Understanding Water Reuse

In communities all around the world, water supplies are coming under increasing pressure as population growth, climate change, pollution, and changes in land use affect water quantity and quality. To address existing and anticipated water shortages, many communities are working to increase water conservation and are seeking alternative sources of water. Water reuse- the sue of treated wastewater, or "reclaimed" water, for beneficial purposes such as drinking, irrigation, or industrial uses- is one option that has helped some communities significantly expand their water supplies. Understanding Water Reuse summarizes the main findings of the National Research Council report Water Reuse: Expanding the Nation's Water Supply Through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater. The report provides an overview of the options and outlook for water reuse in the United States, discusses water treatment technologies and potential uses of reclaimed water, and presents a new analysis that compares the risks of drinking reclaimed water to those of drinking water from traditional sources.

In communities all around the world, water supplies are coming under increasing pressure as population growth, climate change, pollution, and changes in land use affect water quantity and quality. To address existing and anticipated water shortages, many communities are working to increase water conservation and are seeking alternative sources of water. Water reuse- the sue of treated wastewater, or "reclaimed" water, for beneficial purposes such as drinking, irrigation, or industrial uses- is one option that has helped some communities significantly expand their water supplies. Understanding Water Reuse summarizes the main findings of the National Research Council report Water Reuse: Expanding the Nation's Water Supply Through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater. The report provides an overview of the options and outlook for water reuse in the United States, discusses water treatment technologies and potential uses of reclaimed water, and presents a new analysis that compares the risks of drinking reclaimed water to those of drinking water from traditional sources.

Expanding water reuse-the use of treated wastewater for beneficial purposes including irrigation, industrial uses, and drinking water augmentation-could significantly increase the nation's total available water resources. Water Reuse presents a portfolio of treatment options available to mitigate water quality issues in reclaimed water along with new analysis suggesting that the risk of exposure to certain microbial and chemical contaminants from drinking reclaimed water does not appear to be any higher than the risk experienced in at least some current drinking water treatment systems, and may be orders of magnitude lower. This report recommends adjustments to the federal regulatory framework that could enhance public health protection for both planned and unplanned (or de facto) reuse and increase public confidence in water reuse.

"Nonpotable and potable (principally indirect potable) water reuse initiatives in the United States have faced increasing public opposition. To understand why the public holds the perceptions they do and what public participation options exist to address water reuse more constructively, a multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken ... Through a comprehensive literature review, three in-depth case studies, and a two-day interactive symposium this framework was developed for water professionals."--Abstract.

"Nonpotable and potable (principally indirect potable) water reuse initiatives in the United States have faced increasing public opposition. To understand why the public holds the perceptions they do and what public participation options exist to address water reuse more constructively, a multidisciplinary analysis was undertaken ... Through a comprehensive literature review, three in-depth case studies, and a two-day interactive symposium this framework was developed for water professionals."--Abstract.

Milestones in Water Reuse: The Best Success Stories illustrates the benefits of water reuse in integrated water resources management and its role for water cycle management, climate change adaptation and water in the cities of the future. Selected case studies are used to illustrate the different types of water reuse, i.e. agricultural irrigation, golf course and landscape irrigation, urban and industrial uses, environmental enhancement, as well as indirect and direct potable reuse. The various aspects related to water reuse are covered, including treatment technologies, water quality, economics, public acceptance, benefits, keys for success and main constraints. These international case studies highlight the best practices for the implementation of water reuse and provide the perspective for the integration of water recycling projects in the future, both for megacities and rural areas. Milestones in Water Reuse: The Best Success Stories demonstrates that planned water reuse is a cost competitive and energy-saving option to increase water availability and reliability. This book provides policy makers and regulators with a good understanding of water reuse and helps them to consider recycled water as safe and how it can be used. It is intended to be read by all people in the water sector and shows how water reuse is safe, economically viable, environmentally friendly and can provide high social benefits. Editors: Valentina Lazarova, Suez Environnement, France Takashi Asano, University of California at Davis, USA Akica Bahri, African Development Bank, Tunisia John Anderson, Afton Water, Australia

Water - a basic element of life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development - holds the key to global sustainability. The global water demand has been increased 3-fold in the past five decades and only 0.4% of the total world’s fresh water resources is available and accessible for use. The United Nations projected that half of all countries will face water scarcity by 2025 and more than one-third of the world’s population could be affected by water stress by 2050. The water problem is rapidly intensifying in the Asian region, and around 700 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. Similarly, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, by 2050, more than one billion people in Asia alone are projected to experience negative impacts on water resources as a result of climate change. Climate change is also putting extra pressure on and adversely affecting the global water cycle, leading to irregular precipitation, more floods and droughts and creating an imbalance between water supply and demand. The availability of safe water is a major global concern due to the rapidly increasing population, urbanization, unsustainable consumption patterns, and rapid shifts in land use. It is believed that reduced access to freshwater will have cascading consequences that will pose threat to global food security, livelihood security, and cause large scale migration and economic and geopolitical tensions. As such, strategies for water conservation, wastewater reuse and recycling should be adopted in order to lessen the gap between supply and demand for water for different activities. This book provides readers with a better understanding of the water security challenges, and presents innovations to address these challenges, strengthen the science-policy interface, and develop institutional and human capacities for water security and sustainability.

As water demand has increased globally and resources have become more limited because of physical scarcity, over-exploitation and pollution, it has been necessary to develop more options for water supplies. These options include the production at large scale of high-quality reused water from municipal sources for potable uses. Their economic, social and environmental benefits have been many as they have addressed supply scarcity, efficient resource use and environmental and public health considerations. This book includes discussions on potable water reuse history; emerging contaminants and public health; public-private partnerships in the water reuse sector; regulatory frameworks for reused water in the United States and Europe; experiences in Australia, China in general and Beijing in particular, Singapore and Windhoek; narratives and public acceptance and perceptions of alternative water sources. The main constraints on implementation of water reuse projects in different parts of the world seem to have been lack of full public support due to perceived health hazards and environmental impacts. A main handicap has been that governments and water utilities have been slow to understand public concerns and perceptions. After several backlashes, public information, communication and awareness campaigns, broader participation and educational programmes have become integral parts of development policy and decision-making frameworks.