Investigating the Appropriateness of Treated Water for Domestic Use: A Case Study of Madda Walabu University Treatment Plant, Robe, Ethiopia

Abstract

To reuse effluent water for domestic uses, this investigation was conducted to measure the physicochemical and bacteriological excellence of treated water. To attain this research objective, the quality of effluent water treated by the treatment plant of Madda Walabu University was investigated. In this investigation, fluoride, pH, iron, electrical conductivity, sodium, total dissolved solids, sulfate, total hardness, chloride, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and biological oxygen demand were the physicochemical parameters studied, and the biological parameters analyzed included faecal coliforms and total coliforms. The results showed that parameters such as fluoride (0.26 mg/L), iron (0.2 mg/L), chloride (151.91mg/L), sulfate (53.99 mg/L), pH (7.50), and magnesium (24.48 mg/L) are within the maximum permissible limit of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ethiopian Standard (ES) of water for domestic use. Another investigated parameters such as electrical conductivity (1153.07mg/L), total dissolved solids (636.11 mg/L), total hardness (350.75 mg/L), sodium(139.77mg/L), calcium(113.09 mg/L), potassium(35.87 mg/L), biological oxygen demand (53.32 mg/L), faecal coliforms (230 per 100 mL) and total coliforms (3200 per 100 mL) are above the permissible limit of both WHO and ES. As most of the parameters investigated above in this research were the allowable permissible limit for domestic uses. The treated water by Madda Walabu University. The Treatment Plant is not suitable for domestic uses. Hence, it should be recommended to construct tertiary treatment structures to improve the quality of treated water to use for domestic uses mainly for drinking.