Wastewater Treatment Practices in Pakistan (Part 1)

1-Wastewater treatment practices in Pakistan

1.1-Introduction

Pakistan has expected current population of 170 million. This daily increase in population has direct impacts on water bodies that used to meet domestic, agriculture and industrial needs. Pakistan now runs out of its water resources and standing on the edge of water shortage countries. Similarly, the water quality has also been reduced and further decline due to unchecked waste management system. A large number of industries, agriculture and domestic waste directly disposed and contaminate water bodies. Similarly lack of interest in regular visit to check and monitor water bodies extents the number of water-borne diseases which ultimately have adverse effect on the environment and the living creatures. Even though it is mandatory to check and monitor water bodies and provides useful information, but still it lacks such kind of management. We clearly notice the wastewater impact on areas most closed to contaminated sources.

1.1.1-Current situation in Pakistan

Various research surveys indicate that the water pollution has been remarkably increased in past few decades. This is due to the increase in urbanization and industrialization. In this way the public demands for purified water for their daily uses. This colonization continuously increases the amount of wastewater. The pollution graph is high in metropolitan cities where large set of industries is established. Untreated hazardous material, toxic metals, fertilizers waste, municipal waste and other toxic pollutants adds up the pollution in water and cause water borne diseases. These facts forced and pressurize the water controlling managers to maintain the quality of fresh water bodies and preserve natural resources for future use.

1.1.2-Environmental profile of Pakistan

A recent study shows that about 80 percent population of Pakistan has lack access for clean and portable water, especially those lives in major cities of Pakistan. Similarly the profile diagram shows the 40 percent death cases are related to waterborne diseases. This is mainly due to excessive water pollution which occur from industrial, domestic and sewage wastewater distribution system.

1.1.3-World Estimation

We observe the graphical data and related surveys we comes to the conclusion that almost 27 percent of the world population has lack of access to clean water for drinking purposes. This condition has been going more severe in developing countries in the near future. When we become deteriorate of natural water resources and least priorities are given to the water protection schemes.

1.1.4-Purpose Conventional Systems

Some conventional means to treat municipal waste water were proposed in the past, but it has some disadvantages. There is no manageable and separate drainage system for industrial and domestic waste. All kind of discharge, weather it from industries or local plants falls into the single drain. So, this demands an economical treatment system for the well treatment of wastewater. Some simple means include direct treatment with various chemicals like Chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. Another way includes the spate installation of municipal treatment plants but these are not much feasible to eradicate this rising problem.

1.3-Standard Wastewater Treatment Systems

It is not an easy task to propose standard means of waste water treatment in Pakistan, because it is difficult to treat domestic and industrial waste separately. Wastewater from all these kinds of sources moves to the single drain system. This ensures a need to simultaneously act on the most economical ways of treatment that treats all kinds of wastewater, whether it from industries or agricultural waste.

1.3.1-Low Cost Wastewater Treatment Options

Wastewater treatment is a network of technique designed to treat water for the process of removing contamination from domestic and industrial waste. It includes different means of treatment like, Physical, Biological and Chemical. It main purpose is to produce a well-treated stream of waste from where solid sludge settled down and then eventually discharged to landfills or reuse by the environment.