wastewater

American  

[weyst-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈweɪstˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

noun

1. water that has been used in washing, flushing, manufacturing, etc.; sewage.

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Etymology

Origin of wastewater

1400–50; late Middle English waste watre

Example Sentences

The study also looked at two further approaches - the impact land managers and farmers could have to reduce nutrient run-off from their land and the treatment of wastewater.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Several fire survivors in this situation told The Times that they feel torn between planning for an upgrade to county-run sewers, or just moving ahead with rebuilding and improving their onsite wastewater systems.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

“The nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, carbon cycle—these fundamental reactions are happening across the globe, but in a wastewater plant it’s happening on steroids,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

"Currently, most wastewater treatment plants can only remove large particles of plastic, but microplastics are so small that they slip through and end up in drinking water, polluting the environment and harming ecosystems."

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

Although a decontamination process could remove some of the radioactive isotopes from the water, it couldn’t clean all of it, so most of the wastewater was stored in tanks.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland