Impact of wastewater discharge on soil and ground water - A case study

Abstract

The paper reports the analysis of effluents released from different sources and characteristics of soil/ground water nearer to the source of contamination. In a case study the areas selected for investigation comprise a food processing industry and a septic tank in Mysore, Karnataka. The collected samples of effluents and ground water were analysed for parameters like, pH, nitrate, chloride, sulphate, phosphate, BOD, and COD. Ground water samples were also analysed for faecal coliform. The soil samples were analysed for pH, EC, nitrate, chloride, sulphate, and phosphate. Results show that discharge of wastewater onto the land, effectively reduces the contaminants due to adsorption/chemical reaction in the soil media. Thus, to prevent pollution of ground water, septic effluents should be disposed off through properly managed underground drainage system and the efficiency of the treatment plant should be good enough to take care of the pollutants.