Sustainable Water Resource Management: Issues, Challenges & Solutions

Water pollution has become a critical environmental concern due to the discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater, which demands sustainable and cost-effective treatment solutions. Phytoremediation is an emerging green technology. It offers an eco-friendly alternative by utilising plants to absorb, accumulate and degrade contaminants from polluted water. This study examines the efficiency of Ipomoea aquatica (Water Spinach) in treating wastewater through a vertical flow constructed wetland (VCW) system at various hydraulic retention times (HRT). Qualities such as rapid growth, high biomass production, and the ability to remove excess nutrients, organic pollutants, and heavy metals from contaminated water sources make it a valuable tool for treating wastewater. The study shows the incorporation of Ipomoea aquatica inside a VCW system for wastewater treatment. Water quality parameters like TDS, TSS, pH, DO., COD, BOD, Total Hardness, Chlorides, and Nutrients (Sulphate, Phosphate, Nitrate, Ammoniacal Nitrogen) were examined on retention of 3HRT, 6HRT, and 9HRT, respectively. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9 days showed best reduction in sewage wastewater of 59.7% TDS, 74.4% TSS, 98.1% BOD, 92.4% COD, 80.0% NH₄⁺–N, and complete removal of NO₃–N while in dairy effluent, removal efficiencies were 16.8% for TDS, 50.2% for TSS, 90.9% for BOD, 91.1% for COD, 60.5% for NH₄⁺, N, and 79.9% for NO₃–N. Research findings indicate that the application of Ipomoea aquatica in VCW enhances water quality and promotes environmental sustainability. This research highlights the potential of combining phytoremediation with constructed wetlands as an environmentally responsible wastewater treatment system, thus harnessing the natural remediation qualities of Ipomoea aquatica.