Introduction
In 2006, the University of Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico began implementation of a natural wastewater treatment, reuse, demonstration and outreach program. This program is comprised of multiple components, as follows:
- On-campus marsh treatment system
- Treats a portion of campus wastewater
- Reuses treated wastewater for on-campus landscaping
- Outreach program
- Conference series
- Workshops at the demonstration treatment system
- Outreach to surrounding communities
- Watershed management/wastewater technology education
- Wastewater quality monitoring and analysis
- International exchange possibilities
On-campus marsh treatment system
With technical support from HSU, the Chemisty faculty at UABJO spearheaded the construction of a 100,000 gal/day treatment system on campus. The pilot-scale treatment system is comprised of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket, a facultative lagoon, and two free surface wetlands, a disk filter, storage, and subsurface irrigation for on-campus landscaping.
System construction was complete in March 2008, and is expected to start up this month (April, 2008).
Outreach program
- HSU and UABJO collaborated to put wastewater treatment design and watershed management workshops on at the UABJO campus in March 2006, and Februrary 2008, and another workshop is anticipated for February, 2009.
- UABJO has been conducting watershed management/wastewater technology education and surrounding community wastewater system monitoring and analysis since 2006...
- The demonstration program will begin pending treatment system stabilization.
Background
Oaxaca City, the temperate capital of Oaxaca is located at about 5000 feet above sea level in the Sierra Madre de Sur Mountains. The rainy season in Oaxaca is normally June to August. In 2003, the estimated population was 526,000. Currently, the city does not utilize a wastewater treatment system to cleanse city municipal wastewater. However, in surrounding communities, subsurface wetlands have been implemented to varying levels of success.
The UABJO project is unusual, as it is a collaborative effort between two international universities, and residents of Oaxaca. The University of Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Oaxaca (UABJO) and Humboldt State University in Arcata, California (HSU) have a long standing relationship as sister campuses. HSU is assisting with project expertise and design; UABJO is funding, managing, operating and providing outreach on the project; and a local contractor constructed the system.
Vision
The overall project vision entails implementation of a demonstration facility, where UABJO Chemistry Department conducts outreach programs, required water quality analyses, and system operation and maintenance. Outreach programs include an ongoing series of wastewater treatment and watershed management workshops and hands-on workshops at the demonstration facility. Workshops focus on connecting federal, state and local agencies on health and sanitation with concerned students, faculty and residents within the Oaxaca Valley. Workshop topics address community specific water issues such as the context of wastewater treatment in the Oaxaca Valley, funding sources, design processes, treatment technology alternatives, water reclamation and other beneficial uses, resolving challenges to system operation and maintenance, etc. The demonstration program supports UABJO students, system visitors, and surrounding residents to tour the on-campus facility and to visit surrounding systems, discuss water quality and wastewater collection, treatment, reuse and monitoring in both cultural and technical terms. In addition, the international nature of this project may provide more opportunities for students and faculty, of both UABJO and HSU, to become more internationally engaged.
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