Low cost wastewater treatment unit in small communities : secondary school case study

Joint Authors

Lubbad, Ihab
Abu Shbak, Thair
al-Agha, Salam
Mughir, Yunus

Source

المؤتمر الهندسي الدولي الثاني للإعمار و التنمية الجامعة الإسلامية-غزة، 3-4 سبتمبر 2007

Publisher

Islamic University of Gaza Faculty of Engineering

Publication Date

2007-09-30

Country of Publication

Palestine (Gaza Strip)

No. of Pages

11

Main Subjects

Engineering & Technology Sciences (Multidisciplinary)
Earth Sciences, Water and Environment

English Abstract

The lack of efficient wastewater collection and treatment systems due to the economical constraints force the residents to dispose the wastewater by different methods that pollute the environment.

Recently, low cost wastewater collection and treatment systems enhance the reduction the environment deterioration.

This paper illustrates an actual implementation of low cost wastewater treatment unit in some schools in Gaza Strip, Palestine.

It shows design, construction, operation and monitoring procedures of the unit.

The challenge of this practice revealed the sustainable water resources management in school which starts by onsite treatment of wastewater and ends with reuse the treated wastewater in irrigating the school garden.

The wastewater treatment unit was constructed in AKA secondary school which is located in Khanyounis govemorate where 97 % of the residence is using cesspits.

The school has 1000 students who produce 2.6 m3/day of greywater.

The unit consists of multi-treatment mechanism: sedimentation tank, anaerobic biological treatments champers, aerobic treatment and sand activated carbon filter.

Extensive monitoring program is carried out to measure the physical, chemical and microbiological parameters for the influent and the effluent gray wastewater.

The temporal frequency of the monitoring program is twice per month for 6 months period.

The analyses of measurements showed a reduction of 84 % of BOD5, 96 % of Detergent in the effluent in the first month of unit operation.

In addition, the efficiency of removing Fecal Coliform (FC) was 98 %.

Other parameters such as NO3, DO, EC, pH, and temperature were measured and showed appropriate treatment efficiency.

The treated wastewater was directed to 500 m2 garden where drip irrigation system was used.

Different non fruity trees such as Feekas Benjamina, Feekas Nateeda and Hepkas were cultivated.

Parallel to the unit construction and monitoring program, public awareness campaigns for the teachers and students were accomplished.

The campaigns included full description of the treatment process, the important to save and get used of each drop of water and the reduction of environmental negative impacts after the construction of such unit.

It can be concluded that the use of low cost wastewater treatment techniques in small communities forms a good option which can be considered in different regions in the case of economic constraints.

However, such options needs continue monitoring and maintenance to assure the treatment efficiency of the unit and the decline of environment adverse impacts.

Data Type

Conference Papers

Record ID

BIM-775970

• APA
• MLA
• AMA