Sanitary sewer

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A sanitary sewer (also called, especially in the UK, a foul sewer) is a type of underground carriage system for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal. In some areas, sanitary sewers are separate sewer systems specifically for the carrying of domestic and industrial wastewater, and are operated separately and independently of storm drains, which carry the runoff of rain and other water which wash into city streets. Sanitary lines generally consist of laterals (services to a particular unit), mains, and manholes (or other various forms of traps). The most commonly used sanitary pipe is SDR-35, with smaller sized laterals interconnected within a larger sized main.

See also: Simplified sewerage

Simplified sanitary sewers consist of small-diameter pipes (typically 100 mm or about 4 inches), often laid at fairly flat gradients (1 in 200). The investment cost for sanitary sewers can be about half the costs of conventional sewers. However, the requirements for operation and maintenance are usually higher. Simplified sewers are most common in Brazil and are also used in a number of other developing countries.

[edit] See also

• Combined sewer
• Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)
• Sewage treatment
• Stormwater
• Water pollution