Kenya is an East African country that has exhibited tremendous economic growth in the last few decades. This growth has resulted in expansion of existing towns and cities. As is the case with most cities all over the world, there is a tremendous amount of waste water that is generated. We will explore some of the ways in which municipal water treatment in Kenya is being carried out.
Chemical methods are among the most commonly used techniques. As the name suggests, these methods are driven by chemical reactions which help to remove unwanted pollutants from the sewage effluent before being released back to the environment. Chlorination is an example of chemical methods and achieves its effects by oxidation of microorganisms.
Neutralization is an alternative that has been adopted by some plants. This is a technique that involves the addition of an alkali or an acid to the effluent with the aim of changing its pH. Acidic waste may be neutralized by addition of lime. In coagulation technique, the chemical that is added results in formation of an insoluble product making it easier to get rid off.
Physical methods are also widely used. Their main characteristic is that they do not cause any biochemical changes on the sewage. Examples of such methods include sedimentation. This technique mainly relies on the force exerted by gravity on solids within the liquid waste. The solids usually settle at the bottom of a separation tank and the fluid is allowed to flow to a separate tank where it usually undergoes further treatment. Sedimentation may be done in several stages to ensure that as much of the solid as possible is removed.
Aeration is the process through which air is pumped into the effluent. The amount of oxygen within this wastewater is increased and this is favourable to aerobic bacteria. The bacteria increase in numbers rapidly and break down organic matter within the waste.
Filtration is arguably one of the methods that have been in use for a long period of time. It is also an example of a physical technique as it does not alter the effluent either biologically or chemically. The success of this method is based on different sizes water and solid molecules. When the effluent is passed through a filter medium, solids are separated from liquids. A common form of filtration used in Kenya is the sand filter system.
Biological systems have been readily embraced and are either used in isolation or alongside the other methods. Microorganisms (mostly bacteria) are released to the effluent to facilitate biochemical decomposition. The by-products of this decomposition include water and carbon dioxide and several others. The methods may be classified as aerobic or anaerobic.
The main objective of water treatment is to make it safe before it is released to the environment. This is true for all cities that operate sewage effluent treatment systems and is also true for Kenyan cities. The efficiency of the process in Kenya is quite low mostly because a volume of effluent is being directed to overstretched treatment plants. There is a need to commit more resources to this exercise by the government as well as the private sector.
Chemical methods are among the most commonly used techniques. As the name suggests, these methods are driven by chemical reactions which help to remove unwanted pollutants from the sewage effluent before being released back to the environment. Chlorination is an example of chemical methods and achieves its effects by oxidation of microorganisms.
Neutralization is an alternative that has been adopted by some plants. This is a technique that involves the addition of an alkali or an acid to the effluent with the aim of changing its pH. Acidic waste may be neutralized by addition of lime. In coagulation technique, the chemical that is added results in formation of an insoluble product making it easier to get rid off.
Physical methods are also widely used. Their main characteristic is that they do not cause any biochemical changes on the sewage. Examples of such methods include sedimentation. This technique mainly relies on the force exerted by gravity on solids within the liquid waste. The solids usually settle at the bottom of a separation tank and the fluid is allowed to flow to a separate tank where it usually undergoes further treatment. Sedimentation may be done in several stages to ensure that as much of the solid as possible is removed.
Aeration is the process through which air is pumped into the effluent. The amount of oxygen within this wastewater is increased and this is favourable to aerobic bacteria. The bacteria increase in numbers rapidly and break down organic matter within the waste.
Filtration is arguably one of the methods that have been in use for a long period of time. It is also an example of a physical technique as it does not alter the effluent either biologically or chemically. The success of this method is based on different sizes water and solid molecules. When the effluent is passed through a filter medium, solids are separated from liquids. A common form of filtration used in Kenya is the sand filter system.
Biological systems have been readily embraced and are either used in isolation or alongside the other methods. Microorganisms (mostly bacteria) are released to the effluent to facilitate biochemical decomposition. The by-products of this decomposition include water and carbon dioxide and several others. The methods may be classified as aerobic or anaerobic.
The main objective of water treatment is to make it safe before it is released to the environment. This is true for all cities that operate sewage effluent treatment systems and is also true for Kenyan cities. The efficiency of the process in Kenya is quite low mostly because a volume of effluent is being directed to overstretched treatment plants. There is a need to commit more resources to this exercise by the government as well as the private sector.
About the Author:
Discover the advantages of municipal water treatment in Kenya by learning more about our programs online. To get instant access to the main page, click here http://www.mdumana.com.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire