Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 9, No.1 2013 Effect of Septic Tanks and Agricultural Wastes on Springs' Water Quality Deterioration in Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area-Jordan Noor M. Al-Kharabsheh1*, Atef A. Al-Kharabsheh2 and Othman M. Ghnaim3 ABSTRACT In the Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area water sources from local springs are harvested for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. A significant portion of these springs' water is not properly treated. The deterioration of water quality of these springs is caused by agricultural activities and septic tanks. This study aims at defining the current level of pollution by conducting physical, chemical and biological analyses. According to the Jordanian Standards (JS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking water, Hazzir, Jadour Fouqa and Jadour Tahta springs are polluted with nitrate and Hazzir is the only spring polluted with phosphate. Furthermore, all of them exceed the permissible limits of COD, BOD5 and Total Coliform. All of these springs can be used for irrigation. There is a distinct relationship between the geology of the study area which is superjacent with the Upper Cretaceous Limestone rocks and seepage of wastewater into the groundwater. Keywords: Septic Tank, Spring, Catchment Area, COD, BOD5, Total Coliform, Cretaceous Limestone Rocks. INTRODUCTION mitigating the water deficit in Al-Balqa Governate (Al- Kharabsheh et al., 2002). The surrounding area of the Jordan, as a country situated in a semi arid to arid Wadi Shu-eib Catchment is densely populated and region, is suffering from significant water shortage. suffers from a poor water infrastructure that connects About 80% of the country is arid and desert, in addition municipal and domestic water sources with local septic to that, an increase in population has led to the tanks (Werz, 2006). The septic tanks infiltrate effluence exploitation of all available water resources and into the soil with drain field (cesspools) that consists of increased pollution has led to the deterioration of water porous walls to allow effluent water to seep into the quality. Some of the selected springs in the study area, ground (Bouwer, 1978). The study area has joints and Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area, are considered as main faults that distribute in the limestone aquifers of Upper sources of drinking water. Others are used primarily for Cretaceous rocks (Bender, 1974). These joints and faults agricultural purposes, and play an important role in cause pollution of the springs' water source when liquid pollutants seep into the water table. 1Department of Water Resources and Environmental This study intends to analyze the current situation in Management, Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Al-Balqa' Applied University, Al-Salt 19117, Jordan order to study water quality, of the 22 major springs in 3Department of Planning, Faculty of Planning and Management, the catchment area, see Table (1) (Natural Resources Al-Balqa' Applied University, Al-Salt 19117, Jordan * Corresponding Author Authority, 1966). Figure 1 shows the locations of the Received on 10/1/2011 and Accepted for Publication on studied springs and Al-Salt Wastewater Treatment Plant 28/6/2012. (SWWTP) in Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area. The study © 2012 DAR Publishers/University of Jordan. All Rights Reserved. -86- Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 9, No.1 2013 area is located in the western part of Jordan and covers dry summers and cool to cold wet winters (Ministry of an area of about 185 Km2, between Palestine grids 209- Transportation, 1994) and the temperatures have large 229 East and 144-165 North. The general slope has an seasonal and diurnal variations ranging from a maximum east to west orientation and varies from 4 to 7.5 percent. of around 47 C° in August to -4 C° in January. The The elevation ranges from 1118 m above mean sea level annual precipitation results largely from orographic (amsl) at Al-Salt City to about 100 m below mean sea effects, ranges between 300 mm at Deir Alla and 600 level (bmsl) at Shunet Nimrin. Average elevation of the mm at Al-Salt rainfall station. catchment area is about 600 m average mean sea level The geology of the study area consists of arenaceous (amsl) (Werz, 2006). Figure 2: a, b and c show the deposits of Lower Cretaceous Sandstone sequence location of the study area in Jordan, the location and (Kurnub) and the Upper (Middle to Upper) Cretaceous extent of the Middle East, and the Wadi Shu'eib Limestone sequence. These arenaceous deposits are Catchment Area with major streets. There are several subdivided into three groups, Kurnub group (K) for Lower wadis in the catchment. Main wadis are Al-Salt, Es Cretaceous Sandstone and, Balqa/Ajlun groups (B/A) for Sabil, El Amir, Shu'eib, Hadiya, Tarazin and Jaria. All Upper Cretaceous Carbonate sequence which are underlain of these wadis drain from east to west