Sustainable wastewater solutions for a growing campus community

This article documents and analyzes the proactive steps taken by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Johor, Segamat Campus, to upgrade its wastewater management system in response to a growing campus population. To address the limitations of the existing oxidation pond system under higher wastewater loads, the university upgraded its facility to an aeration pond system, which offers greater capacity and treatment efficiency. Over a 24-month evaluation period comparing both systems, water quality parameters—including pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), nitrate, and ammonia—were monitored monthly for compliance with Department of Environment (DOE) Standard B prior to discharging treated effluent into Sungai Penarah. Although both systems met DOE standards, the aeration pond proved to be a more reliable and sustainable solution for supporting the long-term needs of larger campus populations.