Effectiveness of nitrate and phosphorus removal from rural grey water using Biological Treatment System (BTs) / Jefendy Jamalluddin

Introduction: Grey water is water that has been used for washing dishes, laundering clothes, or bathing. Essentially, any water, other than toilet wastes (black water), draining from a household is grey water. Most of residents in rural area having problem with grey water disposal. Wastewater containing high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen cause several problems, such as eutrophication, oxygen consumption, and toxicity, when discharged into the environment (Luostarinen et al., 2006). It is, therefore, necessary to remove such substances from wastewaters in order to reduce their harm to the environment (Wang et al., 2006). Nitrates and phosphorus can be considered as a nutrient waste for aquatic plants that cause an eutrophication of surface water and encourage production of the blue-green algal bloom. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine an effectiveness of Biological Treatment System (BTs) in removal of nitrate and phosphorus in rural grey water. Methodology: Using available information I data; grey water sampling ("in-situ and "ex-situ" analysis) and interview (questionnaires). Result and Conclusion: This study indicated that these BTs are able to reduce level of nitrate (until to 6.547 mg/L or 27.99% between before and after) and phosphorus (until to 6.2473 mg/L or 42.74% between before and after) in grey water. There is much weak correlation between KAP of the studied houses and the effectiveness of biological treatment process. Recommendation: These BTs design are recommended to add the several types of plant ( crop uptake method) to increase their effectively to reduce more level of nitrate and phosphorus in biological treatment of grey water especially in the rural areas.