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Investigating the efficacy of graywater use at the household level

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dc.contributor.authorAlkhatib, Ramadan Y., author
dc.contributor.authorRoesner, Larry A., advisor
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-13T18:14:53Z
dc.date.available2024-03-13T18:14:53Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractThe use of graywater at the household level is gaining increasing popularity in both the United States and elsewhere. The treatment methods in the market are either too simple or too complicated for a household resident to use. Also, the effects of using graywater in landscape irrigation and the fate of chemicals in graywater are still unclear. The socio-economic aspects of graywater are variable from one place to another and need to be investigated in order to predict whether graywater use will be accepted or not by the people.
dc.description.abstractThis study investigates the use of graywater at the household level. Three areas were investigated: (1) Graywater treatment at the household level, (2) Effects of using graywater in landscape irrigation, (3) Social response of the people in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
dc.description.abstractA house was retrofitted with dual plumbing system to collect graywater. Several treatment schemes were evaluated. The schemes were: I) storage only, II) storage with aeration, III) storage with aeration followed by 24-hour settling, IV) storage with aeration followed by 24-hour settling, coarse filtration, and UV disinfection, V) storage with aeration followed by 24-hour settling, coarse filtration, 5-micron filtration, and UV disinfection, VI) point-of-use treatment using coarse filter and UV disinfection, VII) point-of-use treatment using coarse filter, UV disinfection, and 5-micron filter. The combination of aeration and settling achieved significant reductions in turbidity, COD, and BOD5 with efficiencies of 83% and 66% for COD and BOD5 respectively. Significant reductions in levels of indicator organisms were not achieved till after the introduction of UV unit in scheme IV. As a result, 3-log removal was achieved in the case of the total coliforms, while a removal efficiency of 77% was achieved in the case of fecal coliforms. No E. coli was detected as a result of implementing scheme IV. The combination of aeration and settling achieved significant reductions in turbidity, COD, and BOD5 with efficiencies of 83% and 66% for COD and BOD5 respectively. Significant reductions in levels of indicator organisms were not achieved till after the introduction of UV unit in scheme IV. As a result, 3-log removal was achieved in the case of the total coliforms, while a removal efficiency of 77% was achieved in the case of fecal coliforms. No E. coli was detected as a result of implementing scheme IV. Using the combination of 5-micron filtration and UV disinfection was not sufficient in achieving satisfactory results. Only with the aid of biological treatment, significant results were achieved.
dc.description.abstractLandscape plants (petunias and geraniums) irrigated with graywater did not show observable visual differences as compared to control plants irrigated with tap water. Plant tissue analysis results at the end of 7-month irrigation period demonstrated significant increase in the levels of sodium and total-N in the graywater-irrigated plants. Alternating irrigation using both tap water and graywater was successful in significantly reducing the accumulated amounts of sodium and total-N. Soil analysis results after 16 months of irrigation revealed that sodium and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) seemed to be the most affected by graywater irrigation.
dc.description.abstractThe results of 511 surveys distributed to residents in the Gaza Strip revealed that about 84% of the interviewed people accepted the idea of using graywater. Knowing that installing a graywater system would cost the family about $500.00 reversed the acceptance rate of 84% to a rejection rate of about 90%. The situation returned back to the 84% acceptance rate when it was known that the cost paid by the resident would only be $50.00, with the rest of the cost to be contributed by an NGO. Surprisingly, the occupation of the interviewee and whether the house is connected or not to the sewer system did not affect the people's decision of whether or not to accept the use of graywater as demonstrated by the Chi-square tests.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumdoctoral dissertations
dc.identifierETDF_Alkhatib_2008_3346451.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/237549
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.rights.licensePer the terms of a contractual agreement, all use of this item is limited to the non-commercial use of Colorado State University and its authorized users.
dc.subjectGaza Strip
dc.subjectgraywater
dc.subjectPalestine
dc.subjectwastewater reuse
dc.subjectcivil engineering
dc.subjectenvironmental engineering
dc.titleInvestigating the efficacy of graywater use at the household level
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineCivil and Environmental Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

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