Decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Reuse for Sustainable Water Management in a Nigerian University

Abstract

Wastewater management remains a critical environmental challenge in many developing countries, where untreated domestic effluents contribute to groundwater contamination and environmental degradation. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a decentralized wastewater treatment system (WWTS) implemented at Dr. Aderemi Makanjuola Hall of Residence, Edo State University Iyamho, for sustainable water quality management and potential non-potable reuse. Laboratory analyses were conducted to determine the physicochemical characteristics of wastewater samples, including pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), chloride ions, temperature, and sulphate. Conventional treatment processes comprising coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination were applied to reduce pollutant concentrations. Significant reductions in BOD, COD, and TSS were observed after treatment, indicating effective removal of organic pollutants and suspended solids. However, TDS values increased significantly after treatment, highlighting the limitation of conventional methods in removing dissolved salts. A machine learning classification model developed using the MATLAB Classification Learner App was compared with a Markov chain model for short-term prediction of wastewater quality states. The optimized Support Vector Machine (SVM) model achieved an accuracy of 79.2%. The findings demonstrate that decentralized wastewater treatment systems can improve water quality for non-potable reuse in institutional settings. However, additional advanced treatment processes are required to address dissolved solids and ensure safe reuse.