Every household has a drainage system in place to help liquid waste be taken out of the home. This waste is called sewage and is drained out through pipes that drain out into an underground structure called sewer that is situated outside the house. In cities and even rural areas, there is a system of underground sewers that are connected to a main sewer that drains the waste of the city. The words sewer and sewage are often confused by people as they seem to be similar. Many tend to use sewer and sewage interchangeably that is wrong. The two terms are different, and this article intends to highlight their differences.
Key Takeaways
- Sewage is the human waste (urine and poop) that is carried away from houses through a drainage system which is separate from the water drainage system.
- Sewer, or sanitary sewer, is a system of drainage made up of pipes and a pumping station that disposes or treats human waste. It is also used to describe the underground structure where household sewage goes.
- Sewage refers to the waste itself, while sewer refers to the structure or system that carries the waste away from households and communities to the treatment plant.
