Spatial Evaluation of Wastewater Treatment Efficacy in Five Egyptian Regions: Implications for Water Scarcity

Atalla, Aya G.; Ismail, Eman M.; Tork, Islam M.; Abdelmalek, Shaymaa

doi:10.21608/vmjg.2025.424015.1053

Spatial Evaluation of Wastewater Treatment Efficacy in Five Egyptian Regions: Implications for Water Scarcity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Central Laboratories Greater Cairo Sanitary Drainage Company

² Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management

³ Regional Center for Food and Feed (RCFF), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), EGYPT

⁴ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University

10.21608/vmjg.2025.424015.1053

Abstract

Water scarcity is a critical challenge in the 21^st century, driven by increasing anthropogenic activities and rising demand for clean water. Safe reuse of treated wastewater provides a sustainable solution, but treatment levels vary worldwide. Egypt is predicted to face limited access to potable water, making effective wastewater treatment essential. Spatial distribution and diverse human activities significantly impact treatment efficacy. This cross-sectional observational study evaluates the performance of treatment processes and wastewater quality at five geographically distributed WWTPs. Samples were collected and analyzed for 19 physicochemical parameters. Data analysis was conducted using R software and R Studio for descriptive statistics, data distribution normality, and inferential statistics based on differences in pre- and post-treatment values. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified in most parameters, showing that removal efficacy depends on geographic location. Conversely, no significant differences were observed for EC, CN, TP, DO, Zn, or Hg (p > 0.05), indicating that the removal efficiency of these specific parameters was not affected by location. An overall removal efficiency comparison among the studied WWTPs identified that Plant 3 shows the highest removal efficacy percentage for organic and aggregate, approximately 60%. However, plant 4 reports the lowest at 53.6%. Additionally, plant 1 has the highest removal efficacy percentage for TP, TN, and heavy metals, around 86%. However, plant 4 records the lowest at about 75%. This study sheds light on the importance of continuous evaluation and geographically sensitive approaches to improve wastewater treatment performance and support water-safe reuse efforts amid Egypt's growing water scarcity.

Keywords