Treatment for small polluted rivers: Design and performance of an experimental structure

Abstract

In view of the economic reality of developing countries, it will not be possible to build all the necessary wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) needed to control the pollution of their rivers in the next 20 years. Therefore, low-cost alternative technologies must be developed to restore the water quality of polluted rivers. It is well-known that the self-purification cycle in nature uses several biotic and abiotic processes to restore polluted water to its former pristine quality. This cycle has been surpassed in many rivers due to continuous discharges of wastewater into them. A low-cost structure that will enhance the water quality in small polluted rivers is proposed and can be constructed in situ , based on three conditions: Disruption of plug flow, flow velocity and support material for bacterial growth. The design of the experimental stage of this structure can control slope, water flow, length, support material and the number of locks. Two 175m-long experimental models were constructed; both models were filled with crushed, washed and screened 10 to 12 mm diameter river stone.

Authors

Categories