Health risks of irrigation with treated urban wastewater

For more than three decades, Waste Stabilization Ponds (WSP) effluent has been used by people of Lemara in Arusha Municipal for irrigation of their farms in order to get better crop yields as source of their food and income. This paper attempt to examine the produce quality from wastewater irrigated areas downstream of WSP. The produce from major market and those, which irrigated by water supplied by approved water authority, were also examined. Results have indicated that despite the wastewater used for irrigation being treated, produce from the irrigated area have shown high level of pollution threatening people’s health. Moreover, there is significant pollution of vegetables taking place in the market probably due to poor hygiene practices. Contrary to research expectation, vegetables irrigated by water supply have also indicated faecal contamination although the water itself is bacteriologically safe.