Reuse of wastewater treated by infiltration percolation

The aim of this work was to determine the depuration efficiencies of an infiltration percolation plant to remove organic matter and nutrients (N and P) and to test the effect of treatment by such system on the fertilizer value of wastewater compared to untreated influent and a control (groundwater). Results of investigations carried out over a month of each season showed the high capacity of this depuration system to remove both particulate and dissolved organic matter (TSS 91%, COD 93% and dCOD 89 to 95%) at all season. Nitrogen and phosphorus were more eliminated at winter and summer. At spring they presented a low percent removal efficiency due probably to overloaded influent. Tests consisting in the reuse a raw wastewater (RW), settled wastewater (SW) or completly treated wastewater (FW) for irrigation of (Lolium perenne) plots showed that biomass yield, nutrients (N,P) exported by plants and protein amount in the plants tissue decreased from plots irrigated by (RW) to completly treated wastewater. But all of them were more important than in the control plants (irrigated by groundwater) and exceeded the mean values reported in literature for meadows plants. The amount of nitrogen and P2O5) applied during the irrigation by wastewater, was equivalent or superior to recommanded dose of fertilizer for meadows. The expected meat or milk production showed a promising potentiality to promove the nutritional quality of farm animals food by using treated wastewater. Copyright (C) 1996 IAWQ. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.