Wastewater treatment process and reuse and recycle
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Reclaimed or recycled water (also called wastewater reuse or water reclamation) is the process of converting wastewater into water that can be reused for other purposes. ... This last option is called either "direct potable reuse" or "indirect potable" reuse, depending on the approach used.
Treatment processes in wastewater reclamation are employed either singly or in combination to achieve reclaimed water quality goals. Considering the key unit processes and operations commonly used in water reclamation (see Figure 4-1), an almost endless number of treatment process flow diagrams can be developed to meet the water quality requirements of a certain reuse application.
Many factors may affect the choice of water reclamation technology. Key factors include the type of water reuse application, reclaimed water quality objectives, the wastewater characteristics of the source water, compatibility with existing conditions, process flexibility, operating and maintenance requirements, energy and chemical requirements, personnel and staffing requirements, residual disposal options, and environmental constraints (Asano et al., 2007). Decisions on treatment design are also influenced by water rights, economics, institutional issues, and public confidence. The relative importance of some of these factors is likely going to change in the future. With the current desire to limit greenhouse gas emissions and introduction of carbon taxes, energy-intense processes likely will be viewed much less favorable than today. This chapter focuses on treatment processes—characterized as preliminary, primary, secondary, and advanced and including both natural and engineered processes—that can be used to meet water quality objectives of a reuse project and their treatment effectiveness