Treatment and Distribution of Recycled Water
Achieving the Right Quality
When water is used for washing, cleaning and flushing, it picks up a wide range of substances. Wastewater from urban areas contains dirt and dissolved salts, minerals, chemicals and organic matter from human wastes, food wastes, cleaning products etc. Stormwater drainage from urban areas may also carry large amounts of dirt and dissolved substances from human activity. Runoff from farmland may contain wastes from animals, nutrients from fertilisers and chemicals from pesticides.
Before used water can be recycled for beneficial uses, it requires treatment to recover the water and separate out the solid and dissolved substances. The recovered water needs to be treated to a quality which is suitable for the intended uses. Recycled water needs to be “fit-for-purpose”.
The treatment processes required to produce recycled water commonly involve standard wastewater treatment process units followed by various advanced treatment process units to provide clarification, filtration, removal of organics, and disinfection. The production of recycled water is sometimes referred to as water reclamation.
As well as being sourced from centralised wastewater treatment plants, recycled water may also be obtained from satellite treatment systems, from on-site and decentralised systems, or from stormwater treatment and reuse systems.
The appropriate design and management of recycled water storage and distribution systems also plays a part in ensuring the safe delivery of recycled water which is fit for purpose.
References
Asano, T. et al (2007) Water reuse: issues, technologies and applications, McGraw-Hill New York, ISBN-13: 978-0-07-145927-3, Part 3: Technologies and Systems for Water Reclamation and Reuse.
- Chapter 6: Water Reuse Technologies and Treatment Systems- An Overview;
- Chapter 7: Removal of Constituents by Secondary Treatment;
- Chapter 8: Removal of Residual Particulate Matter;
- Chapter 9: Removal of Dissolved Constituents with Membranes;
- Chapter 10: Removal of Residual Trace Constituents;
- Chapter 11: Disinfection Processes for Water Reuse Application;
- Chapter 12: Satellite Treatment Systems for Water Reuse Applications;
- Chapter 13: Onsite and Decentralised Systems for Water Reuse;
- Chapter 14: Distribution and Storage of Reclaimed Water;
- Chapter 15: Dual Plumbing Systems.
Links
Wastewater Treatment
Greywater Treatment
Stormwater Treatment
Advanced Treatment
Recycled Water Disinfection
