The Open Environmental Engineering Journal, 2011, 4, 147-154 147 Open Access Greywater Characteristics and Reuse in Tower Gardens in Peri-Urban Areas – Experiences of Kawaala, Kampala, Uganda a, b a N. R. Kulabako *, N.K.M. Ssonko and J. Kinobe aDepartment of Civil Engineering, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda bDepartment of Development Studies, Uganda Christian University, P.O. Box 4, Mukono, Uganda Abstract: This study was undertaken to create an understanding of greywater characteristics and to demonstrate a low cost reuse option involving application of small tower gardens for Greywater treatment and reuse in a peri-urban settlement, Kawaala in Kampala city, Uganda. To realise this, field surveys, greywater and soil sampling and analysis and, tower garden installation at selected households were undertaken. The common sources of greywater in Kawaala were found to be kitchen, bathroom and laundry with the majority of the households (72%) pouring laundry water in open -1 drains and spaces adjacent to their homes. The greywater generated in the area exhibited high BOD5 (71-873 mgL ) and COD (140-4886 mgL-1) and E.Coli (<0-13900 cfu per 100 mL) values necessitating treatment prior to disposal in the environment. The greywater had low average BOD5/COD ratio (<0.5) meaning that it is not easily treatable by biological means. Greywater application to the tower gardens, had limited impact on the soil potassium, organic matter and nitrogen content but increased the phosphorus content. The vegetables grown in the greywater towers thrived but were attacked by pests necessitating pest control. The households with the tower gardens appreciated the simplicity of the technology. To create demand for it requires sensitization and social marketing within the community. There is need to determine the hydraulic load of a tower garden to guide the number and size for a particular quantity of generated greywater for optimum performance. Also further monitoring is needed to ascertain the vegetable yield per soil volume, impact on crop growth and people’s livelihoods. Keywords: Greywater, Kampala, Peri-urban, Re-use, tower gardens, treatment. 1. INTRODUCTION poor, have increased the demand for water supply [4]. How- ever, the municipal authorities in most of these cities have Greywater is water discharging from laundry, showers, limited capacity to provide basic services (adequate safe wa- bathtubs and kitchen sinks and is about 50-80% of residen- ter, excreta, solid waste and greywater management) to these tial wastewater [1]. Fresh water is becoming a rare resource communities resulting in poor environmental sanitation [5]. in the world as a result of a variety of factors, the main ones The populations living in these settlements are therefore vul- being pollution and waste management. Studies have shown nerable to health risks given the increasing waste (solid and that in the next 50 years, more than 40% of the world’s liquid) generation. In Kampala (capital of Uganda)’s peri- population will live in countries facing water scarcity espe- urban areas for example, greywater is indiscriminately dis- cially in parts of Asia and Africa [2]. This has implications posed of in drainage channels and open spaces resulting in for human survival and the socio-economic development in creation of malaria mosquito breeding grounds and smelly these countries which calls for wise management of this re- stagnant waters which are a health hazard particularly when source. With increasing demand for freshwater, there is an children play in them and contaminate shallow groundwater urgent need for alternative water resources and optimization sources [6]. The communities in the peri-urban settlements of water use efficiency through reuse options. Experiences perceive greywater as being dirty and hence regard its reuse elsewhere in the world indicates that greywater can be a cost with disaffection [2]. However, appropriate reuse of greywa- effective alternative source of water. This is primarily related ter not only reduces agricultural use of drinking water and to its availability and low concentration of pollutants com- water costs, but also increases food security and improves pared to the combined household wastewater [3]. public health [7]. Hence there is a need to promote its reuse In most cities in developing countries, the increasing ur- in the peri-urban areas as it can be treated and used close to banization has resulted in development of densely populated its origin thereby contributing to the Millennium Develop- peri-settlements (slums). These settlements, inhabited by the ment Goals (MDGs) that have health and improving the lives of the people living in slums as a priority. It is noted that the *Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Civil Engi- main barrier for wider and faster dissemination of suitable neering, Makerere University, P.O.Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda; greywater management systems at household level in the Tel/Fax: +256-41-4543152; E-mail address: [email protected] developing countries is the lack of knowledge and experi- 1874-8295/11 2011 Bentham Open 148 The Open Environmental Engineering Journal, 2011, Vol. 4 Kulabako et al. ence [8]. Scientific knowledge is sparse regarding greywater predominantly a low-income peri-urban settlement (slum), characteristics allowing its reuse. Also, realising greywater with occasional middle-class residence among the low reuse requires operational research which is pointed out as income deplorable housing. Most of the study area is a being important in implementing fundamental public health densely populated area with 76% of the area covered with services effectively in slums [9]. informal settlements with limited social amenities such as schools, health services, drainage and waste management. Greywater needs some level of treatment prior to dis- posal to ensure minimal impacts on the environment. Grey- 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS water treatment does not aim at providing water for drinking 3.1. Field Surveys but may be used for toilet flushing, laundry, lawn irrigation, window and car washing, groundwater recharge, agriculture To ascertain the sanitation situation in the study area in- or fire extinguishing [10]. In this paper, the focus is on cluding water supply, excreta, solid waste and Greywater greywater reuse in agriculture at a household level in densely disposal and or reuse (if any), household surveys were un- populated settlements. This calls for low cost management dertaken. A total of 385 pre-tested questionnaires were ad- and treatment systems. Small-scale and on-site treatment of ministered. greywater for this purpose includes either one or a combina- 3.2. Selection and Sensitisation of Study Households tion of septic tanks, soil infiltration, drip irrigation and con- structed wetlands. Septic tanks and soil infiltrations systems, The study households for which the tower gardens were though simple methods for on-site greywater treatment are installed were selected with the guidance of the community problematic in the peri-urban areas with high water table due opinion leaders and criteria developed by the study team: to potential for groundwater contamination. Constructed willingness to have tower gardens on their land and space for wetlands on the other hand require pre-treated greywater, can the duration of the study, Greywater availability and readi- be expensive and need expertise for design, construction, ness to operate the tower gardens. Three households were operation and monitoring [7]. For greywater treatment, the selected and these were sensitised on how Greywater could technology of tower gardens was selected as it is a simple, be utilised through agriculture and the associated potential innovative system, which uses greywater for growing vege- benefits. 2 tables on a small footprint (<1 m ) and can be easily self 3.3. Setting Up of the Tower Gardens constructed with few local materials. Furthermore they are easy to operate and maintain and have been found to be ap- One tower garden was set up at each of the selected propriate in densely populated settlements for example in households. These households were trained by the research Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa [11]. team on how to set up the tower gardens as well as on the operation and maintenance aspects for effective perform- In Uganda, a previous study [12] undertaken in peri- ance. To demonstrate the effects of this irriga- urban settlements in Kitgum on tower gardens receiving tion/fertilisation method, a control tower garden was set up Greywater had a positive uptake, with communities appreci- in exactly the same way as the other tower gardens and ating the benefits of Greywater reuse and being able to in- planted with the same vegetables. The control tower garden stall these systems on their own after being taught how. was to be irrigated with tap water instead of Greywater. However, in this study and all the others [11] application of The tower garden setup was as described in [11]. A circle tower gardens is still in its infancy necessitating a lot of sci- with a diameter of about 0.8 m was marked on the ground. entific experimentation to determine their potential to make a This circle was excavated to a depth of about 0.5 m to form real difference in the peri-urban areas. Here, information the bottom of the tower garden. Wooden poles (2 m high) regarding the greywater characteristics, hydraulic load of a were planted firmly into the surrounding bottom and a wire tower garden, grey water treatment potential and impacts on mesh was tied around the poles to create a cylindrical sleeve. the vegetables and low cost pest control measures is still After that, a bucket, with its bottom removed was placed in scarce. In this study therefore, an investigation into the reuse the middle of the poles. Stones were carefully packed in the of Greywater for growing vegetables in tower gardens was centre of the modified bucket and the remaining space be- undertaken in a selected peri-urban settlement in Kampala tween the stones and bucket were filled with a soil mixture.