Optimising wastewater treatment for sustainable irrigation using sequencing batch reactors

Abstract

Morocco is currently experiencing a severe drought, which has led to the implementation of wastewater reuse strategies to support sustainable development. Ibn Tofail University has installed a biological wastewater treatment plant, but the production of treated water is insufficient to irrigate the university’s green spaces. This study proposes the adoption of sequential batch reactor (SBR) technology to address these challenges, with a comparison to activated sludge (AS) treatment. The results show that the integration of SBR into the biological basin has significantly increased the volume and quality of treated water, while reducing energy consumption, enabling the system to meet irrigation criteria without wasting energy. Compared to AS, SBR demonstrated superior performance in pollutant removal, achieving 114.15 mg/l O2 for chemical oxygen demand, 23.88 mg/l O2 for five-day biochemical oxygen demand, and 74.66 mg/l for total suspended solids. The SBR reduced the pollutant load by 95% instead of 85% for AS, ensuring optimal oxygenation and producing high-quality effluent suitable for sustainable irrigation. This improvement enhances the environmental impact while contributing to the sustainable management of water and energy resources.