wastewater

noun

waste·​wa·​ter ˈwāst-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: water that has been used (as in a manufacturing process) : sewage

Examples of wastewater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As for the wastewater utility, customers can expect to see 10% increases in sewer charges and rates for the next three years, followed by an 8% increase for 2029. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

The United States may be following suit, according to new wastewater data. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026

In flood-prone Gowanus, where wastewater has a tendency to surface on sidewalks and streets during storms, absorbent ground was installed more than a decade ago in the form of Sponge Park, a rain garden that the landscape architect Susannah Drake created along the canal. —Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Blue Springs is asking voters to issue water and sewer bonds to modernize its wastewater treatment plant. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wastewater

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater