6th International Conference on Waste Stabilisation Ponds

28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

Waste stabilization ponds in Greece: case studies and

perspectives

N. Kotsovinos*, K.P. Tsagarakis**,*** and K. Tsakiris****

* Democritus Univ. of Thrace, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 67100 Xanthi, Greece

** Univ. of Crete, Dept. of Economics, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
(E-mail: kandila@her.forthnet.gr)
*** National Agricultural Research Foundation, Institute of Iraklio, 71307, Iraklio, Greece
****Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage of Kavala, Greece

Abstract
All waste stabilization pond (WSP) systems in Greece are presented, including primary and
secondary data and qualitative parameters concerning their design and operation. Operation and
maintenance practices are evaluated and improvements are recommended. Existing full-scale
systems show that when they are properly designed and maintained, this can be a suitable and
viable option for small communities. On the other hand, systems that receive minor or no
maintenance have been proved to operate moderately, while conventional systems of the same size
would have failed. The main drawback of the application of WSP systems is the lack of
appropriate engineering and political will.

Keywords
Effluent management; wastewater management; waste stabilisation ponds.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN GREECE

At the beginning of 1998, there were 241 plants in Greece, according to a national survey. The
majority of them (209 out of 241) employed the activated sludge processes. Extended aeration
operating mode was employed by 180 of these plants (Tsagarakis, 1999). From the total 241, 147
were small (i.e. ≤10,000 p.e.), and 13 were WSP. From the small plants, one out of three had been
incomplete or had failed, while from those in operation, one out of four was operating below the
standards set (Tsagarakis et al., 2000). Today there are over 300 municipal wastewater treatment
plants (MWTP) in operation serving about 65% of the country’s permanent population. There are
more than 50 plants under construction. For 21% of the remaining population, it is estimated that
1,800 small MWTP will be needed. The remaining 14% of the population is in small villages and
remote areas and thus on site sanitation technologies should be used for them. WSP systems have
been used in many European and Mediterranean countries and have performed well in cold and
warm climates for small and large populations (Bucksteeg, 1987; Soler et al., 1995; Pearson et al.,
1996; Mara and Pearson, 1998). This paper aims at recording all existing WSP systems in Greece
with all available data and evaluate their construction, operation, maintenance and effluent
management.

WSP IN GREECE
WSP are not so popular in Greece, despite the locally favourable climatic conditions. A number of
systems have been constructed, which are discussed further. First we present data from the major
pilot system as an illustrative example of the applicability of the WSP. Then we present all small

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28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

systems that have been constructed in Greece. It should be mentioned that presented data are not
readily available and originate from on-site visits. Finally, we present an aerated pond system for
tomato processing industry. In a cost analysis that compared different wastewater treatment
systems, it was concluded that when land is cheaper than 30 US$ (this is the case for many rural
areas), WSP is the cheapest among other conventional and natural systems (Tsagarakis et al., 2003).

WSP at Sindos
The applicability of WSP is advocated by the only well designed and maintained pilot research
project, adjacent to the MWTP of Thessaloniki, at the area of Sindos. This is the only project where
research results have been published on WSP in Greece (Papadopoulos et al., 1998; Parissopoulos
et al., 2003 and Papadopoulos et al., 2003).

Raw sewage from the conventional wastewater treatment plant of Thessaloniki, after screening, was
pumped into a covered deep anaerobic pond at a rate of Q = 120 m³/d. Approximately 1/4 of the
discharge (Q = 30 m³/d) was feeding Line 1 and the rest 3/4 (Q = 90 m³/d) Line 2. Line 1 , after the
anaerobic pond consisted of a facultative pond and two maturation ponds. Line 2 layout was similar
to line A, but with a recirculation of 180 m³/d from the last maturation pond to the facultative pond.
Line 3 received primary treated effluent (Q = 50 m³/d) from the nearby treatment plant and
consisted again of a facultative pond and two maturation ponds (Figure 1). Treated effluent from the
three lines was stored into a reservoir and then used for irrigation of edible and non-edible crops,
after algae being reduced by an intermittent slow sand filter of 100 m² (Parissopoulos et al., 2003).

A: Anaerobic pond R
F: Faculatative pond
M: Maturation Pond
R: Reservoir
Influent

A M

F M
Line 1 M

F M
Line 2 M

F M
Influent
Line 3

Figure 1. WSP system at Sindos

The performance of this system is shown in Table 1. Notice that Thessaloniki is located at the
northern part of the country and temperatures are low compared to those at the southern regions.

