The performance of the waste stabilisation pond system at Boujaad, Morocco

Abstract

The wastewater stabilisation ponds system of the city of Boujaâd was constructed and put into operation in 1992. The two main objectives of this plant are the prevention of pollution of water resources and the environment by means of wastewater discharges as well as the saving of fresh water by means of reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes. Within the period of March 1997 to March 1998 a comprehensive analysis campaign of both the raw and the treated wastewater at a number of different sampling points has been carried out in order to evaluate the treatment efficiency of this wastewater treatment plant.The results of these investigations showed an average raw wastewater flow of 1600 m3/d, which is well below the design flow of 2500 m3/d. With respect to the physico-chemical treated wastewater quality and in comparison with the French treated wastewater standards (1980) these results indicated that 90 % of the wastewater samples showed BOD5-figures below the quoted French standard, whereas 83 % of the samples showed COD-figures above the corresponding French treated wastewater standard. With average treated wastewater suspended solids contents of 56 mg/l the suspended solids removal rate has been determined as being in the range of 65 %. If compared to the anticipated Moroccan wastewater standards for direct wastewater discharge into receiving water bodies as stipulated in the Moroccan Standards Project the obtained wastewater analysis results showed COD- and BOD5 values below these foreseen Moroccan wastewater discharge standards. The analysis results of SS, TKN and total phosphorus (Ptot) showed figures slightly above these Moroccan standards. In view of the microbiological wastewater characteristics the treated effluents of the Boujaâd WSP respond to the WHO directive with respect to wastewater to be used for restricted irrigation (category B). Taking into consideration the CEC directive for wastewater generated by wastewater treatment plants and discharged to the environment, the efficiency of the Boujaâd WSP is relatively low with respect to the SS-removal, the removal of organic matter (expressed by BOD5 and COD) as well as the removal of nutrients (expressed by TKN and Ptot). This relatively low efficiency might basically be caused by the already highly diluted incoming raw wastewater, which again is caused by the effect of significant infiltration of groundwater into the sewerage network. Besides the evaluation of the overall treatment efficiency, detailed investigations of the performance of individual ponds have been carried out as well.