Wastewater is any water that has been affected in quality from human and industrial activities. It can contain harmful contaminants if not treated properly before being released into the environment. Wastewater treatment involves multiple stages to remove solids, bacteria, nutrients and other pollutants from wastewater. This includes preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary treatments using various filtration, settling and biological processes to clean the water for safe reuse or release. Proper wastewater management is important for public health and environmental protection.