Table 1. Qualitative characteristics of the wastewater at different treatment stages, for air temperatures
above 10°C (Parissopoulos et al., 2003).
BOD5 COD SS TC FC
Sampling location mg/L mg/L mg/L /100 ml /100 ml
Anaerobic pond influent (raw) 387 860 565 1.5x107 1.4x107
Anaerobic pond effluent 213 403 161 5x106 4x106

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28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

Line A effluent (filtered) 8 133 70 8x10² 4x10²

Line B effluent (filtered) 14 104 95 4.7x10³ 3.4x10³
Line C inflow (primary treated) 134 290 119
Line C effluent (filtered) 11 118 93 1.2x10³ 5x10²
Small individual systems
As already mentioned, WSP are not so popular in Greece. An exception to this is two Prefectures in
the North (Kavala and Serres), where 13 systems have been constructed since 1982 serving
communities in the range 600-3,000 p.e. All these systems consist of a primary facultative pond
followed by one to three maturation ponds. Most of the ponds have operation and maintenance
problems (odours, rooted plants etc.). The effluent of most of the WSP in operation are used by
local farmers for crop irrigation; this is a sensible practice in principle but needs to be done under
improved information and control (Tsagarakis et al., 2000). All these systems are presented in
Table 2. As can be seen from this table, a number of systems were initially designed but for political
reasons were not finally implemented. This is a consequence of the notion that an appropriate
wastewater system facility should involve installation of complex systems and machines.

Table 2. Existing WSP systems in Greece

City Operation p.e.1 Status Ponds2 Comments
Kokkinochoma 1 1995 1000 Operation FMMRF
Kokkinochoma 2 1998 1000 Operation FMMRF
Platanotopos 1000 Failed FMMRF Stopped the construction
Antiphilipi 1000 FMM Designed/not constructed
Kariani 1000 Failed FMM Stopped the construction
Prinos 2000 FMMM Designed/not constructed
Messoropi 800 Failed FMMRF Stopped the construction
Maries 1000 Failed FM Stopped the construction
Ano Poroia 1992 2000 Operation FMMRF
Mavrolofos 500 Operation FM
Messorachi 1991 500 Operation FMM
Pentapoli 1989 3000 Failed FMM Failed due to damage of the inlet pipe
Sitochori 1982 1000 Operation FMM The first system constructed
Vamvakofito 1988 1000 Operation FMM
Haropo 1994 2300 Operation FMM
Simi 10000 2xAFMM Designed/not constructed
1
As reported at the designs or estimations where unavailable
2
A: Anaerobic, F: Facultative, M: Maturation, RF: Rock Filter

Almost all the WSP were designed on replicates of the first pond, with per capita wastewater flow,
BOD5 and SS taken as 150 L/day, 45 g/day and 60 g/day, respectively and an average winter design
temperature of 12°C. The primary facultative ponds are 2.5 m deep and have a desludging period of
5 years based on sludge accumulation equivalent to 6% of the total pond volume. Their retention
time is 15-30 days for a design BOD 5 removal of 30%. Maturation ponds, are 1.5 m deep, designed
according to the complete mixed reactor model with a k, for BOD 5 removal of 0.135/day. Effluent
quality was designed to be less than 30 mg/L BOD 5 and less than 5,000 FC per 100 ml (Alexiou et
al., 1999; Tsagarakis, 1999).

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28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

Ano Poroia. The WSP system serving the community of Ano Poroia has been studied in a
dissertation by Katsavouni (1994). In this study, odours and increased mosquito populations were
reported, which were attributed to the zero maintenance that resulted to the growing of plants at the
pond banks. Average COD and DO concentrations were reported to be of 84 mg/L (STD=18.6) and
2.1 (STD=1.0), respectively at the effluent of the system. Same problems were reported 4 years
later (Tsagarakis, 1999).

Kokkinochoma. Two individual WSP systems have been constructed and operated since 1995, each
designed to serve 900 p.e. One of them has been studied in detail (Tsakiris, 2002). The construction
data were presented in Table 3. However, final dimensions were not what had originally been
designed. Using the methodology suggested by Mara (1998), an optimum system design is
produced, that complies with the effluent standards given by the initially designed system at full
capacity. It can bee seen that BOD5 concentration is double than the one used for the design of the
plant. Therefore higher total pond volumes should have been used.

Designed, final constructed, and the proposed dimensions of the WSP in

Table 3.
Kokkinochoma.
Units Design Construction Optimum
Population equivalent - 900 900 900
Flow rate m³/d 135 135 135
Influent BOD5 mg/L 200 200 400
Influent SS mg/L 250 250 250
6 6
Influent FC /100 ml 5x10 5x10 5x106
Temperature °C 10 10 10
Ponds - FMMM FMM FMMM
Total volume m³ 3985 5000 6085
Effluent BOD5 30 30 30 30
Effluent FC 5000 5000 5000 5000

Grab samples where taken to evaluate the performance of this WSP system. Looking into these
results should be taken into account that the effluent was from the first maturation pond as the
second and last one was empty due to excessive pumping from farmers (Table 4). Also the actual
average daily flow was 50 m³ while the designed was 135 m³. Therefore extended retention times
had resulted in better performance of the system.

