RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
The input effluent pH was between 7.4 and 7.66. It
was characteristic of the municipal wastewater (El
Halouani et al., 1993). pH of the output effluent treated
by S, SP and P were in the range of 7.66-8.07, 7.75-7.89
and 7.62-8.13 respectively (Table 2). They were
moderately alkaline, but remained within the
recommended range for irrigation water (6.5 to 8.4)
according to the FAO guidelines (Pescod, 1992).
The performance of columns was evaluated by
estimation of the total flora concentration and in terms
of E. coli removal. The input effluent average
concentration of total flora was about 2.38×109 CFU/
100 mL. The reduction of this flora was interesting
because from the first week, flora abatement was above
99% for all treatments (S, SP and P). A slight
predominance was noticed for the S and SP.