The World Health Organization states that 250 million new cases of waterborne diseases are reported annually, from which 10 million people die each year. The tragedies we've seen in Rwanda and Uganda illustrate that cholera and dysentery are ready to kill when defenses against waterborne diseases are down. There are strict guidelines issued by government agencies in the treatment and handling of wastewater. Our wastewater treatment collection system is contained underground in 500 miles of piping. This keeps micro-organisms called pathogens from causing outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and many other diseases.
Wastewater contains disease-causing pathogens.
Wastewater treatment controls the balance of micro-organisms to break down the wastewater into materials such as methane gas, carbon dioxide gas, and water. Once the decomposition process is accelerated and pathogen levels reduced, the water is then treated with chlorine. But chlorine is also toxic, so it, too, is removed, by using sulfur dioxide. There are strict guidelines issued by government agencies in the treatment and handling of wastewater. The wastewater lab tests samples after treatment to ensure the plant is meeting the discharge permit limits as specified by Federal and State regulations.