Is Potable Water Reuse a Viable Solution to Urban Water Shortages?
Event details
| Date | 03.05.2010 |
| Hour | 16:15 |
| Speaker | Sedlak, David (UC Berkeley, USA) |
| Location |
GR B3 30
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Prior to installation of wastewater treatment plants, engineers were acutely aware of upstream sewage discharges because they were often associated with significant public health problems. As water and wastewater treatment plants became more common, public health improved and there was less concern about the potential impacts of wastewater effluent discharges on water supplies. Throughout the twentieth century, professional practice discouraged wastewater effluent discharges to drinking water supplies, but increasing population density resulted in a significant amount of unintentional potable water reuse. As pressures on water suppliers have continued to increase due to urbanization and climate change, intentional water reuse, enabled by advanced wastewater treatment systems, is being considered more frequently as a means of augmenting water supplies. Concerns about health risks associated with chemical contaminants have slowed the adoption of the technology and led to the installation of energy-intensive treatment systems. Continued growth of unintentional and intentional water reuse will depend upon economics, public health risks and public perception of the safety of the practice. The presence of a natural barrier (e.g., groundwater, wetlands, reservoir) appears to be critical to these issues. Therefore, it is important to develop a better understanding of how natural systems can be managed to optimize contaminant removal.
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- General public
- Free