Effectiveness of a conventional industrial waste water treatment plant (case study of the Scoul’s treatment plant in Lugazi town, Buikwe district)

Abstract

In Uganda, the use of waste water treatment plants in the industries is a relatively new technology with few studies carried out to investigate their effectiveness for treatment of the industrial waste water before being discharged to the environment. There was little information on performance of the industrial waste water treatment plant of which this research of which this research addressed. The objectives of the study were (i) To compare the PH, TDS, DO and the Turbidity of the waste water at the inlet and outlet of the factory’s waste water treatment plant. (ii) To compare the mean values of the waste water parameters at the factory inlet and outlet of the waste water treatment plant. Samples were collected at the inlet and outlet, measured and recorded on a daily basis for seven days to achieve the given objectives. The observed results indicated that there was a significant decrease in TDS, Turbidity from inlet to outlet of the waste water treatment plant and significant increase in DO and PH from the waste water treatment plant inlet its outlet. The waste water treatment plant effectively treated waste water in terms of TDS, DO, and Turbidity whose values met the National Environment Management Authority standards for effluent discharge to the environment except pH because the values from the outlet were a little higher than the discharge standards.