Journal of Water Resources and Pollution Studies

Treatment of Sewage Water using Plant Species in Hybrid Constructed Wetland

Pradeep T — 2026-08-10

Many rural communities lack centralized wastewater collection and treatment facilities due to low population densities, mountainous topography or a lack of financial resources. This paper attempts to find an attractive solution for wastewater treatment in geographically remote areas with low energy consumption. In this system, three vertical flow hybrid constructed wetlands were employed for the treatment of wastewater, including domestic wastewater, agricultural wastewater, and industrial wastewater. The wetlands were planted with Canna indica, Typha latifolia and Scirpus validus for bioremediation. These plants have long rhizomes and tolerate rich nutrients. The growing medium consists of coir, gravel, and sand. The biophysical environment of this system functions synergistically in transporting air from the atmosphere to the roots and diffusing into the liquid substrate. The influent and effluent wastewaters from each wetland were sampled. The studies were conducted to assess the water quality parameters and evaluate the effectiveness of those three plant species in wastewater treatment. This analysis proved that it might be an assured eco-friendly technology for wastewater treatment in the local environment.

Compact ETP Design for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Prashant Agrawal — 2026-08-03

Traditional industrial wastewater treatment systems have problems. They need a lot of space, are expensive to run, and are hard to maintain. They also do not remove pollutants well. To solve these problems, a compact Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) is designed. It treats wastewater efficiently in a small area. This system is ideal for medium-sized industries with limited space and resources. The compact ETP combines treatment processes into one unit. This saves space and treats wastewater efficiently. The treatment process starts with screening. This includes screening and grit removal. Then the wastewater is equalized to balance the flow and pollutant load. Chemical treatment processes like coagulation and flocculation are used. They remove suspended solids and colloidal particles. The wastewater then goes to a clarifier for sedimentation. This separates sludge from treated water. The wastewater is treated further using processes. This happens in an aeration tank. Microorganisms degrade pollutants here. The secondary clarifier then removes sludge. Advanced treatment methods are also used. These include pressure sand filtration and activated carbon filtration. They improve water quality by removing particles, colour, and odour. The compact design ensures removal of contaminants. These include suspended solids, oil and grease and harmful chemicals. It also reduces water wastage. Treated water can be reused for potable purposes. These include cooling, washing or irrigation. This promotes water management. Overall, the compact ETP has advantages: It has a small footprint, it is cost-effective, it is easy to install, and it has improved treatment performance. This makes it a practical solution for industrial wastewater management.

Empathy-Driven Water Purifier for Rural Homes: Human-Centered Design, Experimental Evaluation, and Field Validation

P. V. S. N. Tejaswini — 2026-08-11

Access to safe drinking water is a major global public health issue, especially in rural areas of developing countries, with over 2.2 billion people lacking safely managed services. Despite the effectiveness of household purification technologies under lab conditions, their adoption is hindered by economic and cultural barriers, complex maintenance, and inadequate user awareness. This research emphasizes the need for integrating human-centered design in engineering to create sustainable water purification systems. It details the development of Jal Mitra, an empathy-driven ceramic bio-char water purifier, designed through ethnographic immersion and participatory workshops to meet the needs of rural households. A 12-month longitudinal study involving 692 households across five Indian villages evaluated Jal Mitra’s performance against international water quality standards. The purifier demonstrated high efficiency, achieving 98.1% turbidity removal, complete E. coli elimination, and significant reductions in coliforms, TDS, hardness, fluoride, and arsenic while meeting WHO guidelines. Its reliability in various seasonal conditions highlighted both technical and environmental sustainability. Beyond technical aspects, the study assessed long-term user acceptance and health impacts. Jal Mitra achieved a sustained adoption rate of 91%, compared with 37% for conventional systems. Monthly surveys indicated that its ergonomic design and intuitive operation increased user confidence, leading to a 91.4% drop in waterborne diseases and significant reductions in medical expenses and time spent on water management. The purifier’s economic analysis showed cost recovery in 7.3 months, proving long-term financial viability for low-income users. The findings affirm that empathy-driven design enhances both the effectiveness and acceptance of water purification technologies, establishing a transformative model for future rural water solutions and community infrastructure development worldwide.

Do Construction Delays Kill Irrigation Benefits? Quantifying the Economic Erosion of a Mega-Project Due to Synergistic Urban Encroachment

Rabin Paudel — 2026-08-06

Construction delays and rapid land-use change are twin threats to the economic viability of large-scale public infrastructure. While usually studied in isolation, their combined effect can be catastrophic, especially for irrigation systems in rapidly peri-urbanizing regions. This paper quantifies the synergistic economic impact of a 22-year construction delay and projected urban expansion on the Sikta Irrigation Project (SIP) in Nepal. Using spatially derived land-use projections and inflation-adjusted cost-benefit analysis, we estimate that by the revised completion year (2032), the effective Culturable Command Area (CCA) will have shrunk from the DPR-planned 42,766 ha to 35,662 ha, a loss of 16.6%. When adjusted for Nepal's 6.7% annual inflation, the incremental irrigation benefit per hectare rises from Rs. 38,487 (2010) to Rs. 160,216 (2032). However, the reduced CCA translates into an annual benefit loss of Rs. 1.14 billion, accumulating to a staggering Rs. 21.58 billion (approx. US$ 162 million) in forgone benefits over the delay period. A sensitivity (Tornado) analysis reveals that the project's economic returns are far more sensitive to construction delays than to variations in urban growth rates – a 20% increase in delay reduces benefits by 16.42%, versus only 6.26% for a 20% increase in urbanization. We argue that conventional Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) that treat land use as static are no longer fit for purpose. To safeguard public investment, national irrigation strategies must adopt dynamic land-use monitoring, enforce agricultural zoning, and – above all – prioritize on-schedule project delivery.

Methodology for Comparative Analysis and Yield Optimization of Different Plastic Wastes via Thermal Pyrolysis

Uttara Dalvi — 2026-05-20

The rapid increase in global plastic consumption has created significant environmental challenges. Only ~9% of the ~370 Mt of plastic waste generated annually is effectively recycled, underscoring the urgent need for alternative strategies. Thermal pyrolysis is a promising waste-to-fuel technology that converts mixed plastics into valuable hydrocarbon fuels under oxygen-limited conditions. Remarkably, thermal depolymerization processes (pyrolysis or hydrothermal liquefaction) can achieve plastic-to-oil conversions exceeding 90% under optimal conditions. For common plastics (LDPE, HDPE, and PP), liquid-oil yields ranging from 74–82% were experimentally obtained in this study under optimized thermal pyrolysis conditions, while literature reports indicate yields up to 90–95% under advanced catalytic conditions. In this study, a comparative methodology is developed to optimize yields from different plastic wastes. The effects of key parameters (temperature, catalysts, feedstock composition) on product distribution has been examined. Catalytic pyrolysis (using zeolites, CaO, red mud, etc.) is evaluated for its effect on oil quality. The study also discusses the future potential of integrating machine-learning techniques for pyrolysis process optimization. Results show that optimized pyrolysis of polyolefins produces predominantly liquid fuels with high calorific value (~46 MJ/kg) and minimal char, while capturing hazardous by-products (HCl) effectively. The findings demonstrate a viable pathway for converting waste plastics into energy, supporting sustainable waste management and a circular carbon economy.