Abstract:

The sugar industry in Uganda and Hast Africa is of economic importance in terms of employment
opportunities, government revenue, and sugar production for export and domestic consumption.
However, there is a problem of environmental pollution due to its wastewater disposal without
proper treatment. Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL.) is one of the major sugar industries
in Uganda milling over 1.583 tons of sugar cane per day and generating over 1000m3 of waste water
per day. Wastewater disposed by SCOUL is in septic conditions and causes serious pollution to the
nearby river water source. I lowever. there is little information regarding ecological studies to
examine water quality of river Musamya after receiving diluents from SCOUL. This study
therefore assessed the impact of wastewater diluents from SCOUL on the water quality of River
Musamya so that en\ ironmcnlal pollution mitigation measures can be put in place. Physicochemical
characteristics of wastewater from SCOUL and waler from River Musamya at the point of
discharge, upstream and downstream of the river were determined using standard methods for the
examination of water and wastewater. Impact of wastewater from SCOUL. on River Musamya was
evaluated and results showed that pollutant concentration in diluent from SCOUL were above
permissible discharge limits by NEMA. River Musamya received 2,523±728 nr/day of wastewater
with a high organic matter and nutrient load of 20.346 ± 4.449 kg COD/day. 5.692±1.666 kg
BOD/day. 121±29 kg TN/day and 40±14 kg TP/day. The pl I. I DS. EC. T-Fe. Na'. Ca2+, TN, TP.
Turbidity, Temperature. BOD. COD. DO of the upstream and downstream river after wastewater
discharge varied from 7.1 to 5.6. 88 to 1007mg/L 108 to I524us/cm. 3.2 to IO.5mg/l. 5.5 to 8.0mg/l,
8.5 to 25mg/l, 1.4 to 6.8mg/l, 0.8 to 2.7mg/l. 49 to 616NTU. 24.8 to 25.7 C. 3.8 to 184mg/L 13 to
675mg/L 6.5 to 2.83mg/l. respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). Therefore,
despite the sugar processing industry (SCOUL) being economically important, the impact of its
effluent wastewaters on the environment is significant. Hence there is urgent need for intervention
by employing technologies that reduce the quantity of wastewater diluents generated and also by
installing a wastewater treatment system that impacts less on the en\ ironmenl.