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Table 2.6: Types of wastewater-fed aquaculture systems

Much wastewater-reuse occurs in surface waters that have been faecally contaminated by improper sanitation in developing countries. These provide a ready source of nutrients for aquaculture and agriculture in periurban areas. Contaminated surface waters are used to culture fish in ponds in Indonesia and Vietnam with long standing traditions of aquaculture; and more recently in Bangladesh in low lying pond areas in periurban areas. Cultivation of duckweed in China and Taiwan has a long tradition to provide feed for herbivorous grass carp fingerlings (Photo 4).

Photo 4: Harvesting duckweed cultivated on contaminated surface water to feed fish in Taiwan

Common carp are raised in cages in contaminated rivers in Java; and aquatic vegetable cultivation is widespread in periurban areas of many Asian cities where they are staked in shallow polluted surface waters or cultured in ponds fertilized with the nutrient-rich water.

Aquaculture using conventional waterborne wastewater or sewage is not widespread. Experiments with conventional sewage began in Germany towards the end of the last century, leading to the development of about 90 municipal, wastewater-fed aquaculture systems by the 1950s (Prein, 1996). All have since ceased to operate except the one in Munich, which is now used only for tertiary treatment of activated sludge effluent, a bird sanctuary and a recreation area.

Fertilization of fishponds with conventional sewage in Asia developed initially in Calcutta, India in the first part of this century; in cities in China since the 1950s; and in Hanoi, Vietnam since the 1960s. In all areas it is under threat or in decline, especially in China where the practice is now banned by many local authorities because of contamination of fish with toxic substances from industrial wastewater. A system has recently been introduced into Bangladesh to treat conventional wastewater with duckweed.

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