Assessing the Level of Quality of Treated Wastewater Used for Irrigation: Ibb Station is a Model

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the level of quality of treated wastewater used for irrigation in Ibb  and some other Yemeni cities, and compare the quality of such treated wastewater with the Yemeni and international standard specifications to determine its validity for irrigation. An analytical approach was used in this study. The study was divided into a number of topics: specifications and standards that determine the quality of treated wastewater used for an agricultural irrigation, risks of random and extensive uses of treated wastewater in Ibb City, damages resulted from using treated wastewater for irrigation, and damages of wastewater leakage into the groundwater. A number of findings were revealed in this study; most importantly: the specifications of treated wastewater coming out from Ibb station was invalid for irrigation due to its highly pathogenic contents; and the lab analysis values of wastewater samples, entering Ibb station and coming out from it after treatment, exceeded, in line with the Yemeni standard specifications, the limits allowed for irrigation uses due its high concentrations of sodium and low calcium; the case that minimized water efficiency for the needs of plants.