Hospital & Lab

Often hospitals, morgues, and other activity units that deal with wastewaters contaminated by human organic matter and potentially hazardous pathogenic do not process such contaminated waters before their disposal. This happens especially when they are connected to municipal systems. If the site is not connected, the investment in wastewater treatment can reach thousands of euros per ton of effluent, resulting in an absence of wastewater treatment before disposal.

Unfortunately, the health sector wastewaters carry several risks for local populations and the facility’s staff if not well taken care of. Here are some of those risks:

• Workers at municipal facilities can fall ill if directly exposed to such effluents.
• The facility’s staff, users, and even patients may also be exposed to pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
• In certain cases, the treatment environment at the municipal facility can contribute to the growth of several viruses and bacteria, such as hepatitis.

Thus, to avoid these risks for the population and the environment, the European Union is insisting on legislation implying the treatment of health sector wastewaters in their source. For this reason, several European sites have already installed wastewater treatment systems, to become compliant and reduce the risk for the public health.