Comparative evaluation of domestic wastewater treatment methods in rural areas of Peru

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37711/repiama.2025.2.2.5

Keywords:

Saneamiento

Abstract

In rural areas of Peru, the treatment of domestic wastewater represents a persistent challenge due to limited sanitation coverage and technical and economic constraints, which contributes to the contamination of water bodies, affects public health, and hinders the sustainable development of rural communities. The purpose of the present research was to compare the efficiency of three alternative wastewater treatment methods applicable in rural contexts. A descriptive and partially explanatory approach was applied through documentary analysis of four scientific studies, three theses, and one article, published between 2015 and 2024, according to their relevance and applicability in Peruvian rural communities, evaluating bio digesters, septic tanks with baffles, and constructed wetlands. The efficiency, costs, and ease of installation of these three methods were evaluated. The results evidenced that constructed wetlands exhibited the highest efficiency in the removal of thermotolerant coliforms (99.99%) and BOD5 (83.89%), with a low cost per household (S/ 48.54) and simple installation. Bio digesters also showed high efficiency (97.48% in coliforms), although with a significantly higher cost (S/ 4384.51 per household) and moderate complexity in installation. Septic tanks with baffles had limited efficiency, an intermediate cost (S/ 417.56 per household), and greater constructive complexity. It was concluded that constructed wetlands are positioned as the most efficient, economical, and viable option for rural areas; whereas bio digesters can be implemented in communities with greater resources, and septic tanks require optimizations to reach adequate treatment standards.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Agarwal, S., Darbar, S., & Saha, S. (2022). Chapter 25-Challenges in Management of Domestic Wastewater for Sustainable Development. En A. L. Srivastav, S. Madhav, A. K.

Bhardwaj & E. Valsami-Jones. (Eds.), Current Directions in Water Scarcity Research: Urban Water Crisis and Management - Strategies for Sustainable Development (vol. 6, pp. 531-552). Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323918381000191?via%3Dihub

Cáceres Poma, D. K., Calisaya Vera, G. M., y Bedoya Justo, E. V. (2019). Efciencia de la lombriz roja californiana (Eisenia foetida) en el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas. Revista Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo-UJCM, (4), 13-23. https://revistas.ujcm.edu.pe/index.php/rctd/article/view/115

Carbajal Huincho, Á. F. (2021). Tratamiento de aguas residuales con el tanque séptico con bafles en comparación al tanque imhoff [Tesis para optar el título profesional de ingeniera civil, Universidad Peruana Los Andes]. Repositorio Institucional UPLA. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12848/2936

Carvajal, R. V. (2020). Metodología de la investigación: investigación bibliográfca/documental. Universidad Francisco Gavidia. https://ri.ufg.edu.sv/jspui/bitstream/11592/9845/1/Tecnicasde-investigacion-documental%20%281%29.pdf

ComexPerú. (2023). 3 de cada 4 personas en zonas rurales no posee el servicio de alcantarillado por red pública. https://www.comexperu.org.pe/articulo/3-de-cada-4-personas-enzonas-rurales-no-posee-el-servicio-de-alcantarillado-porred-publica

Corona Martínez, L. A., y Fonseca Hernández, M. (2023). Uso y abuso de los criterios de inclusión y exclusión en el proyecto de investigación. Medisur, 21(5), 1144-1146. https://medisur.sld.cu/index.php/medisur/article/view/5744/4247

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches(4.aed.). SAGE Publications. https://www.researchgate.net/profle/Leopold-Hamminger/post/Can_you_help_me_clarify_what_type_of_qualitative_research_design_to_use/attachment/59d64d4579197b80779a6db2/AS%3A487475249455105%401493234564396/download/Creswell+-+Research+Design.pdf

Deeptha, V. T., Sudarsan, J. S., & Baskar, G. (2015).Performance and cost evaluation of constructed wetland for domestic waste water treatment. Journal of Environmental Biology, 36(5), 1071–1074. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26521546/

Hernández Martín, Z. (2012). Métodos de análisis de datos: apuntes. Universidad de La Rioja. https://www.unirioja.es/cu/zehernan/docencia/MAD_710/Lib489791.pdf

Hernández Sampieri, R., Fernández Collado, C., y Baptista Lucio, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6.a ed.).McGraw-Hill Education. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=775008

Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática. (2024). Perú: anuario de estadísticas ambientales 2024. https://www.inei.gob.pe/media/MenuRecursivo/publicaciones_digitales/Est/Lib1994/libro.pdf

