Effluent

(noun)

Sewage water that has been partially treated and is released into a natural body of water; a flow of any liquid waste.

Related Terms

Examples of Effluent in the following topics:

  • Wastewater and Sewage Treatment

    • Tertiary treatment (sometimes called "effluent polishing") is used to further clean water when it is being discharged into a sensitive ecosystem.

  • Efficient wastewater treatment

    • Ecological engineering (also known as ecological sanitation or living machines) is an emerging industry that treats raw sewage, including effluent, heavy metals and other chemicals, economically and safely by pumping them through a series of open tanks filled with organic plant and animal life.

  • Clean production and water reduciton

    • Vam Organic Chemicals Ltd. in Gajraula, India, for example, uses spent water for dust control and incorporates the effluent into its distilling operation.