Household or residential wastewater is divided into black water and gray water. These types of household wastewater have different characteristics, but both contain substances that can cause disease if not properly treated. During a water emergency, the recommendation is frequently made to use gray water from rinsing dishes, bathing, and unused tap water to flush toilets or to water plants. In some sections of the United States, certain types of home treatment devices are used to recycle gray water to toilets and irrigation systems to conserve water. This practice is not generally needed in Kentucky.
Wastewater is basically more water than any other substance.
However, anything that can go down the drain or be put in the toilet can be found in wastewater. If your home does not have access to a municipal sewer system, a septic system is typically the wastewater treatment system of choice in Kentucky. Legislation passed in 1996 requires all newly built homes not connected to a municipal sewer system to have an approved septic system before electricity can be turned on. The use of straight pipes is prohibited for residential and nonresidential use. Until 1854, very little was known about the connection between disease and sewage control.