Microbial Quality of Treated Wastewater and Borehole Water Used for Irrigation in a Semi-Arid Area

Abstract

The current study investigated the distribution of microbial populations and diversity in treated wastewater used for irrigation at the University of Limpopo Experimental Farm (ULEF), from different stages of post treatment disposal at Mankweng Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWTP) in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was arranged in a 4 × 5 factorial experiment, which studied the interactive effects of four collection points and five months of sampling, with borehole water used as a reference point. Water samples were analyzed for bacteria, helminths, and protozoa. All data were transformed and subjected to factorial analysis of variance. The site–time interactions were significant for Salmonella spp. and Ascaris lumbricoides, whereas collection point was significant for all variables. In conclusion, movement and storage of water post treatment at MWTP were able to improve the microbial quality of the treated wastewater disposed for irrigation at ULEF.