If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you may have wondered what happens to all the waste produced onboard, especially the most unpleasant one – poop. So, what do cruise ships do with poop? Let’s dive in and find out!
Understanding sewage treatment on cruise ships
Cruise ships are essentially floating cities with thousands of passengers and crew members onboard. As a result, they generate a significant amount of waste every day. This includes not just human waste but also food waste, wastewater from showers and sinks, and other garbage.
Cruise ships have sophisticated sewage treatment systems that are designed to handle all this waste before disposing of it safely. These systems use a combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes to treat wastewater and sewage.
The process of sewage treatment on cruise ships
The first step in treating sewage on a cruise ship is to collect it in holding tanks. These tanks can hold up to several thousand gallons of raw sewage at a time. Once these tanks are full, the wastewater is transferred to an onboard treatment plant.
The treatment plant uses several processes to treat the wastewater and remove any harmful contaminants. First, the wastewater is screened to remove large solids such as toilet paper and other debris. Then it undergoes biological treatment where bacteria break down organic matter into harmless substances.
After that, chemicals such as chlorine may be added to disinfect the water further before releasing it back into the ocean or nearby port.
What about solid waste?
As for solid waste like poop that cannot be treated onboard, it is stored in special tanks until the ship reaches its destination where it can be offloaded for proper disposal.
It’s worth noting that some newer cruise ships have advanced technology like vacuum toilets that use very little water and create less solid waste. This helps reduce the amount of waste generated onboard while also making it easier to treat what remains.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – cruise ships have sophisticated sewage treatment systems that can handle all the waste generated onboard. They use a combination of physical, biological, and chemical processes to treat wastewater and sewage before disposing of it safely. And when it comes to solid waste like poop, it is stored until the ship reaches its destination where it can be offloaded for proper disposal.
Now you know what happens to all the poop on a cruise ship!