Video explains what happens to human waste after it disappears from sight

Sep 6, 2014 22:55 GMT  ·  By

For many, the journey that human waste embarks on after your average Joe or Jane flushes their toilet is one of life's little mysteries.

Well, the folks at SciShow are here to solve this puzzle for us. In the video below, they detail how modern wastewater treatment works.

If you ask me, learning all about the systems that lie beyond our toilet is pretty entertaining.

As explained in the video, wastewater treatment begins with pulling solids from wastewater. Once separated, the solids and the water they used to float it each receive special treatment.

The end goal is to remove objects that should not have gone down the toilet to begin with, break down the solids, and make the water clean enough so that is can be safely returned to the environment.

There are several ways to remove pathogens from wastewater. One possibility is to add chlorine to the mix, and have it kill microorganisms that might pose a threat to public health.

Other facilities use ultraviolet light to clean wastewater. Specifically, they shine ultraviolet light at wastewater and wait for it to affect the genetic makeup of pathogen to such an extent that they can no longer breed.

Not to ruin your weekend, but as it turns out, chances are that the water coming out the taps in your home was once used to flush a toilet. Mind you, this does not make it unsafe to drink. It just makes the business of making soup or a cup of coffee a wee disgusting.