A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a facility designed to remove pollutants and contaminants from wastewater, which is water that has been compromised by human activities (e.g., from homes, businesses, and industries). The primary goal of a WWTP is to clean this "used water" to a standard that allows it to be safely discharged back into the environment (such as rivers, lakes, or oceans) or, in some cases, reused for purposes like irrigation.