Water Quality Index of Waste Stabilisation Ponds and Downstream of Discharge Point

Abstract

Water quality index has been used in various researches for the assessment of water quality for various uses and discharges into the environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the water quality index of the effluent from waste stabilisation ponds and 400 m beyond discharge point. This was achieved by evaluating concentrations of seven parameters from soil, eleven physiochemical parameters from effluent and four microbiological parameters. Corresponding water quality indices calculated from microbiological parameters were 854, 142, 96 and 1539 respectively, at sites 1, 2, 3 and 4. Reductions of magnesium, zinc, lead, sodium adsorption ratio, sodium and electrical conductivity in soil samples at site 4 were 15.5%, 57%, 81.6%, 93.5%, 93.5% and 99% respectively. The percentage increases were 21.4% and 185% respectively, for calcium and iron ions. It can be concluded that the water quality index of the waste stabilisation ponds is unsuitable for discharge into the environment. However, the results revealed improved quality downstream of discharge point.