Operational Efficiency of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

The performance evaluation of wastewater treatment plant in Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria was determined using effluents collected from each stages of the treatment process and soil irrigated with treated wastewater. The physicochemical parameters pH, electric conductivity (EC), turbidity, total dissolve solids (TDS), total solids (TS), nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (PO43-) in the water samples and heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) in the effluent water samples and irrigated soils were determined using standard methods. The results showed that the pH (7.8 - 8.7), EC (479.0 - 701.0 µS/cm), turbidity (10.35 – 55.0 NTU), TDS (285.0 - 421.0 mg/L), TS (0.2 - 0.6 mg/L), NO3- (0.032 - 0.053 mg/L) and PO43- (6.26 - 12.28 mg/L) across the sampling points. The concentration of Cd, Pb and Zn in the effluents from the treatment plants showed concentration of Pb (0.363 - 0.460 mg/L) and Zn (0.122 - 0.370 mg/L) and soil samples ranged between 19.25 and 39.25 mg/Kg, 74.75 and 308.25 mg/Kg, and 41.25 and 329.75 mg/Kg, respectively. High concentration of Pb in the irrigated soils showed that accumulation of the Pb in the soils was not due to the irrigation water, other sources such as fertilizer residues and run-offs of waste from other non-point sources could be responsible. The variation in the physicochemical parameters of the effluents across the treatment tanks showed that the sedimentation process could be used wastewater management.