Two Questions: Why is Water Blue and Where Does Waste Water Go?

I have 2 questions 1.) why is water blue2.) where does wasted water go
- Jenna (age 13)
Cortice Ontario canada

Hi Jenna,

As you probably know, sunlight and many artificial light sources contain a wide spectrum of colors: red, green, blue, etc.   It turns that water absorbs the longer wavelength colors, red and green more that the short wavelength blues as the following plot shows.

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So when the greens and reds are absorbed, what's left is blue.

 

The fate of waste water depends on where you live.  In built up urban areas it usually goes through a sewage treatment plant.   In your town of Cortice a new one opened up in 2008.   See   .   Small scale treatment may had by use of a septic tank:  see .  In very poor regions the waste is simply dumped into a nearby stream or river: not good.    In days that I can remember, on many farms there was an outdoor "privy" where you did what you have to do.   It's essentially a hole in the ground:  see .

LeeH

 

(published on 03/02/2015)