Water reclamation and intersectoral water transfer between agriculture and cities – a FAO economic wastewater study

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1067-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Heinz ◽  
Miquel Salgot ◽  
Sasha Koo-Oshima

Cost–benefit studies on replacing conventional agricultural water resources with reclaimed water in favour of cities are still rare. Some results of a study under auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are presented. By means of an illustrative example at Lobregat River basin in Spain, it could be proved that reclaimed water reuse and intersectoral water transfer can result in economic and environmental benefits at the watershed level. The agricultural community faces cost savings in water pumping and fertilising, increases in yields and incomes; the municipality benefits from additional water resources released by farmers. Farmers should be encouraged to participate by implementing adequate economic incentives. Charging farmers with the full cost of water reclamation may discourage farmers from joining water exchange projects. Particularly in regions with water scarcity, investments in reclaimed water reuse and water exchange arrangements usually pay back and are profitable in the long term.

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 23-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Asano

Water reclamation and reuse provides a unique and viable opportunity to augment traditional water supplies. As a multi-disciplined and important element of water resources development and management, water reuse can help to close the loop between water supply and wastewater disposal. Effective water reuse requires integration of water and reclaimed water supply functions. The successful development of this dependable water resource depends upon close examination and synthesis of elements from infrastructure and facilities planning, wastewater treatment plant siting, treatment process reliability, economic and financial analyses, and water utility management. In this paper, fundamental concepts of water reuse are discussed including definitions, historical developments, the role of water recycling in the hydrologic cycle, categories of water reuse, water quality criteria and regulatory requirements, and technological innovations for the safe use of reclaimed water. The paper emphasizes the integration of this alternative water supply into water resources planning, and the emergence of modern water reclamation and reuse practices from wastewater to reclaimed water to repurified water.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 59-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Mills ◽  
Takashi Asano

Stimulated by droughts and inability to construct new freshwater projects, water suppliers in California, U.S.A. have taken a heightened interest in water reclamation in the last decade. Since 1980 the California State Water Resources Control Board has approved financial assistance to local water supply agencies to design and construct water reclamation facilities. Nineteen of these are now operating. There is an opportunity to assess how well projects are performing in relation to their planned objectives, in particular, deliveries of reclaimed water to users. Based on reports on many of these projects, it is found that two-thirds of the projects are delivering 75 percent or less of the expected amounts of water. Data are provided on project performance. A discussion is provided of the problems encountered on many of the projects that account for these deficiencies in yields and have caused other problems in implementation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 451-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Crook ◽  
Rao Y. Surampalli

Increasing demands on water resources for domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural purposes have made water reclamation and reuse an attractive option for conserving and extending available water supplies. Also, many water reuse projects are implemented to eliminate a source of contamination in surface waters or as a least-cost alternative to meeting stringent discharge requirements. Reclaimed water applications range from pasture irrigation to augmentation of potable water supplies. Water reclamation and reuse criteria are principally directed at health protection. There are no federal regulations governing water reuse in the U.S.; hence, the regulatory burden rests with the individual states. This has resulted in differing standards among states that have developed criteria. This paper summarizes and compares the criteria from some states that have developed comprehensive regulations. Guidelines published by the US. EPA and the rationale behind them are presented for numerous types of reclaimed water applications.


2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1556-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parinda Thayanukul ◽  
Futoshi Kurisu ◽  
Ikuro Kasuga ◽  
Hiroaki Furumai

Microbial regrowth causes problems during water reuse. Comprehensive understanding of the microorganisms that can regrow in reclaimed water and their substrate requirements are necessary. In this study, potential regrowth organisms were isolated from seven water reclamation plants in Japan. Based on 16S rDNA analysis, the isolates were grouped into 34 operational taxonomic units, belonging to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Substrate utilization profiling using Biolog microplate™ classified the isolates into four groups. Bacteria in Cluster 1 (e.g., Methylobacterium sp. and Acinetobacter sp.) mainly utilized polymers, esters, amides, and alcohol. Isolates in Cluster 2 (e.g., Flavobacterium sp. and Microbacterium sp.) preferred to utilize polymers, carbohydrates, and esters. Isolates in Cluster 3 (e.g., Pseudomonas sp. and Acidovorax sp.) mainly utilized esters, carboxylic acids, and amino acids. Isolates in Cluster 4 (e.g., Enterobacter sp. and Rhodococcus sp.) utilized carbohydrates, esters, and amino acids. All isolates grew in reclaimed water treated by sand filtration, whereas some isolates could not grow in reclaimed water treated by coagulation and ozonation. Most bacteria in the same Biolog clusters exhibited similar growth characteristics in water samples. The potential of bacteria to regrow in reclaimed water likely depended on substrate requirement.


