Monitoring the Wastewater Treatment Efficiency of Oxidation Ponds at Chokera, Faisalabad

Abstract

Treatment efficiency of the sewage stabilization ponds at Chokera, Faisalabad was carried out with respect to the parameters (i.e. BOD5 (Five Days Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), pH, Turbidity, TS (Total Solids), TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), Copper, Lead, etc.). Parameters under investigation were monitored at six different locations (i.e. Influent of treatment plant, Influent of anaerobic Ponds, Effluent of Anaerobic Ponds, Effluent of Facultative Ponds, Drain before disposal of treated sewage and Drain after mixing with treated sewage). The testing was done during the low flow season i.e. from December 2015 to January 2016 in Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Lahore, Pakistan. BOD5 removal efficiency of the treatment plant was found 30.08 against designed value of 90% removal. The removal efficiency of COD, TS, TDS, pH, Turbidity, lead and Copper was found 36.56, 22.43, 30.40, 3.43, 73.50, 34.13 and 41.15%, respectively. The maximum removal was of turbidity which is 73.50% but still none of the parameters of the effluent
were meeting the PEQS (Punjab Environmental Quality Standards) 2012 except pH and TS. The reasons of low efficiency included lack of funds by government for operation and maintenance of the ponds, increased population, mixing of industrial sewage with domestic and less attention to maintain the performance of Ponds.