Treatment of Laundry Graywater Using Different Filter Media for Potential Irrigation Reuse

Freshwater resources are depleting at an alarming rate. Treatment of laundry graywater using different effective media filters creates an opportunity to mitigate water scarcity. The graywater treatment is essentially required to reduce the organic load, nutrients, and potent pathogenic microorganisms. This study involved quantifying and characterizing laundry graywater from a washing machine produced by the selected household in Brgy. Baligang, Camalig, Albay. Three different filters were designed and fabricated containing separate or combined compositions of coco peat, coconut shell activated carbon filter (CSACF), gravel, and medium and coarse sand. The running time of 6 a.m., 9 a.m., and 12 p.m. were considered as replicates 1, 2, and 3 with three runs of filtrations considered as trial runs. The findings indicatehighest removal efficiencies of 60.15%, 36.49%, and 57.86% for BOD, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen, respectively for filter 1 composed of medium and coarse sand and coco peat. Filter 3 with medium sand, coco peat, and CSACF got the highest removal efficiency for total suspended solids of about 83.33%. Hence, the treatment of laundry graywater can be studied for potential reuse that contributes to the long-term sustainability of water security.