Transforming wastewater treatment plants into reclaimed water facilities in water-unbalanced regions. An overview of possibilities and recommendations focusing on the Italian case

Foglia, Alessia; González-Camejo, J.; Radini, Serena; Sgroi, Massimiliano; Li, K.; Eusebi, Anna Laura; Fatone, Francesco

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137264

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 99 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Of this combined total, for sites within the Edwards Aquifer Zones, effluent discharge from TPDES sites is permitted for up to 8.86 MGD, and for sites just outside the Edwards Aquifer Zones, up to 18.8 MGD (Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, 2023). Many wastewater treatment plants can be converted to systems that allow for the creation of reuse water (Nelson, 2018;Foglia et al, 2023).…”

Section: Wastewater Administrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Reuse in the Hill Country: Lessons from Existing Reuse Facilities in Texas and Opportunities to Advance Reuse in Comal County

Hanes

2024

Tex. Wat. Jour.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance outlines the opportunities present in the Texas Hill Country to use recycled water to alleviate the burdens placed on the Edwards and Trinity aquifers by focusing on the present state of recycled water use in Comal County, Texas. The impacts of population growth, prolonged drought, and wastewater disposal on water sources in Comal County are analyzed along with current sources of water reuse to show where recycled water can be utilized effectively. Reclaimed water systems in seven municipalities across Texas are analyzed as case studies to provide examples for further implementation. Water reuse is integral to protecting water supplies and ensuring counties in the Hill Country can adequately protect the health, safety, and quality of life of current and future residents. Water reuse is a vastly underutilized tool in the effort to manage water supplies in the Hill Country, and there are a variety of authorization, financing, and implementation opportunities present in the region to take better advantage of this resource.

show abstract

Section: Wastewater Administrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Reuse in the Hill Country: Lessons from Existing Reuse Facilities in Texas and Opportunities to Advance Reuse in Comal County

Hanes

2024

Tex. Wat. Jour.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The quality of reclaimed water plays a crucial role in water reuse, as it determines its suitability for specific purposes while ensuring safety and acceptability [ 72 ]. As emphasized by Foglia et al [ 73 ], transforming conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into reclaimed water facilities is necessary to promote safe water reuse practices and meet future water demands in water-scarce areas. To ensure human and environmental safety, it is essential to achieve superior water quality by removing toxic and persistent components.…”

Section: Membrane Filtration For High-quality Water Reusementioning

confidence: 99%

Membranes in Water Reclamation: Treatment, Reuse and Concentrate Management

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this article, an extensive examination is provided on the possible uses of membranes and hybrid processes in wastewater treatment. While membrane technologies face certain constraints, such as membrane fouling and scaling, the incomplete elimination of emerging contaminants, elevated expenses, energy usage, and brine disposal, there are approaches that can address these challenges. Methods such as pretreating the feed water, utilizing hybrid membrane systems and hybrid dual-membrane systems, and employing other innovative membrane-based treatment techniques can enhance the efficacy of membrane processes and advance sustainability.

show abstract

“…Water scarcity is a growing concern worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In such areas, the reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes represents a sustainable solution to mitigate water scarcity problems [1]. However, the reuse of reclaimed water requires compliance with stringent quality standards to ensure public health and environmental safety, highlighting the importance of advanced wastewater treatment processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Directive 91/271/EEC has played a fundamental role in improving the water quality and the environment in the European Union for more than 30 years, leading to significant reductions in organic pollution, nutrients, and pathogens. Despite these achievements, challenges persist, notably the presence of chemicals resistant to conventional urban wastewater treatment, which has led to the need for additional treatment [1,7]. In response to this ongoing issue, Directive 91/271/EEC was updated in 2024 (now known as the UWWTD) to align with European environmental initiatives, such as the European Green Deal, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the Circular Economy Plan [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Lagoons Serve as a Quaternary Treatment for Micropollutants in Wastewater Treatment Plants? Recent Implications for Compliance with the New Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

Díaz-Gamboa,

Martínez-López,

Ayuso-García

et al. 2024

Environments

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study explores the potential of storage lagoons as a quaternary treatment step in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), focusing on compliance with the recent European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), which mandates an 80% reduction in specific micropollutants. While conventional treatments effectively remove residual nutrients and solids, the potential of storage lagoons as an additional treatment is not fully defined. This research aims to address this gap by assessing the efficacy of storage lagoons in refining the effluent quality at the Cabezo Beaza WWTP, considering recent UWWTD requirements. We conduct a comprehensive assessment of the water quality parameters and micropollutants, before and after the storage lagoon stage, at the Cabezo Beaza WWTP. The results indicate that this strategy of prolonged storage in lagoons manages to meet the reduction objectives established by the Directive, reaching elimination percentages greater than 80% for the majority of the analyzed micropollutants. Our findings suggest that lagoons significantly improve water quality and reduce contaminants beyond conventional treatments, offering environmental and economic benefits. This paper discusses the mechanisms behind these improvements, such as natural sedimentation, microbial activity, and potential phytoremediation. This study contributes to the research on advanced wastewater treatment and supports the integration of storage lagoons as a viable quaternary treatment solution that meets the UWWTD standards.

show abstract

Transforming wastewater treatment plants into reclaimed water facilities in water-unbalanced regions. An overview of possibilities and recommendations focusing on the Italian case

Cited by 24 publications

References 99 publications

Water Reuse in the Hill Country: Lessons from Existing Reuse Facilities in Texas and Opportunities to Advance Reuse in Comal County

Water Reuse in the Hill Country: Lessons from Existing Reuse Facilities in Texas and Opportunities to Advance Reuse in Comal County

Membranes in Water Reclamation: Treatment, Reuse and Concentrate Management

Can Lagoons Serve as a Quaternary Treatment for Micropollutants in Wastewater Treatment Plants? Recent Implications for Compliance with the New Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About