Development and testing of a novel compact system for municipal wastewater treatment and irrigation using advanced technologies

Growing water scarcity and increasing food demand are driving interest in municipal Wastewater Treatment (WWT) for crop irrigation. However, centralised WWT systems require substantial capital and infrastructure investment, which poses challenges for small agricultural communities. Decentralised compact systems are simpler to operate, more cost-effective, and better suited to rural areas. This study presents a novel, compact municipal WWT system specifically designed for crop irrigation. The system utilises four WWT technologies, integrating an ultrafiltration Membrane Bioreactor with mechanical sieving, extended aeration, and a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor. A detailed sampling and testing methodology was implemented to experimentally evaluate system performance. The results showed significant reductions in major ions, with Total Dissolved Solids decreasing from 2348.8 to 1157.2 mg/L (50.7% reduction), and removal rates ranging from 25 to 98.9% for heavy metal ions from the municipal wastewater. The sanitary biological quality of the wastewater also improved substantially, with coliform and total microbial counts reduced by 81% and 18%, respectively. Overall, the product water met the Egyptian irrigation standards for edible crops, indicating the potential of this compact system as a practical solution for municipal WWT in rural areas.