Manatee County Government
Down the Drain
When your water goes down the drain that's the end of it, right? Actually, that's just the beginning! An intricate network of pipes, manholes, and pumping stations carry wastewater away from your home to a wastewater treatment plant where it can be cleaned.
History Lesson
The removal of wastewater from the home dates back many centuries, and can be traced as far back as the Romans, the Assyrians, and ancient Crete. The Romans built massive storm sewers to carry both wastewater and storm water away from town. Many of these large storm sewers are still in use today.
Prior to the 1800's, wastewater was treated in the same manner as storm water. Trenches were dug and wastewater was diverted away from the home, but not treated. "Out of sight, out of mind" was the prevailing thinking for centuries. Prior to the invention of the wastewater treatment plant, sickness was common among communities living by rivers, because dumping untreated wastewater into the rivers was commonplace. It wasn't until the mid-1800's that communities began to see the need for treating wastewater.
So, why do we treat wastewater? The answer is simple - to protect public health and our environment.
