Kenya is among the fastest growing economies on the continent of Africa. There has been an expansion of urban centres thanks to the rapid population growth. Waste water treatment has become an important aspect in the management of the urban centres. In this article, we will explore the methods that have been employed to facilitate municipal water treatment in Kenya.
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 also another option that can be adopted easily. The idea here is to neutralize the pH of sewerage effluent. This means that if it has been determined to be acidic, a base will be added and if it is too basic, an acidic compound will be added. Coagulation method involves the addition of a substance to the effluent with the aim of creating an insoluble product that can be easily removed.
Physical methods are perhaps the simplest and the most widely used. These methods do not cause any biological or chemical change on the waste water. Sedimentation is one of the options that fall under this category. The method largely relies on the force of gravity for its success. Because solids are generally denser than liquids, they will sink to the bottom while liquid waste remains at the top. This makes separation a lot easier.
Another physical method that is also effective is what is referred to as aeration. Air is physically added to the wastewater so as to increase the levels of dissolved oxygen. The presence of oxygen in the treatment tank promotes the growth of microorganisms. These microorganisms in turn lead to the break down of organic materials which ultimately helps to cleanse the sewage effluent.
Insoluble particles are usually removed through filtration systems. The exact mechanism employed varies from one plant to another but the sand filter systems are a popular choice. The principle employed in this method is that waste is comprised of particles that are of different sizes. When the whole effluent is made to pass through filter systems, solids will be trapped and the liquid will pass through.
Biological based methods are fairly new in most areas in the country but their use has been on a steady increase. With these methods, microorganisms are added to the effluent to aid with biochemical decomposition. The process results in formation of water, carbon dioxide and other by-products. These methods are broadly divided into aerobic and anaerobic options depending on whether or not oxygen is used.
Treatment of wastewater is usually for one main objective which is to make it safer before it is discharged to the environment. This is true for Kenyan cities as it is true for most, if not all, cities all over the world. Kenyan systems have been faced with a major challenge of increased volumes that are mainly due to the rapid population growth. There is a need to increase funds allocated to this exercise by both government and 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 also another option that can be adopted easily. The idea here is to neutralize the pH of sewerage effluent. This means that if it has been determined to be acidic, a base will be added and if it is too basic, an acidic compound will be added. Coagulation method involves the addition of a substance to the effluent with the aim of creating an insoluble product that can be easily removed.
Physical methods are perhaps the simplest and the most widely used. These methods do not cause any biological or chemical change on the waste water. Sedimentation is one of the options that fall under this category. The method largely relies on the force of gravity for its success. Because solids are generally denser than liquids, they will sink to the bottom while liquid waste remains at the top. This makes separation a lot easier.
Another physical method that is also effective is what is referred to as aeration. Air is physically added to the wastewater so as to increase the levels of dissolved oxygen. The presence of oxygen in the treatment tank promotes the growth of microorganisms. These microorganisms in turn lead to the break down of organic materials which ultimately helps to cleanse the sewage effluent.
Insoluble particles are usually removed through filtration systems. The exact mechanism employed varies from one plant to another but the sand filter systems are a popular choice. The principle employed in this method is that waste is comprised of particles that are of different sizes. When the whole effluent is made to pass through filter systems, solids will be trapped and the liquid will pass through.
Biological based methods are fairly new in most areas in the country but their use has been on a steady increase. With these methods, microorganisms are added to the effluent to aid with biochemical decomposition. The process results in formation of water, carbon dioxide and other by-products. These methods are broadly divided into aerobic and anaerobic options depending on whether or not oxygen is used.
Treatment of wastewater is usually for one main objective which is to make it safer before it is discharged to the environment. This is true for Kenyan cities as it is true for most, if not all, cities all over the world. Kenyan systems have been faced with a major challenge of increased volumes that are mainly due to the rapid population growth. There is a need to increase funds allocated to this exercise by both government and the private sector.
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