Tunisia Experiments with Innovative Biological Wastewater Solution in Bizerte

Tunisia is pioneering an innovative biological approach to treating wastewater, focusing on natural solutions to improve water quality and protect sensitive ecosystems.

A pilot project is underway in Ghar El Melh, Bizerte, utilizing a 600-meter site near a protected wetland. The initiative, led by Dr. Meriem Ben Saïd from the Centre of Research and Technologies of Water (CERTE), involves planting reeds along canal banks and enhancing beneficial local microorganisms. This dual strategy aims to significantly reduce pollution and enhance the quality of the water flowing towards the Ghar El Melh lagoon, an area designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

The project site is strategically located downstream from the El Aousja treatment plant and upstream from the lagoon, making it an ecologically sensitive zone. Over the next 12 months, scientific monitoring, including physico-chemical and microbiological analyses, will assess the effectiveness of this natural treatment method under real-world conditions. The goal is to measure its capacity to reduce organic load, nutrients, and pathogens.

Coordinated by CERTE in collaboration with national and international research institutions and local stakeholders, including farmers and the National Sanitation Office (ONAS), the project emphasizes its low cost and reproducibility. CERTE highlights this initiative as an example of modern scientific approaches using ecological solutions to ensure the sustainability of water resources. A scientific and technical guide will also be developed to support the scaled-up management and treatment of wastewater canals.