wastewater
gb/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ/ us/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ/
B2
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
B2
entity
1
water contaminated after human use
Water that people or industry have already used and that is now dirty with waste, and needs to be cleaned before it goes back to nature.
Usage pattern:
wastewater from [a place/source]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "wastewater" with "wasted water." "Wastewater" is a technical noun meaning used, dirty water that needs treatment, while "wasted water" means clean water that was used carelessly or not needed. Learners may also use "sewages" as a plural; in standard English, "sewage" and "wastewater" are uncountable nouns and do not normally take a plural form.
Synonyms
sewage (Often refers specifically to household wastewater containing human waste, while "wastewater" can be broader, including industrial and agricultural sources.)
|
effluent (More formal/technical and often used for liquid waste that flows out of a factory or treatment plant.)
Antonyms
drinking water (Refers to clean, treated water that is safe for people to drink, the opposite of contaminated wastewater.)
Collocations
wastewater treatment
|wastewater plant
|wastewater management
|municipal wastewater
|industrial wastewater
|wastewater discharge
Themes
environment
|science
|infrastructure
|nature
Examples
- The factory was fined for discharging untreated wastewater into the river.
- The city is upgrading its system to better separate rainwater from wastewater.
- Scientists tested the wastewater from the hospital for traces of the virus.
- New regulations require regular monitoring of industrial wastewater quality.
- The wastewater flows to a treatment plant before being released into the ocean.
Learner examples
- The city cleans its wastewater before it goes into the river.
- Wastewater from homes and factories can harm fish if it is not treated.
- They built a new plant to treat the town’s wastewater.
- Dirty wastewater should not go straight into the sea.
- Engineers study how to make wastewater safe again.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wastewater
IPA
GB/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ/
US/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ/
Syllables & stress
wastewa - ter (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (wastewa)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wastewater
- Plural: wastewater, wastewaters
Word family
Expressions
wastewater management
1/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ mˈænɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
control of how wastewater is handled
The way a city, company, or country plans and controls how dirty used water is collected, cleaned, and released.
Examples
- Good wastewater management is critical in rapidly growing urban areas.
- The report compares wastewater management practices in different countries.
- Climate change is forcing cities to rethink their wastewater management systems.
wastewater treatment
1/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ tɹˈitmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
process of cleaning wastewater
The process of cleaning dirty used water so that it is safe for the environment or for use again.
Examples
- Investment in wastewater treatment is essential to protect rivers and lakes.
- Modern wastewater treatment can remove many types of chemicals and microbes.
- The government announced new standards for wastewater treatment plants.
wastewater treatment plant
1/wˈeɪstwˌɔtɚ tɹˈitmənt plˈænt/
fixed phrase
technical
facility that cleans wastewater
A place with special machines and tanks where dirty used water is cleaned.
Examples
- The town built a new wastewater treatment plant to handle its growing population.
- Odors from the wastewater treatment plant have decreased after recent upgrades.
- Tours of the wastewater treatment plant help students learn about water conservation.