Treating and recycling drainage water in irrigation is a strategic Egyptian target to face water scarcity. For this reason, it is essential to seek a low-cost alternative wastewater treatment that is convenient for large quantities of water. Among the natural treatment systems, in-stream wetland has high potential applications in rural communities of Egypt, as the treatment process takes place within the drain. Thus, it needs much less land, is easily maintained, can adsorb shock loads and requires relatively less capital and lower operational cost. This research work was conducted to evaluate in-stream wetland in treating polluted wastewater to the limit that ensures its safety for irrigation, in compliance with Law 48/1982. The site selection criteria, hydrology and sustainable management plan of in-stream wetland have been investigated.
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Moreover, a wetland treatment performance model (PREWet 2.4) has been applied to determine the pollutant concentrations in the treated water, based on the plug flow and mixed flow hypotheses. Results of the study demonstrate that in-stream wetland can treat wastewater to the limit that ensures its safety for irrigation. The results of PREWet 2.4 model based on plug flow assumption are relatively close to the field-measured data of most pollutants at wetland outlet.
