What Are the Dangers of Untreated Sewage?

Sewage is the waste found in excess water from human activity (e.g., cleaning clothing and bathing), and from direct human waste, such as urine and feces. The illnesses that individuals are at risk from, due to the improper treatment of human waste, is a major problem in poorer parts of the world that don't have the proper waste management facilities.

Reasons for Proper Treatment

• Because of the lack of waste management facilities in some parts of the world, sewage can be dumped in locations inadequate for the protection of natural resources, such as, freshwater locations, and inadequate for the protection of individuals from diseases. As improperly treated sewage contains a number of chemicals and germs harmful to the human body, allowing such waste to be dumped in locations vital for providing basic human needs will lead to long-term problems with serious illnesses. The fact that poorer countries are also often countries with higher temperatures and levels of humidity (conditions in which such diseases thrive) added an extra level of danger.

Leptospirosis

• One of the diseases that come from the improper treatment of sewage is Leptospirosis -- known via its scientific name, Leptospira icterohaemorrhegiae, the disease is spread by parasitic worms and transferred to human via contaminated water and rats. The disease causes a number of symptoms to an individual that contracts it, such as high fevers, severe loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea, severe head and muscle aches. These symptoms last for a period of between four to seven days.

Hepatitis A

• Another serious disease caused by the mistreatment of sewage is Hepatitis A. This disease is mainly contracted by the indigestion of contaminated water and is potentially fatal in large enough quantities. Hepatitis A causes symptoms, such as fever, abdominal pain, dark-colored urine and jaundice, and will often infect an individual weeks before they have knowledge of potentially suffering from it. The disease has an incubation time of three to four weeks, meaning an individual can contract Hepatitis A and not suffer any symptoms until at least a month later.

Parasites

• Parasites are also a common consequence from the improper treatment of sewage -- some of these parasites are Giardia and Cryptosporidium. These parasites are found in raw sewage and contaminated water and the symptoms caused potentially last for years -- the symptoms being fever, diarrhea and severe stomach cramps. A difference between the diseases and the parasites is the fact that a minority of individuals don't suffer any negative symptoms from the contraction of parasites.