Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater is the “used” water that goes down the drain when you flush your toilet, wash your dishes, take a bath, and wash your clothes. And this dirty water can’t just go straight back into the environment. Properly and fully treating the wastewater is critical for both public health and our natural environment. Wastewater treatment removes contaminants and prevents them from accumulating in the environment—which protects us, aquatic life, and wildlife.

Wastewater is collected from residential and commercial sources and transported to treatment plants through an extensive network of pipes and pumping stations. It travels to the wastewater treatment facility where objects such as sticks, rocks, sand, and gravel are removed. Micro-organisms are used to eat all the small bits of organic material. The wastewater is disinfected using ultraviolet radiation and the biosolids are used in commercial applications like soccer or baseball fields.

Treated wastewater meets the standards set out in the Approvals to Operate as issued by the Minister of Environment and Local Government.

How you can help

To help keep your environment clean and water treatment running efficiently, remember this: Don’t rush—think before you flush. Many items we use daily should never be flushed because they cause damage to home plumbing and our City’s wastewater infrastructure. Please keep your flushing and drainage to the basics: human waste and toilet paper. They’re the only things that break down during the treatment process, and they won’t cause blockages—which could result in basement flooding and sewer backups. Feel free to look at Saint John’s Sewer By-Law.

Please do not flush or pour the following items down the drain.