Evaluación de tratamientos sostenibles de aguas residuales domésticas a escala piloto en sistemas unifamiliares de la parroquia Baños

Abstract

The inadequate disposal of domestic wastewater in rural communities represents an important source of contamination of water bodies. Therefore, the objective of this project was to propose sustainable technologies for the treatment of domestic wastewater through experimentation with three pilot treatment systems composed of improved septic tanks and artificial wetlands of horizontal subsurface flow in three houses in the Baños parish, Cuenca canton. In each experimental unit, a different species of ornamental plant was planted, namely: Canna indica, Anthurium andreanum and Zantedeschia aethiopica. To evaluate the purification capacity of domestic wastewater, physicochemical parameters were analyzed through two monitoring campaigns. The samples were taken at the entrance and exit of the septic tank, and exit of the artificial wetland. The results of the experimentation with the three species of ornamental plants indicate that the treatment system planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica presented the highest contaminant removal capacity, with average removal percentages of 89%, 87%, 92%, and 79% for the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS) and nitrates (NO3-) respectively. However, the systems did not adequately remove ammonium and phosphates. In summary, the implementation of treatment systems composed of a septic tank and an artificial wetland with horizontal subsurface flow represents a viable solution for the decentralized management of domestic wastewater