Table 4. Qualitative data for the WSP of Kokkinochoma.

Influent Effluent Removal rates
Constituent Unit
Average STD Average STD (%)
BOD5 mg/L 420 80.2 21.4 27.82 95
COD mg/L 635 173.1 145.7 58.72 77
SS mg/L 239 79.3 45 60.99 91
N-NH3 mg/L 101 22.0
TN 36.0 8.80 68
TP mg/L 51 19.2 26.4 5.65 49
DO mg/L 3.98 0.6 5.1 3.14

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Cl- mg/L 101.4 19.6 92 17.93

pH 8.05 0.3 7.8 0.18
EC μs/cm 1556 157.6 1279 110
Hardness mg CaCO3/L 346 71

The organic loading from the study was estimated on the basis of 135 m³/d (Q) x 200 mg/L (BOD 5
concentration), which equals 27 Kg BOD 5/d. The real loading today is 50 x 402.9 = 20 Kg/d. This
mistake was perpetrated as a result of reliance on a BOD 5 production of 30 g/p.e.·d (for 900 p.e.).
Similarly, SS is estimated 135 m³/d(Q)x250 mg/L(SS concentration)= 33.75 Kg/d, while real today
quantity is 50m³/d(Q)x239.1mg/L(SS concentration)= 12 Kg/d. Calculating the sample results, it
can be concluded that the serving p.e. of the system is about 330 p.e., with an average wastewater
production 151 L/p.e.·d. The pond layout of the system is given in Figure 2.

Ephemeral Rock Maturation Maturation Primary falcutative

river filter pond pond pond

Figure 2. Pond layout for the WSP system of Kokkinochoma

Simi. Alexiou et al. (1999) had reported the design of the biggest full scale plant in Greece to be
constructed on the island of Symi. The design population of the plant was 3000 p.e. for the winter
and 10.000 p.e. for the summer. The design of the system resulted in equal pond volumes for the
two seasons, due to high temperatures during summer, giving an additional advantage for the
applicability of WSP in this tourist area (Hadjinikolaou, 1998). Despite that, the final selected
system was an activated sludge one, although such a choice could be proved ineffective especially
on a small island with little access to appropriate supervision (Tsagarakis et al., 2000). This
constitutes another example of a political decision which disfavors WSPs.

Pond system for tomato processing industry wastewaters

Aerated ponds have been used to treat tomato processing wastewater for a major tomato industry
factory (SEVATH) at the Northern part of Greece. This system consists of 3 ponds in series and
receives 8,000 m³/d wastewater (1520 kg BOD/d) only for 2 months of the year when there is major
tomato production. All ponds have a 5 meter depth. The volume of the first pond is 20,000 m³,
while the second and the third is 16,000 m³ each. The first one is a hybrid activated sludge system,
the second one is partially aerated, while the third one operates both as a maturation pond and a
reservoir. A minimum of 2 mg O2/L concentration is maintained in the first pond. A layout of the
plant is given in Figure 3.

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28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

Sludge Influent Schematic cut

recirculation
Floating element

Air 5m
Sludge diffuser
storage 0.5 m
lagoon
Primary
aerated pond
V=20,000 m³

Secondary aerated pond Maturation pond

V=16,000 V=16,000 Effluent
Sendimentation
area

Figure 3. Layout of the aerated pond system

The plant operated for the first time in 1985 and operates regularly for the 2 months of the year ever
since. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the influent and effluent are given in Table 5.
These measurements apply only for the first 6 years of operation, since no regular samples are taken
after 1990 (Gialamidis, 2004). As expected, efficiency for the commencing year is lower compared
with the subsequent years.

PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS

Design problems, construction and operation deficiencies effluent management as well as health
and safety aspects are discussed for the small individual systems.

Table 5. Qualitative and quantitative data of the plant

Year 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
Units In Out In Out In Out In Out In Out In Out
Qave m³/d 3749 5915 9324 9756 6130 8349
Qmin m³/d 605 1280 7675 3956 3600 6450
Qmax m³/d 5942 8434 11548 11799 8170 11165
CODave mg/L 940 98 525 38 357 36 73 47 502 41 338 36
CODmin mg/L 104 60 136 17 104 22 143 19 116 27 196 22
CODmax mg/L 1494 204 1289 64 564 56 478 90 867 90 504 62
BOD5ave mg/L 716 40 269 10 145 10 134 15 295 19 191 8
BOD5min mg/L 500 15 120 5 50 5 70 6 60 11 100 4
BOD5max mg/L 1080 75 420 19 240 14 200 31 450 36 350 13
pHave - 5.93 6.96 6.75 7.99 7.23 8.47 7.03 7.71 6.77 7.93 6.76 7.73
pHmin - 5.25 6.78 5.60 7.33 6.85 7.87 6.70 7.20 5.90 7.20 6.50 7.40
pHmax - 6.96 7.28 7.30 8.83 7.70 8.90 7.50 8.40 7.30 8.70 7.00 8.20

