Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Resource Recovery Systems at Silk Caye and Laughing Bird Caye

Abstract

Quality analysis of wastewater is important because it provides information on water contamination. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Resource Recovery Systems at Silk Caye and Laughing Bird Caye. The results of this research were produced by analyzing physical and chemical parameters of the effluent discharged from the recovery systems into the seawater surrounding the cayes. The recovery system at Laughing Bird Caye proved to be more effective than the one at Silk Caye at removing phosphates and nitrate. The physical parameters were within the standards required by Belize’s Department of the Environment, while few were slightly below or above the standard. Overall, only the recovery system at Laughing bird is effective, while the system at Silk Caye is not functioning properly.