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 also widely used. Their main characteristic is that they do not cause any biochemical changes on the sewage. Examples of such methods include sedimentation. This technique mainly relies on the force exerted by gravity on solids within the liquid waste. The solids usually settle at the bottom of a separation tank and the fluid is allowed to flow to a separate tank where it usually undergoes further treatment. Sedimentation may be done in several stages to ensure that as much of the solid as possible is removed.
Aeration is the process through which air is pumped into the effluent. The amount of oxygen within this wastewater is increased and this is favourable to aerobic bacteria. The bacteria increase in numbers rapidly and break down organic matter within the waste.
Filtration is arguably one of the methods that have been in use for a long period of time. It is also an example of a physical technique as it does not alter the effluent either biologically or chemically. The success of this method is based on different sizes water and solid molecules. When the effluent is passed through a filter medium, solids are separated from liquids. A common form of filtration used in Kenya is the sand filter system.
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 also widely used. Their main characteristic is that they do not cause any biochemical changes on the sewage. Examples of such methods include sedimentation. This technique mainly relies on the force exerted by gravity on solids within the liquid waste. The solids usually settle at the bottom of a separation tank and the fluid is allowed to flow to a separate tank where it usually undergoes further treatment. Sedimentation may be done in several stages to ensure that as much of the solid as possible is removed.
Aeration is the process through which air is pumped into the effluent. The amount of oxygen within this wastewater is increased and this is favourable to aerobic bacteria. The bacteria increase in numbers rapidly and break down organic matter within the waste.
Filtration is arguably one of the methods that have been in use for a long period of time. It is also an example of a physical technique as it does not alter the effluent either biologically or chemically. The success of this method is based on different sizes water and solid molecules. When the effluent is passed through a filter medium, solids are separated from liquids. A common form of filtration used in Kenya is the sand filter system.
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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