Design problems

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28 September - 1 October 2004 - Avignon, France

Studying the design of these plants, a number of problems were located. Population projection was
not proper as the intensive urbanization of the last two decades had not been foreseen. In most
plants (which serve rural communities), decreasing figures followed the increasing population of
the 60s, 70s and 80s. Therefore, an over design has taken place. Furthermore, inappropriate values
were considered, for pollutants. For example at Kokkinochoma an influent BOD 5 concentration of
200 mg/L was considered, while the real value was in average more than double. Combining over
design in population equivalent and under design in pollution loads resulted in an overall balance.
Also, in many cases the final layout of the plant was different from the one initially designed. Such
deviations involved different number and size of the ponds, and layout of the system. This was due
to the improper site evaluation and limited information concerning the site.

Construction deficiencies
Main construction deficiencies can be summarized in missing inlet and outlet structures. Inlet in the
facultative ponds is very close to the embankments and above surface, resulting to locally sludge
deposition and consequent odors. This should be made below the water surface. There is no
discharge overflow at the last ponds, resulting in no possibility of water level balance. For the small
systems is recommended: (a) the construction of inlet structure and pipe, discharging wastewater
below the surface of the water (Figure 4), (b) the construction of an outlet structure with the
possibility of water level control (Figure 5), and an overflow with a weir for the surface debris
(Figure 6).
Top water level

Sludge
Manually adjustable weir
Inlet well Pipe end formation
to avoid bottom corrosion

Figure 4. Proposed inlet structure and depth Figure 5. Outlet pipe and outlet structure with
water level adjustments

Top water level

Surface debris
weir

Figure 6. Overflow with a weir for surface debris.

In some cases soil permeability was not examined and systems were designed in office, without any
consideration of the site. This resulted in some of the ponds operating like absorption pits. As an
illustrative example of this problem is the system of Mavrolofos, where the first pond was never filled.

Operation deficiencies
In some systems effluent of the last pond is pumped for irrigation during the summer. When water
is over pumped and pond is emptied, this makes a lot of plants to grow at the bottom of the ponds.
These plants disturb normal flow in the pond and encourage the breeding of mosquitoes and other
insects. Also, due to low velocities in pipes (much lower than designed) within the installation,
settling solids have minimized the active cross section of these pipes.

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Effluent management
The current practice is that the farmers pump water from the last maturation pond for irrigation.
This results to the complete evacuation of the last pond. In the case of Kokkinochoma, they even
used the effluent from the first maturation pond to irrigate corn, as we noticed that the water level
was 30 cm below the outlet. In this system, it took up to the end of February to fill again all ponds.
Similar practices were reported to other WSP systems, like Messorahi and Sitochori, were the
effluent was used to irrigate tobacco plants.

Health and safety

Some of the installations are fenced but entrance is not secured, making access possible to
everyone, including children. There are no notices to warn about the contents of the ponds. Major
health risk comes from the unrestricted irrigation of corn and tobacco crops, from farmers without
any information on the risks that come from the use of partially treated wastewaters. It is estimated
that only for the Kokkinochoma system over 7,500 m³ of partially treated wastewater are used each
year for irrigation (Tsakiris, 2001). In Messorahi village farmers that use the effluent for irrigation
have reported skin bruises.

CONCLUSIONS - RECOMMENDATIONS
Research data show that WSP systems may well give suitable effluent to comply with EU and
national standards. Such systems have not been used widely in Greece, because those initially
constructed, were either improperly designed or neglected to operate without maintenance. But,
even those systems appear to provide a reasonable effluent quality that can be discharged into the
environment without any damage. As the majority of the plants still to be constructed are small,
Waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) should always be considered as a competitive alternative. When
land is of low cost, they constitute the most cost-effective technology.

The design of these systems should include real qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the
agglomeration to be served and careful site evaluation. WSP systems required low operation and
maintenance effort compared to other systems. This however should not be translated to no need for
their maintenance. An appropriate continuous monitoring of qualitative and quantitative data should
be undertaken to properly evaluate the performance of these systems.

Existing systems, serving rural communities, could operate well due to the fact that they were
initially over designed; the population decrease due to urbanization was not considered at that time.
Some design improvements should be made concerning inlet-outlet structures and overflow weirs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Mrs Marina Tsalkatidou for her comments on this paper

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