Title: Feasibility of sand filters to wastewater treatment in rural areas in Algeria: experimental study

Authors: Mazouz Kherouf; Fathe Bouteldja; Ammar Maoui; Pierre Breul

Addresses: Laboratory of Civil Engineering and Hydraulics, University of 8 May 1945, Avenue 19 May 1956 BP 401, Guelma, Algeria ' Laboratory of Civil Engineering and Hydraulics, University of 8 May 1945, Avenue 19 May 1956 BP 401, Guelma, Algeria ' Laboratory of Civil Engineering and Hydraulics, University of 8 May 1945, Avenue 19 May 1956 BP 401, Guelma, Algeria ' Pascal Institute, University of Clermont Auvergne, Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux, 4 Avenue Blaise Pascal, 63178 Aubière Cedex, France

Abstract: The treatment of domestic wastewater by sand filters is a very interesting alternative technique to collective sewerage in rural areas. In order to assess the accuracy of this technique in Algeria, a feasibility study based on a statistical survey and an experimental study is carried out. The aim of the statistical survey is to determine the potential for the application of this technique by evaluating the rate of connection to collective sewerage networks and the existence of a sewage treatment system in rural areas. The purpose of the experimental study is to assess the suitability of the local sands for this type of process. In this paper the treatment performance over time of two different sands (medium and coarse) are evaluated. The chemical analyses of wastewater and filtered water showed a removal ranges between 57% and 74% for medium sand and between 7% and 49% for coarse sand.

Keywords: sand filters; domestic wastewater; rural areas; statistical survey; treatment performance; Algeria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2019.096545

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2019 Vol.23 No.1, pp.40 - 53

Accepted: 02 May 2018
Published online: 05 Dec 2018 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article