Aquifer Storage and Recovery of Treated Sewage Effluent in the Middle East

Abstract

Treated sewage effluent (TSE) is becoming a critical resource in arid parts of the world. The high costs of desalinated potable water and the depletion of fresh groundwater resources necessitate increased use of TSE as an important component of water resource management throughout the Middle East. TSE can replace potable-quality water in irrigation, with the latter becoming too valuable a resource to use for irrigation purposes. In urban regions of the Middle East and North Africa, excess TSE is often available because of seasonal variations in demand and supply or that the development of reuse infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth, concomitant water use and TSE generation. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technology provides an opportunity to store large volumes of TSE for later beneficial use. Natural attenuation processes that occur during underground storage in an ASR system can also act to improve the quality of stored water and thus provide an opportunity to 'polish' already high-quality TSE. Aquifers containing brackish water or those depleted from over-pumping are present throughout much of the Middle East. These aquifers could potentially be used as storage zones for ASR systems. However, currently available hydrogeologic data are insufficient for assessment of potential system performance. Other key design issues are the selection of ASR system locations and storage zones so that TSE will not enter potable water supplies, and ensuring that the ASR systems will be readily integrated into existing or planned sewage treatment, TSE transmission and reuse infrastructure.

Reusing wastewater to cope with water scarcity: Economic, social and environmental considerations for decision-making

“…Wastewater reuse confronting local religious or cultural values might condition the project viability (Maliva and Missimer, 2012). For instance, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Council of Leading Islamic Scholars have contributed to wastewater reuse by issuing a fatwa (Islamic ruling or order) in 1978 stating support to reuse practices in consideration of sufficient and appropriate treatment ensures no public health risk (Maliva et al, 2011;Missimer et al, 2014).…”

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Economics for Wastewater Reuse in Low Population Wadi Communities, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…The Council of Leading Islamic Scholars in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa in 1978, stating that reclaimed water can be used for ablution and drinking if it is sufficiently and appropriately treated to ensure good health, but recommended avoiding use of treated wastewater for drinking purposes to avoid health problems and also in consideration of the negative public sentiment about this water. If drinking is to be avoided, it is to be merely for reasons of public health and safety, not due to any ramifications of Islamic Law [29].…”

Restoration of Wadi Aquifers by Artificial Recharge with Treated Waste Water

“…The process of using a shallow aquifer to treat and store impaired‐quality water is termed aquifer recharge and recovery (ARR). ARR differs from aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), which is a technology that serves primarily to store water in an aquifer during periods of abundance and withdraw it during times of need (Maliva and Missimer 2010; Maliva et al 2011). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of using wadis for ARR with the explicit goals of treating and restoring water supplies within the aquifers and significantly increasing the utilization of reclaimed water within a scheme of integrated water management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, thereby serving as an example for other arid regions.…”