets, urinals (if the urine is collected for use as a fertiliser - [[wlur:waterless urinals]] are particularly effective for this since the storage volume requirements are greatly reduced), faecal filter systems such as woodchip filters or faecal separators. These systems can combine the ease and familiarity of flush toilet infrastructure with the safe and effective recycling of biomass and nutrients to agriculture.
  
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-Aquatron separator unit for faecal separation and composting. Note the rotating carousel chamber beneath the separator unit for ease of management and maintenance. The pipe at the top left corner is a grey water pipe, routed around the separator unit. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/).+_Aquatron separator unit for faecal separation and composting. Note the rotating carousel chamber beneath the separator unit for ease of management and maintenance. The pipe at the top left corner is a grey water pipe, routed around the separator unit. Source: [FH Wetland Systems](http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/)._
  
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 It’s difficult to say which system is best, since every site will have different characteristics and every person will have different priorities and preferences. What this introduction demonstrates is that there are many ways to protect our local environment from sewage pollution and gain additional benefits such as biomass and nutrient cycling. We can replace or augment our existing infrastructure with a more eco-friendly method in our own homes and hopefully this will see a gradual shift in society to more sustainable systems for general use. It’s difficult to say which system is best, since every site will have different characteristics and every person will have different priorities and preferences. What this introduction demonstrates is that there are many ways to protect our local environment from sewage pollution and gain additional benefits such as biomass and nutrient cycling. We can replace or augment our existing infrastructure with a more eco-friendly method in our own homes and hopefully this will see a gradual shift in society to more sustainable systems for general use.
 +
 +
 +===== Forum =====
 +
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:water|Water & sewage]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/water).
 +
 +===== Further resources =====
 +
 +- [Sewage pollution prevention guidelines](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485181/pmho0706bjgl-e-e.pdf)
 +- [Guide to greywater for domestic users](https://sswm.info/sites/default/files/reference_attachments/ENVIRONMENT%20AGENCY%202011%20Greywater%20for%20Domestic%20Users.pdf)
 +- [Aquatron](https://www.aquatron.se/) - faecal separator
  
  
  
-## Further resources 
  
 +===== Related topics =====
  
 +- [Biogas](biog:biogas)
 +- [Compost toilets](cptt:compost_toilets)
 +- [Plumbing](plum:plumbing)
 +- [Reed beds](reed:reed_beds)
 +- [Septic tanks & drainage fields](sept:septic_tanks)
 +- [Low-impact water supply](watr:water)
 +- [Waterless urinals](wlur:waterless_urinals)
 +- [Willow sewage treatment](wsew:willow_sewage_treatment)
  
-## Specialist(s)+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
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