EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL OF CONSTRUCTED WETLAND FOR TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER DISCHARGED FROM ARBA MINCH CROCODILE RANCH, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The poor waste management implementation in Ethiopia leads to untreated wastewater discharge, resulting in issues such as bed odors, pathogens, eutrophication, and sludge accumulation. The study was aimed to evaluate the potential of constructed wetland for treatment of wastewater discharged from Arba Minch crocodile ranch (AMCR) using three plant species, (Typha latifolia, Scirpus validus, and Canna indica), for treating wastewater. Key physicochemical parameters (pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO) COD, NH4-N, NO3-N, and total phosphorus (TP)) were analyzed to evaluate treatment performance. The experimental result indicated that removal efficiency was found in plants Scirpus validus NH4-N (85.3%), NO3-N (27.0%), TP (55.5%), COD (39.5%), and TSS (53.0%), respectively. Typha latifolia also showed removal efficiency of NH4-N (77.3%), NO3-N (51.0%), TP (59.8%), COD (63.8%), and TSS (62.0%), while Canna indica has shown NH4-N (80.0%), NO3-N (63.4%), TP (46.6%), COD (44.6%), and TSS (80.0%), respectively. Typha latifolia had the highest removal efficiency of all of the plants. Additionally, plant growth showed that treated wastewater enhanced biomass, height, and root development compared to pure water. Overall, the results suggest that constructed wetland is a potential solution for AMCR wastewater treatment before discharged to the surrounding ecosystem.