DEVELOPMENT OF SITE SUITABILITY CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION OF FILTER TECHNOLOGY IN PAKISTAN USING RS & GIS: A CASE STUDY OF FAISALABAD CITY

Abstract

Faisalabad is 3rd largest city of Pakistan with the total population around 3.3 million. The capacity of city’s single Chokera domestic treatment plant, is not sufficient to treat 129 ×106 m3/yr wastewater (WW). This research presents regional suitability assessment of FILTER, a land application system for treatment of sewage effluents and their re-use, to provide wastewater treatment and its sustainable management in Faisalabad City. Final suitability map of candidate areas was prepared by combining following layers: soil type, slope, major land cover, depth to water table, and groundwater quality. All the layers were prepared in GIS environment and reclassified into different suitability classes. Each class was assigned a numerical suitability rating based on its potential for influencing FILTER site suitability. Later, buffered zones around communication infrastructure and surface water bodies were masked out from this digital layer. In total 78% of the study area was found suitable. However, this figure was reduced to 34.3% after buffered zones were masked out. Four potential sites were selected within 1km of Faisalabad city based on presence of reasonable size land parcel in close proximity of sewerage system. Mean suitability rating, relief and distance from sewerage system was used as the evaluation criteria for assessment of the identified sites. Results show that site 2, positioned near Chokera treatment plant, is best among the selected sites. This site may of advantage to WASA authorities to apply FILTER on this site and connect the plant to it.