Wastewater from residences and institutional establishments such as schools, nursing homes, prisons, office buildings and hospitals is called?

• A. Industrial waste
• B. Stormwater
• C. Blackwater
• D. Domestic waste

Answer: (D)

Wastewater streams are categorized by source. Domestic waste refers to wastewater generated by daily living activities in homes and similar institutions—schools, nursing homes, prisons, office buildings, hospitals, and other facilities where people reside or work. It includes water from toilets, sinks, showers, kitchens, and laundry. This is the sanitary wastewater produced by nonindustrial, everyday activities. Industrial waste comes from manufacturing or processing operations and often contains chemicals; stormwater is rainfall runoff that enters the sewer system; blackwater specifically means wastewater from toilets that contains human waste and urine and is only a subset of domestic wastewater. Since the question points to residences and institutional establishments, the correct term is domestic waste.