Evaluation of Treated Wastewater from Constructed Wetlands for Reuse in Agriculture

This study was conducted to find out the mechanism of operation of the wetlands station at the University of Basrah, and to find out whether the water purified by the station had a positive impact on the environment surrounding humans, as well as whether it was possible to reuse the treated water for various human uses.The treatment of wastewater is essential to safeguarding the environment and the health of people and animals.Improper treatment of wastewater can lead to contamination of our water sources, harm to natural ecosystems, and grave illnesses.Over the course of a full year, from March 2018 to February 2019, samples were collected and tested for a number of parameters, including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate.The findings demonstrated that the acceptable irrigation water specifications for Iraq were exceeded by high values of EC, COD, and total suspended solids at some months.Due to the high concentration of dissolved solids in sewage, EC values were high and exceeded the allowable limits for irrigation water used in Iraq.Additionally, in some months, COD is higher than what is allowed in Iraq.The results of the analyses proved that the treatment plant was working well and fulfilling the purpose for which it was established.It was able to get rid of water pollutants, producing treated water suitable for some human uses, such as agricultural irrigation.Thus, the station has achieved its two goals: the first is to prevent environmental pollution, and the second is the possibility of using treated water, which helps reduce the water crisis that the southern regions of Iraq are suffering from.