Effects of Wastewater Management on the Environment: A Case Study of Selected Shopping Malls in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated wastewater management in selected shopping malls in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria and the effects on the environment, towards identifying areas for possible improvement. The study adopted a qualitative methodology. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary fieldwork data were collected using structured observation and interview guide, while secondary data were gathered from both published and unpublished literature by textual analysis. The study discovered that the wastewater management system employed by the shopping malls investigated were mainly on-site wastewater management systems that were not effective as a result of the way they were poorly managed. The shopping malls were found to release greywater into the environment that is leading to environmental degradation of the study environs. The study recommended that relevant government waste management authorities need to do more to ensure that shopping malls and other commercial public facilities, manage their wastes in line with standard best practices, to avoid degrading the environment. The authorities are to check and approve the design of wastewater management systems, as well as conduct routine checks to ascertain that the systems are functioning as expected, towards achieving a better wastewater management effective and sustainable environment.