2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Hermanowicz ◽  
E. Sanchez Diaz ◽  
J. Coe

This paper presents a successful water reclamation and reuse project in the San Francisco Bay area. The project, which includes a water reclamation facility and a separate distribution system, is operated by a wastewater utility and reclaims approximately 4% of its dry-weather flow. Project history, its design and implementation are further discussed. Planning, and especially demand analysis, was critical for project development. Earlier attempts of water reuse were not successful because reclaimed water quality did not match the requirements of potential large industrial customers. Current customers are a mix of public, commercial and residential users who apply the reclaimed water solely for landscape irrigation. In addition, a large fraction of the reclaimed water is used internally in the main wastewater treatment plant. Early connection of largest customers, innovative collaboration with a neighboring reclamation project and cooperation of the local water supplier were very important for project success. Distribution of internal process water consumes most energy. The second major energy use is for the treatment of reclaimed water while distribution of reclaimed water to external customers requires least energy.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (11) ◽  
pp. 108-128
Author(s):  
Holly A. Elmendorf ◽  
Frank J. Stephens ◽  
Shobha B. Rao ◽  
James Salter ◽  
Joseph Jacangelo ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Velasquez ◽  
E. K. Yanful

Global fresh water resources are under increasing pressure from rapidly growing demands and changing climatic conditions. Wastewater reclamation is becoming an important alternative for sustainable water resources management and building climate change resiliency in many regions around the world. Public acceptance and trust of consumers in the quality of reclaimed water is considered by many to be the most important factor determining the outcomes of water reclamation projects. Knowledge of the urban water cycle and water reuse perceptions of student, faculty and staff at Western University were investigated. Results showed that members of the university community are more likely to accept reclaimed wastewater for applications that do not involve drinking or close personal contact. Knowledge of the urban water cycle and water resources in Canada is modest among the university community with a moderate (G = 0.303, p < 0.05) positive relationship between ‘water knowledge’ and ‘close contact acceptability’. The majority of the university community (75.8%) thinks that reclaiming water to provide an alternate source of water in southwestern Ontario is a good idea, but there are still concerns about the presence of chemicals such as pharmaceuticals from reclaimed water and the long-term effects on human health from exposure to these contaminants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Navarro

Abstract This article offers an evaluation of the reuse of reclaimed water and desalination in Spain and aims to provide an overview of the state of the art and Spanish legal framework as far as non-conventional resources are concerned. The fight against the scarcity of water resources in this country, especially in the southeast, has made the production of new alternative water resources a clear priority and has turned the nation into a leader in water reuse and seawater desalination. The assessment presented can be used to help build a more general framework, like the European one, and shed light on other comparative legal experiences.


2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Mujeriego ◽  
J. Compte ◽  
T. Cazurra ◽  
M. Gullón

Water reclamation and reuse have become essential components of water resources management in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, by helping to develop additional water resources in the lower Llobregat River, one of its main sources of water supply. By generating a reliable flow of 300,000 m3/day of high quality reclaimed water, the options available for integrated water resources management have widely expanded to allow in-stream river water substitution, restoration of natural wetland areas, agricultural irrigation, and supply to a seawater intrusion barrier. Those management options have been possible thanks to the implementation of an extensive water distribution system that allows distribution of reclaimed water to a point 15 km upstream of the reclamation facility, and to a seawater intrusion barrier within a few kilometres of the plant. The cost of producing reclaimed water using a physico-chemical process (0.05 €/m3) and the investment required for such a facility (0.21 €/m3 annual capacity) are very close to those of similar large scale projects in Spain. However, higher degrees of treatment, such as demineralization for agricultural irrigation and for injection into a seawater intrusion barrier, result in considerable increases of both water reclamation cost and investment costs.


Author(s):  
Omid Bozorg-Haddad ◽  
Mohammadali Geranmehr ◽  
Zaher Mundher Yaseen ◽  
Vijay P. Singh

Abstract Growing population and increasing water demand, along with limited water resources, pose several challenges to water resources management and planning. Although demand management is one of the critical elements used to reduce water stress, new water resources technologies – such as cloud seeding, fossil water extraction, desalination, extraction of atmospheric water, inter-basin water transfer, and water reuse – can all be effective options to alleviate water scarcity. This chapter discusses and compares each of these technologies with illustrative examples.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document