Wastewater Reuse:

Selected Applications

EnvH 545
Steven Drangsholt, Lesley Leggett,
Jennifer Parker, Ching-Yu Peng,
Kelly Stumbaugh
 Wastewater Plant Standards
• Some states have guidelines, some have
regulations
– Washington has guidelines
• EPA Suggested Guidelines
– pH = 6-9
– BOD5 ≤ 10 mg/L
– Turb. ≤ 2 NTU
– E. coli = NONE
– Res. Cl2 ≥ 1 mg/L
 EPA Guidelines
• Urban Reuse
• Restricted-Access-Area Irrigation
• Agriculture Reuse
Disinfected, Tertiary Treated
• Recreational Impoundments
• Effluent
Landscape can be used in all of
Impoundments
• these
Construction UsesApplications
• Industrial Reuse
• Groundwater Recharge
• Indirect Potable Reuse
Secondary Effluent
 Complete Treatment
Chemical Clarification
Addition

Effluent
SE
Coagulation Flocculation Filtration
Sludge

• Expensive!!!!
• Filter can be several units
• Chemical Addition depends on SE
 Direct Filtration
Chemical
Addition

Effluent
SE
Coagulation Flocculation Filtration

• No clarification – reduces solids production

• SE should be less than 10 NTU
• Filtration step may have several units
 Contact Filtration
Optional
Chemical GAC
Addition Adsorption

SE
Coagulation Filtration Effluent

• No Floc Step, No Clarifier

• Relies on in-line coagulation
• Can produce equivalent virus kill with disinfection
 How Effective?
After secondary After secondary
After secondary with BNR plus with BNR plus
with BNR plus depth filtration microfiltration, RO
Constituent disinfection and disinfection and disinfection
TSS 5-20 1-4 ≤1
BOD 5-20 1-5 0-2
TN 2-12 2-12 ≤1
NO3 1-10 1-10 ≤1
Phosphorus 0.1-0.5 0.1-0.5 ≤ 0.5
Turbidity 2-6 ≤2 0.1 -1
Bacteria 2.2-240 ≤ 2.2 ≈0
Protozoan 5-10 ≤1 ≈0
Viruses 100-10000 ≤ .0001 ≈0
 Agricultural Reuse of Wastewater
• One of the most significant uses of
reclaimed wastewater
• Water needed for irrigation in some states
accounts for >80% of demand
• Regulations and guidelines vary widely
from state to state
• Guidelines for food crop use (21 states)
and non-food crop use (40 states)
 Benefits of Agricultural Reuse
• High concentrations of nutrients
• May eliminate need for fertilizer
• Long-term soil enrichment
• Decreases demand on potable water supply
• Additional treatment in soil
• Water not discharged to receiving waters
 Disadvantages of Agricultural Reuse
• Health risk from associated pathogens
• Health risk from other contaminants (e.g.
metals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals)
• Decrease in soil quality from accumulation
of metals and acidification
• Infiltration of groundwater
 Agricultural Reuse in Washington
• Foods consumed raw
– surface irrigation: water requires oxidation and
disinfection with mean total coliforms < 2.2/100 ml
– spray irrigation: water requires oxidation,
coagulation, filtration, disinfection and total
coliforms < 2.2/100ml
• Processed foods
– only oxidation and disinfection, regardless of
irrigation type, and a 7-day mean total coliforms <
240/100 ml
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
• What is recycled urban wastewater or reclaimed
water?
– Urban wastewater that has undergone additional
treatment following secondary treatment in order to
be reused rather than discharged into the
environment