toward Jordan by the Kurnub (K) layer composed of sandstone layers of Valley. The study area has a predominantly Lower Cretaceous period which crops out at the lower limit Mediterranean type climate. It is characterized by hot of Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area. Table 1: Springs located in the study area and the aquifer types (Natural Resources Authority, 1966). Palestine Grids Name of Spring Aquifer Type Altitude North East Jadour Fouka 159.8 219.2 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) 775 Jadour Tahta 160 219.2 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) 750 Hazzir 158.4 219.6 A4 (Hummar Formation) 650 Baqourieyyeh 155.3 219.4 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) 390 Mahis 155 222.7 A1/2 (Na'ur Formation) 785 Um Zarrorah 159.3 227.6 A1/2 (Na'ur Formation) - Azraq Fuhais 158.81 222.05 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) 750 Shorea' 157.75 221.05 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) - Um Jurban 154 222.25 A1/2 (Na'ur Formation) 750 Al-Alali 156.4 223.32 A7 (Wadi Es-Sir Formation) - -87- Effect of Septic… Noor M. Al-Kharabsheh, Atef A. Al-Kharabsheh and Othman M. Ghnaim Figure 1: Locations of the studied springs and Al-Salt Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWWTP) in Wadi Shu'eib Catchment Area. Figure 2: a) Location of the study area in Jordan, b) Location and extent of the Middle East, after (Werz, 2006). -88- Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 9, No.1 2013 The aquifer systems in the study area are divided into of springs' catchment areas in the study area. Upper Cretaceous and Lower Cretaceous Aquifers Additionally, it shows the connection of the number of (Kurnub sandstone). Upper Cretaceous Aquifer consists the houses which use septic tanks and the level of water of Ajlun and Balqa groups. The Ajlun group (A1/7) pollution in the studied area. Furthermore, it evaluates forms the main aquifer system in the study area and the the suitability of springs' water quality for drinking water bearing formations are mainly limestone, purposes through microbiological, biochemical and dolomitic limestone and marlstone reaching a total chemical analyses that were carried out on all samples of thickness of about 460 m. There are three water bearing selected springs in the study area. formations which are: Nau'r (A1/2), Hummar (A4) and Wadi Es-Sir (A7) (Table 1). The other formations which 1. MATERIALS AND METHODS are Shu'eib (A5/6) and Fuheis (A3) formations are Examination of water quality involves the considered as aquitards and this group consists of marine determination of microorganisms, minerals and organic sediments of Cenomanian-Turonian age (McDonald et compounds contained in the water. Chemical, al., 1965). The Balqa Group overlies Ajlun Group with a biochemical and biological analyses were performed on sequence of predominantly carbonate rocks of abundant water samples to determine the water quality. These chert. This group is subdivided by McDonald into five samples were taken from 10 representative springs that formations (B1-B5) in 1965; two of these (B1 and B2) are distributed in four locations; Al-Salt city, Fuheis, formations are exposed in the highlands of the study Mahis and Wadi Shu'eib. This was on a monthly basis area. The Ruseifa (B1) formation is an aquitard due to its extended during 12 months from March to February. composition; marls and chalks which are generally The samples were kept cold until analysis. The analyses having varying low transmisivities. Amman (B2) of all the parameters were carried out in the laboratories formation consists of chert, marl and limestone yields of the Department of Water Resources and water and drains in the study area. The Lower Environmental Management in Faculty of Agricultural Cretaceous Aquifer consists of the Kurnub sandstone Technology at Al-Balqa Applied University. The and is composed of massive white sandstones and analytical methods used for the analyzed parameters in varicolored sandstones reaching a total thickness of the study are listed in Table (2). These analytical about 300 m (Bender, 1974). No significant springs techniques were performed according to the procedures emerge from this aquifer, due to considerable drilling mentioned in Standard Methods for the Examination of depths, large pumping lifts, low permeability and poor Water and Wastewater, 21th Edition 2005 (American chemical quality. The geological structures of the area Public Health Association (APHA) et al., 2005). are highly related to structural faults of the Jordan Rift This study also presents data for the number of houses Valley which increases permeability of aquifers and for Al-Salt city, Fuheis, Mahis and Wadi Shu'eib connected produces discharges as spring flow (Ta'any and Al- to sewer system and septic tanks for the year 2009, see Kharabsheh, 2002). Table (3). This data was taken from the Department of The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the General Statistics (DGS), Amman-Jordan.