Performance of wastewater treatment plants in Jordan and suitability for reuse

There is an increasing trend to require more efficient use of water resources, both in urban and rural environments. In Jordan, the increase in water demand, in addition to water shortage has led to growing interest in wastewater reuse. In this work, characteristics of wastewater for four wastewater treatment plants were determined. Characterization of wastewater was evaluated in terms of measuring BOD, COD, TSS, TDS, NH4, and DO for the influent and the effluent wastewater from the selected plants. The quality of the treated wastewater was compared with Jordanian standards. Results indicate that municipal wastewater in Jordan contains high concentrations of pollutants such as BOD, COD, TSS, and NH4; therefore it is classified as a strong waste. The performance of the four treatment plants was evaluated. Conventional and modified activated sludge show good performance, while low water quality is produced by stabilization ponds. The effluent from activated sludge treatment plants complies with Jordanian standards for restricted use. Before reuse, effluent wastewater needs advanced treatment to prevent its impact on human health and the environment.