Scientists Embark On Green Water Recycling Technique
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology
TANZANIA scientists are exploring an affordable innovation, constructed wetlands technology, for treating and reusing waste water for agriculture.
A constructed wetland is a shallow pool 0.6 meters deep, filled with limestone or gravel of different sizes designed to cleanse water that create growing conditions for plants. Vegetations like Phragmites grasses that remove pollutants are planted on the pond.
Features of artificial wetlands mimic those of the natural swamps and ponds but do not replace their functions.
As the debris from septic tanks seeps into the limestones, contaminants are filtered. Once the water reaches the root zone of wetland plants, micro-organisms in the soil destroy disease causing organisms-pathogens. The cleansed water is then channelled either into a pond, drainage or piped back to be re-used.
'This technique addresses water scarcity and shortage of fertilisers in agriculture,' says Prof Jamidu Katima from the College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam.
The lead researcher of the project says that the waste water contains rich plant nutrients; phosphorous and nitrogen, that flourishes crops like rice, maize, tomato and beans. In the project, the scientists use water from the pond for irrigating farms and fish farming. The research is currently happening in Morogoro. The Municipal Authority owns and maintains the ponds.
Prof Katima's research group has dispelled doubts regarding health dangers resulting from eating fish from the constructed wetland's pond.
The research group has health experts who monitor the quality of both fish and agricultural produce to ensure they don't cause health risks to human health.
Studies on constructed wetlands started way back in 1995 as collaborative research projects between the Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, the Engineering Academy of Denmark and the University of Dar es Salaam. The Danish government was initially the main sponsor.
The Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology in Tanzania (COSTECH), the government organisation that co-coordinates and promotes research and technology development activities, is currently the project funder. The organisation has also the role of disseminating research results to the public
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