Sustainable wastewater management and risk assessment in Maghnia

Located 40 km west of the wilaya of Tlemcen, the Algerian municipality of Maghnia is currently experiencing a severe water shortage that has affected all economic sectors, particularly agriculture. Given that Maghnia is a predominantly agricultural region with 250 hectares of irrigated land, maintaining agricultural productivity under such conditions poses significant challenges. One of the most viable and cost-effective strategies to address this issue is the reuse of non-conventional water sources, specifically the recycling of wastewater treated at the Lagfafe wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Situated 5 km northwest of the town, the Maghnia WWTP operates using an intensive activated sludge process. This study aims to assess whether the quality of the treated effluent complies with Algerian standards for agricultural reuse. Throughout 2020, wastewater samples were collected and analyzed four times per month at both the inlet and outlet of the treatment plant. The physicochemical parameters examined included temperature, chemical oxygen demand, ortho-phosphates, electrical conductivity, nitrites, nitrates, ammoniacal nitrogen, water potential, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, and biological oxygen demand. The analytical results indicate that the treated wastewater meets national regulatory standards for agricultural reuse across all evaluated parameters. Consequently, this substantial volume of treated water can be safely used for irrigation, offering a sustainable solution to mitigate the ongoing water crisis affecting the region’s agricultural sector.