Investigating the Shelf Life and Stability of Treated Sewage Water under Variable Storage Conditions and Activated Carbon Filtration Effects

This study investigates the stability and shelf life of treated sewage water following Activated Carbon Filtration (ACF), with particular focus on the impact of post-treatment exposure to air over a 72-hour period. Water samples – both exposed and unexposed to air – were analysed at 24-hour intervals across a range of physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters, including pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Hardness, Turbidity, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Bacterial Count (TBC), E. Coli Count, Coliform Presence, Colour & Odour. Results revealed significant differences in degradation trends – water exposed to air showed a faster rate of quality deterioration after ACF compared to unexposed samples in certain metrics. These findings underscore the influence of oxygen availability on post-treatment water stability and highlight the need to consider both exposure environmental conditions and time when evaluating the usability and shelf-life of treated wastewater for non-potable applications.