What is comminuting sewage?

• A. Grinding into small particles
• B. Filtering through screens
• C. Heating to high temperature
• D. Diluting with water

Answer: (A)

In wastewater treatment, comminuting sewage means reducing the size of solids by grinding them into smaller pieces. This size reduction prevents blockages in pipes and pumps and helps downstream processes, like digestion and filtration, proceed more smoothly. It's typically done by grinders or macerators that physically cut or crush solids as they pass through.

This is why grinding into small particles is the best description. Filtering through screens removes or separates larger solids but doesn’t break them down into smaller bits. Heating to high temperature is a thermal treatment, not a size reduction, and diluting with water changes concentration without reducing particle size.