Indiscriminate discharge of wastewater from residential and industrial sources poses a serious risk of contamination to both water sources and soil. Wastewater from these sources must be contained and processed before reuse and discharge into the ecosystem.
Municipal wastewater generated from sinks, toilets, baths, and showers drain into sanitary sewers leading to centralized wastewater treatment plants. Sanitary sewers are often supplemented by other collection systems that transport wastewater via a network of pipes and pump stations to treatment plants. Many municipalities utilize combined sewage systems that mix storm runoff with flow from sanitary sewers. These systems can be overwhelmed by excessive inflow of stormwater. The combination of wastewater from sanitary sewage lines and excessive stormwater can cause backups, dangerous spills or overflow. Installation of stormwater tanks for temporary storage of excess storm water runoff can help alleviate this problem.