What does "influent" refer to in the context of water treatment?

In the context of water treatment, "influent" specifically refers to the sewage or wastewater that enters a treatment facility, such as a Collection, Holding, and Transfer (CHT) tank or a municipal sewage treatment plant (MSD). This is the raw, untreated water that undergoes various processes to remove contaminants before it is discharged or reused. Understanding inflow is essential in the treatment process, as managing the influent effectively is crucial for ensuring that the subsequent treatment processes operate efficiently and can handle the load of pollutants introduced.

On the other hand, sludge refers to the residual material produced during treatment, treated water is what comes out after the treatment process, and groundwater used for irrigation does not pertain to the treatment process itself but rather to a separate use of water resources. All of these concepts are important, but only influent specifically designates the initial flow of sewage entering the treatment system.