Fate and Transport of Nutrients in Groundwater and Surface Water in an Urban Slum Catchment, Kampala, Uganda

This study investigates the generation, transport and fate of sanitation-related nutrients in groundwater and surface water in an urban slum area in sub-Saharan Africa. In excess, nutrients can cause eutrophication of downstream water bodies. The study argues that nitrogen-containing rain and domestic wastewater from slum areas are important sources of nutrients in urban catchments. Contrary to surface water, nutrients were greatly attenuated in groundwater by the pit latrine-alluvial aquifer system, implying that interventions to manage nutrients in slum areas should focus on surface water. This research is of broad interest because urbanisation in developing countries is an ongoing trend accompanied by a lack of proper sanitation systems.