How waste water is treated
If you live in the city, waste water that leaves your house may pass through up to three types of treatment. Primary treatment removes the solid material in settlement tanks. Secondary treatment removes organic material through biological means in aeration tanks. In some municipalities, water undergoes tertiary chemical treatment to help remove phosphates and kill most disease-causing bacteria.
The benefits of water conservation are evident even in the treatment process. Less waste water flowing through treatment plants means that costly new treatment capacity can be put on hold. And that eases the tax burden on your pocketbook.
If you live in the country you probably rely on a septic tank and tile field disposal system. Waste water enters the septic tank where solids settle to the bottom. Bacteria partially decompose the sludge and the effluent flows to the tile field or leaching bed where microbes in the soil complete the treatment process.
 For people who rely on a septic tank, less waste water will prolong the working life of the septic system. It also means a margin of safety for your water supply, by lessening the chance of contaminants entering the water table from an overloaded septic system.
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