What is the purpose of a wastewater treatment plant?

The primary function of a wastewater treatment plant is to treat and purify water before it is released back into the environment. This process is crucial because it helps to remove contaminants, pollutants, and pathogens from wastewater, thereby protecting public health and the environment. After treatment, water is often released into bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes, or it can be reused for various purposes.

In the context of the other choices, generating electricity is not the main goal of wastewater treatment facilities, even though some utilize byproducts for energy. Creating industrial byproducts or collecting and storing stormwater are tasks that may occur but are not the core mission of wastewater treatment plants, which is fundamentally focused on water treatment and purification.