ABSTRACT
Many forms of treatment are available for either water-borne wastes or carted wastes. Ponds are undoubtedly the most widely applicable and advantageous method of waste treatment in hot climates. Anaerobic ponds are essentially open septic tanks used to provide pre-treatment of large volumes of strong wastes. The facultative pond is usually the largest pond in the system, and in the absence of pre-treatment in anaerobic ponds. A survey of thirty municipal wastewater treatment pond systems in Tasmania, Australia found that ‘74% of them failed to achieve the discharge requirements, largely due to hydrodynamic problems’. Maturation ponds are wholly aerobic and are responsible for the final improvement in chemical quality and for most of the reduction in the numbers of faecal bacteria and viruses. The location of a system of ponds is largely determined by local topography and the availability of a suitable site. Oxidation ditches are similar in principle to aerated lagoons.
