| Popis: |
With increasing population and urbanization, water and wastewater management has become a top priority for the planners and architects in many parts of the world. Recent studies have confirmed that the poor infrastructure to manage and treat wastewater properly has led to the deterioration of water bodies which in turn leads to freshwater scarcity. Several studies have found that treating greywater is a better alternative than treating blackwater because the former leads to a lesser pollutant load, especially involving pathogenic pollutants, and is increasingly emerging as an integral part of water demand management, providing water for non-potable residential and industrial uses. Among the total wastewater generated in developing countries, 50–80 % is comprised of greywater originating from bathroom, laundry and kitchen sources. With many advanced technological methods available for water treatment, the constructed wetland system appears to be a preferred option because of reduced capital cost, lower energy demand and maintenance required compared to the conventional systems. In this context, this experimental study on a full-scale constructed wetland system was developed jointly by the researchers from Pondicherry University and Association for Promoting Sustainability in Campuses and Communities at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) campus. It was found that greywater treatment and reuse using constructed wetlands offers a cost effective, nature-based, energy efficient alternative to other means of conventional wastewater treatment. It is estimated that the developed system will save 25–30 % of the water requirement for horticultural activities of the school. |