• Can reduce strain on potable water supply

 Urban Wastewater Reuse
• What can urban reclaimed water be used for?
– Irrigation - public parks, schools, road medians, any
landscaped areas, golf courses
– Commercial - vehicle washing facilities, laundry
facilities, window washing, mixing pesticides and
herbicides
– Construction - dust control, concrete production
– Toilet and urinal flushing
– Fire protection
– Drinking water?? in Australia, not yet in the U.S.
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
A reclaimed water system consists of:
• Water reclamation facility - provides
treatment in addition to secondary
treatment
• Distribution system - includes pipelines,
storage facilities, pumping facilities
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
Reclaimed water distribution system is a dual
distribution system
• Network of pipes to deliver reclaimed water to
the public
• Run separate but parallel to potable water
pipelines
• Potential problem????
CROSS CONNECTIONS!!!
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
• Major considerations are public health and
reliability of the system
– Water must be of acceptable quality for
intended uses
– System must be maintained and operated
properly
– Reclaimed water pipes must be clearly marked
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
• Retrofitting reclaimed water system in
existing cities can be expensive
• BUT can be cost-effective if:
– Water supply is of poor quality
– Water supply does not meet demand
– Advanced wastewater treatment already
required
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
• St. Petersburg, FL
– Using reclaimed water system since 1977
– Provides for residential & commerical properties,
baseball stadium, schools
• San Diego, CA
• Ponoma, CA
– Serves CA Polytechnic Institute, paper mills
• Austin, TX
• Tucson, AZ
 Urban Wastewater Reuse
In the news…
California county turns to sewer water to increase
drinking supplies
International Herald Tribune, Nov. 27, 2007

“On Friday, the Orange County Water District will turn on what industry
experts say is the world's largest plant devoted to purifying sewer water to
increase drinking water supplies. They and others hope it serves as a
model for authorities worldwide facing persistent drought, predicted
water shortages and projected growth.”

“San Jose-area water officials announced a study of the issue in September,

water managers in southern Florida approved a plan last week calling for
abundant use of recycled wastewater in the coming years in part to help
restock drinking water supplies, and planners in Texas are giving it serious
consideration.”
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
• Why reuse wastewater at home?
– Conserve precious drinking water supply
• Droughts
• Arid climates
• Overuse or population overwhelming supply
– Save money
– Reduce environmental impact associated with
wastewater treatment & disposal
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
• Greywater:
– Wastewater from sinks, bathtubs, showers,
dish washer, laundry (anything except toilets)
– May contain pathogens, likely to contain other
microbes, detergents, FOGs, bleach, hair,
food particles, suspended solids
– Not for potable reuse unless tertiary
treatment
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
• Simple home water reuse:
– Collect warming tap water in bucket
– Hose from sink drain to outdoors planter box

• More complex home water reuse:

– Divert greywater to underground
lawn/garden irrigation system
– Commercial treatment & reuse systems
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
Commercially available greywater treatment & recycling
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
Commercially available greywater treatment & recycling
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
Custom designed system in Sydney, Australia
 Residential Wastewater Reuse
Healthy Home System in Toronto, Canada
 Groundwater Recharge
California

Source: US EPA. Guidelines for water reuse Florida

 Groundwater Recharge - Purposes

• establish saltwater intrusion barriers

• provide further treatment for future reuse
• increase potable or nonpotable aquifers
• provide storage of reclaimed water for
subsequent retrieval and reuse
• control or prevent ground subsidence
 Groundwater Recharge - Advantages
• Less cost than equivalent surface water
reservoirs
• The aquifer serves as an eventual natural
distribution system
• No evaporation, taste and odor problems
occurred in surface reservoirs
• Suitable sites for surface water reservoirs may
not be available or environmentally acceptable
Groundwater Recharge – Limitations (1)
• Extensive land areas may be needed for
spreading basins
• Costs for treatment, water quality
monitoring, and injection/infiltration
facilities operations may be expensive.
• Recharge may increase the danger of
aquifer contamination due to inadequate
pretreatment.
Groundwater Recharge – Limitations (2)

• Not all recharged water may be recoverable

• Hydrogeologic uncertainties may reduce
the effectiveness of the recharge project in
meeting water supply demand
• Inadequate institutional arrangements or
groundwater laws may not protect water
rights
Groundwater Recharge – Techniques

Source: US EPA. Guidelines for water reuse

Groundwater Recharge – Guidelines (WA)
Treatment Oxidized, coagulated, filtered, and
disinfected
BOD5 5 mg/l
TSS 5 mg/l
Turbidity 2 NTU (Avg); 5 NTU (Max)
Total Coliform 2.2/100 ml (Avg); 23/100 ml (Max)
Total Nitrogen Not specified
Source: US EPA. Guidelines for water reuse
 Conclusions
• Many current uses for recycled wastewater
• Varying levels of treatment required
• Pros:
– Conserve potable water
– Reduce effluent to environment
• Cons:
– Health & safety precautions necessary
– Careful planning needed
• Potential for much greater use in future
Questions?