Seasonal Variation in Physico-chemical Characteristics of Wastewater from Domestic Treatment Plant

Abstract

The discharge of effluent from wastewater treatment plants is one of the main sources of pollution that seriously affects the water quality parameters in water bodies. This occurs mainly when partially or untreated effluent is released to the nearby water bodies. The present work paying attention on the regular variations in physico-chemical parameters of the Kombolcha Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ethiopia. The study was carried out using standard methods to evaluate various physico-chemical parameters from the effluent. Our findings were pH (8.6–9.3), TSS (196–226 mg/L), EC (1244–1143 µS/cm), temperature (23–31 0C), turbidity (820–896 NTU), COD (580–622 mg/L), alkalinity (241–290 mg/L), sulfate (8.3–11 mg/L), nitrite (7.1–7.8 mg/L), nitrate (3.1–3.9 mg/L) and phosphate (4.1–4.8 mg/L). Alkalinity, conductivity, TSS, turbidity, sulfate, phosphate and COD values exhibited considerable month-to-month variation. The results showed that most of the values of the results were above the recommended limits for wastewater discharge. Hence, the effluents from the treatment plant were the possible sources of pollution in the study areas and calls for improvement of the wastewater treatment operations to ensure safe effluent discharge to the receiving water bodies.