Alternative treatment for wastewater destined for agricultural use

• Published in: Water science and technology 1999-01, Vol.40 (4-5), p.355-362
• Main Authors: JIMENEZ, B, CHAVEZ, A, HERNADEZ, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced primary treatment; Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural wastes; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; ballasted sedimentation; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorination; Coliforms; Disinfection; Drainage systems; Eggs; Exact sciences and technology; Faecal coliforms; Fecal coliforms; Filter media; Filtration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; helminth eggs; high rate sedimentation; Irrigation water; Irrigation. Drainage; Mexico; Other wastewaters; Pollution; reuse; Sedimentation; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewaters; Wastewaters reuse. Miscellaneous; Water quality; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.1016/S0273-1223(99)00518-1

An Advanced Primary Treatment (APT) system commercially known as ACTIFLO®, coupled with a system of filtration and chlorination are described. The system used microsand grains in the coagulation phase. This allowed an almost immediate start-up as well as an increase in loading in the sedimentation tank to rates far higher than those previously described (up to 180 m/h). The process was shown capable of treating wastewater from a combined drainage system, which typically varies in water quality and quantity. The ACTIFLO® process reduced TSS from 354 to 27 mg/L, helminth eggs from 24.8 to 1.2 HE/L, COD from 460 to 198 mg/L, TKN from 21.7 to 18.3 mg/L, and TP-P from 8.7 to 3.2 mg/L. To comply with WHO, 1989 recommendations regarding HE quality in water destined for irrigation of crops eaten raw it is necessary to add to the APT a system of filtration. In the paper two types of filter media are compared. In both cases the HE were reduced to