sewage

This term carries a strong negative connotation of filth and contamination, specifically referring to the collective waste stream of a municipal or industrial system. It is used primarily in technical, environmental, or civic contexts to describe the substance being managed by infrastructure rather than the act of waste disposal itself. As an uncountable mass noun, it cannot be pluralized or counted as individual units. To refer to a specific amount or a particular type of waste water, speakers must use partitive constructions such as a volume of sewage or a stream of sewage.