| Environmental limit values for surface water based on MoE Decision 8/1 (MoE, 2001) | Effluent specifications for wastewater reuse in irrigation based on proposed Lebanese guidelines (FAO, 2011) | |||||
| FW | TW | Water Category I | Water Category II | Water Category III | ||
| Physico-chemical parameters (mg・L−1) | ||||||
| pH | 7.85 | 7.82 | 6 - 9 | 6 - 9 | 6 - 9 | 6 - 9 |
| COD | 90.50 | 210.00 | 125 | 125 | 250 | 250 |
| BOD5 | 14.00 | 45.00 | 25 | 25 | 100 | 100 |
| Total Suspended Solids | 5.32 | 52.00 | 60 | 60 | 200 | 200 |
| Nitrates | 9.30 | 3.00 | 90 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Phosphates | 0.06 | 0.50 | 5 | _ | _ | _ |
| Potassium | 4.50 | 9.60 | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| Pathogens in water | ||||||
| Total Coliform (CFU/100mL) | 2.6 × 10^2 | 6.16 × 10^4 | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| Fecal Coliform (CFU/100mL) | 3.5 × 10^3 | <2000 | <200 | <1000 | _ | |
| E. coli (CFU/100mL) | 7.5 × 10^2 | <2000 | <200 | <1000 | _ | |
| Salmonella | Absent | Present | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Trace metals (mg・L−1) | ||||||
| Zn | 789.47 | 789.47 | 5 | |||
| Cu | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.5 | |||
| Pb | 444.44 | 444.44 | 0.5 | |||
| Mn | 0.23 | 0.52 | 1 | |||
| Ni | 372.09 | 3651.16 | 0.5 | |||
| Hg | 0.0100 | 0.0003 | 0.05 | |||
| As | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.1 | |||
| Cd | 111.1100 | <0.001 | 0.2 | |||
| Cr | <0.001 | <0.001 | 2 | |||