Agricultural Reuse Suitability of Treated Faecal Sludge Effluent from an Integrated Waste Stabilization Pond and Constructed Wetland System at Busoka Sludge Treatment Plant, Kahama, Tanzania

Paschal Pastory Mnyeti; Doglas Benjamin Mmasi; Anna Stephen Mremi

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.83591

Agricultural Reuse Suitability of Treated Faecal Sludge Effluent from an Integrated Waste Stabilization Pond and Constructed Wetland System at Busoka Sludge Treatment Plant, Kahama, Tanzania

Author(s)	Eng Paschal Pastory Mnyeti, Dr. Doglas Benjamin Mmasi, Dr. Anna Stephen Mremi
Country	Tanzania
Abstract	Safe reuse of treated faecal sludge effluent is becoming an important option for sustainable sanitation and irrigation in many African towns where fresh water is limited. This study assessed the agricultural reuse suitability of the treated effluent from an integrated waste stabilization pond and constructed wetland system at Busoka Sludge Treatment Plant in Kahama, Tanzania. A quantitative field design was adopted, and composite samples were collected at five sequential treatment stages over four months. Physicochemical, nutrient, microbiological and heavy metal parameters, together with the sodium adsorption ratio, the soluble sodium percentage, the magnesium adsorption ratio and the salinity classification, were determined using various standard methods and were compared with the recommended irrigation guidelines. Electrical conductivity fell from 2482.75 to 249.25 µS/cm, while pH stayed between 7.19 and 7.86. The sodium adsorption ratio declined from 8.16 to 4.55 and the soluble sodium percentage from 52.85 to 47.45 percent, both within the permissible limits, and the salinity class improved from C4-S2 to C1-S1. Total nitrogen, total phosphorus and potassium were reduced by 70.4, 65.1 and 61.1 percent, respectively. E. coli and helminth eggs attained logarithmic reductions of 4.71 and 3.95 and satisfied the limits for restricted irrigation. Cadmium at 0.02 mg/L and chromium at 0.21 mg/L in the final effluent, however, remained above the recommended limits of 0.01 and 0.1 mg/L. The treated effluent is therefore suitable for restricted irrigation, but additional polishing is recommended before unrestricted agricultural use.
Keywords	Faecal sludge; Constructed wetland; Waste stabilization ponds; Irrigation suitability; Salinity hazard; Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-15
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.83591

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Agricultural Reuse Suitability of Treated Faecal Sludge Effluent from an Integrated Waste Stabilization Pond and Constructed Wetland System at Busoka Sludge Treatment Plant, Kahama, Tanzania

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