Full-scale maturation ponds working below a latitude of 43°S in a semiarid area: seasonal performance and removal mechanisms

FALESCHINI, MAURICIO; ESTEVES, JOSÉ LUIS

WATER AND ENVIRONMENT JOURNAL

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2017 vol. 31 p. 47 - 56

1747-6585

Stabilization ponds are the most frequently used wastewater treatment technology in Argentina. This study focuses on the performance of two maturation ponds (MPs) that are part of the full-scale sewage treatment system of Puerto Madryn. Seventy-seven shots of surface water were analyzed for organic matter, inorganic nitrogen, phytoplankton dynamics, and bacterial removal. The system presented a clear evolution with respect to oxygenation and phytoplankton development. The treated wastewater reached values above 8 mg-O2/L, an important organic matter removal, and this was accompanied by a strong increase in pH. NH4+ removal and oxidation, was active even during winter in the MPs, with average concentrations below 10 mg-NH4+/L. Bacteriological removal resulted in a liquid that approached the WHO recommendations for unrestricted irrigation. These results show that is possible to generate treated wastewater in stabilization ponds working in a semi-arid and temperate region, with bacterial content and conductivity suitable for irrigation.