Natural treatment of village domestic wastewater with plants

Abstract

Natural treatment plants were constructed in 30 selected villages of Sivas and Erzincan provinces of Turkey. 16 of those villages were from Sivas province and 14 were from Erzincan province. The works were implemented within the village improvement infrastructure sub-component of Sivas–Erzincan Development Project. This project was funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented by the former Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock with the technical assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The natural treatment plants were constructed after constructing septic tanks between the years 2007 and 2011 to treat domestic wastewater of the villages. Constructed wetlands with reeds were used for the natural treatment systems. Water Quality Analysis for 11 systems in villages of Sivas and 4 systems in villages of Erzincan provinces were conducted between the year 2008 and 2012 via taken water samples from the discharge of septic tanks and outlet of the natural treatment plants. Samples were taken in the winter season, when villagers mostly spend their time at home, to evaluate the effect of the natural treatment systems in the water quality parameters. It can be concluded that the average change rate of related parameters in the water taken from discharge of septic tanks and outlet of natural treatment is mostly more than 0.60%.