Environmental impacts of the sewage water site on the neighboring area in Buraydah City

Abstract EN

A dumping site for Buraydah city sewage water, located east of the city, was chosen for this study.

The site soil texture is sandy, that is high permeable for water and solute.

For evaluation of this site contamination effects on the neighbor areas, 169 water samples were collected from swamps, shallow wells and deep wells.

Chemical (pH, total soluble solutes (T.S.S.), chloride (Cl) and nitrate concentrations) and microbiological (Escherichia coli and En- terobacteria aeruginosa) characteristics of the water samples were evaluated.

Also, soil samples were collected for analysis.

The concentrations of Cl and T.S.S.

in the swamps were first increased as the distance from the site increased then decreased with further distance increases.

The effective distance of moving the sewage water from the site was approximately 3.3 km.

Cl and T.S.S.

decreased as the distance from site increased in the shallow wells.

T.S.S.

and Cl distributions indicated that the wastewater site causes pollution for the neighbor area.

The concentration of Cl and T.S.S.

in the deep wells indicated no drastic changes.

Escherichia coli were found in some swamps and the shallow wells.

The Escherichia coli may indicate a contamination from septic tanks.