Assessment of wastewater quality for use in crop production: case studies of Egerton University and Nakuru wastewater stabilization ponds

Total removal of pathogens in wastewater for agricultural irrigation is not absolutely necessary for the production of clean produce since other risk reduction measures such as hygienic handling of produce and wastewater during irrigation reduce pathogen concentrations significantly. Most of the food contamination by pathogens do not emanate from the fields but rather during their transportation and handling as evidenced from a market survey conducted in Nakuru markets. Vegetables from the market showed high levels of contamination as compared to those grown using wastewater from the trial plot. Though the quality of effluent from the wastewater stabilization ponds showed that it was not suitable for crop production in terms of faecal coliforms and helminths eggs according to WHO guidelines on safe reuse of wastewater for agriculture, the vegetables grown showed almost similar levels of pathogens contamination as the produce in the market.