Jiménez Tamayo, F. M., Moreno López, J. A., Encalada Zumba, M. C., y Vargas Peralvo, E. A. (2024). Análisis de las tecnologías para el tratamiento de aguas residuales: una revisión bibliográfca. La Técnica: Revista de las Agrociencias, 14(2), 103-117. https://doi.org/10.33936/latecnica.v14i2.6467

Kadlec, R. H., & Wallace, S. D. (2009). Treatment wetlands (2.aed.). CRC Press. https://sswm.info/sites/default/fles/reference_attachments/KADLEC%20WALLACE%202009%20Treatment%20Wetlands%202nd%20Edition_0.pdf

Manterola, C., Astudillo, P., Arias, E., y Claros, N. (2013). Revisiones sistemáticas de la literatura. Qué se debe saber acerca de ellas. Cirugía Española, 91(3), 149-155. https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-cirugia-espa%C3%B1ola-36-articulo-revisiones-literatura-que-se-S0009739X11003307

Mara, D. (2004). Domestic wastewater treatment in developing countries. Earthscan. https://www.pseau.org/outils/ouvrages/earthscan_ltd_domestic_wastewater_treatment_in_developing_countries_2003.pdf

Pezzaniti, D., Beecham, S., & Myers, B. (2019). Economic viability of small-scale wastewater systems in remote communities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 228, 1473–1483. https://es.genesiswatertech.com/blog-post/small-scalewastewater-treatment systems/#aeratedtreatmentsystems

Prudencio, J., & Vargas, R. O. (2018). Efciencia de los biodigestores prefabricados en el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas en la localidad de Ñausilla [Tesis para optar el título profesional de ingeniero civil, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán]. Repositorio Institucional UNHEVAL. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13080/4408

Purihuamán, C. N., y Rojas, M. Y. (2018). Tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas con la especie vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) en humedales de flujo subsuperfcial. TZHOECOEN, 10(1), 13-24. https://revistas.uss.edu.pe/index.php/tzh/article/view/792/pdf

Quispe, W. (2021). Análisis de la variación de costos involucrados en los presupuestos de las obras de saneamiento antes y después de las paralizaciones de obra por efecto del

COVID-19, Huancayo - 2020, Junín [https://purl.org/perepo/renati/type#tesis, Universidad Continental]. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12394/10423

Rios Garay, J. G., Cisneros Pariona, L. Z., & Amparo Cruz, M. (2019). Efciencia de un biodigestor en el tratamiento de agua residual doméstica a nivel familiar en la Asociación “Los Víquez” Carapongo – Lurigancho Chosica – Lima (Tesis de licenciatura). Universidad Peruana Unión. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12840/1815

Superintendencia Nacional de Servicios de Saneamiento (SUNASS) & Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). (2016). Diagnóstico de las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales en el ámbito de operación de las Entidades Prestadoras de Servicios de Saneamiento.

https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/fle/1099706/Sunass__GIZ__2016_._Diagn%C3%B3stico_de_las_plantas_de_tratamiento_de_aguas_residuales_en_el_%C3%A1mbito_de_operaci%C3%B3n_de_las_Entidades_Prestadoras_de_Servicios_de_Saneamiento.pdf?v=1596171957

Tchobanoglous, G., Burton, F. L., & Stensel, H. D. (2003). Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse (4.a ed.). McGrawHill. https://ptabdata.blob.core.windows.net/files/2017/IPR2017-01468/v22_FWS1016%20-%20Metcalf.pdf

Ticona, B. J. (2024). Diseño de un humedal artifcial para el tratamiento de aguas residuales para el centro poblado de Chijichaya-Puno [Tesis para optar el título profesional de ingeniero ambiental, Universidad Privada San Carlos]. Repositorio Institucional UPSC. https://repositorio.upsc.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/UPSC/704/Brandonly_Jens_TICONA_CALLATA.pdf

Tilley, E., Ulrich, L., Lüthi, C., Reymond, P., & Zurbrügg, C. (2014). Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies (2.a ed.). Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). https://sswm.info/sites/default/fles/reference_attachments/TILLEY%20et%20al%202014%20Compendium%20of%20Sanitation%20Systems%20and%20Technologies%202nd%20Revised%20Edition.pdf

UN-Water. (2024). Progress on Wastewater Treatment-2024 Update. https://www.unwater.org/publications/progress-wastewater-treatment-2024-update

Wastewater treatment technology for developing countries. (2015, January 5). World Pumps. https://www.worldpumps.com/content/features/wastewater-treatment-technologyfor-developing-countriesWorld Health Organization. (2024). Sanitation. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation

Downloads

Published

2025-07-17