Are sewers and storm drains the same thing?
Sewers and storm drains are not the same thing. Sewers collect wastewater from indoor plumbing such as toilets, sinks, washing machines and floor drains. A municipal sewer system includes the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage water. A municipal storm water system only transports water for flood control purposes, no treatment of storm water occurs before it is discharged to local bodies.
No. They are two completely separate systems. The sewer system, also known as the sanitary sewer or wastewater sewage system, conveys household, commercial and industrial wastewater through a separate plumbing system into an underground sewer pipe system. Wastewater in the sanitary sewer system is from sources such as water and waste from sinks, toilets, washers, and car washes, to name but a few. Discharges to the sanitary sewer system receive extensive treatment and filtration at the LOTT wastewater treatment plant prior to being discharged into Puget Sound. The storm drain system on the other hand, after treatment, discharges directly into the Deschutes River, Percival Creek, infiltrates into the ground, or other body of surface water.
No. Storm drains and sanitary sewers have two distinct functions. Storm drains are intended to collect and transport runoff from rainfall. Storm drain systems do not remove pollutants from water before it is discharged into streams and rivers. These are typically the drains found in streets and in parking lots. Sanitary sewers collect wastewater from indoor plumbing such as toilets, sinks, washing machines and floor drains and take it to a sewage treatment plant. The treatment plant removes many pollutants from wastewater before it is discharged to the river.
Sewers and storm drains are not the same thing. Sewers collect wastewater from indoor plumbing, such as toilets, sinks, washing machines, and floor drains. A municipal sewer system includes the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage water. A municipal storm water system only transports water for flood control purposes; no treatment of storm water occurs before it is discharged to local bodies.
