Technical note: Treatment of domestic sewage at Akuse (Ghana)

Abstract

Waste stabilisation ponds are used to treat sewage from the Akuse township. Akuse is located in the Eastern Region of Ghana with a population of about 3 000 people. The whole township has been sewered and the domestic sewage is treated in a series of four waste stabilisation ponds consisting of facultative and maturation processes. The flow rates of both raw and final sewage effluents are about 570 m3/d. The weak raw sewage has a BOD and faecal coliform count per 100 ml of less than 100 mg/l and 5 900 000 counts per 100 ml respectively. The final effluent is discharged into the Lower Volta River. The ponds achieve BOD reduction of about 65% and the faecal coliform removal efficiency is about 99.99%. The reduction in suspended solids by the ponds is about 46%. The ammonia and phosphate concentrations of the raw effluent are reduced by about 92% and 94% respectively by the ponds. Under Ghanaian tropical conditions the waste stabilisation ponds have been found to be more suitable and appropriate compared to conventional treatment systems, i.e.

Authors

Categories