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Recycling of wastewater is done to treat the wastewater to a level suitable for various purposes. Water recycling is reusing treated waste water for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing and replenishing a ground water basin. The term water recycling is generally used synonymously with water reclamation and water reuse.
Necessity of wastewater recycling:
- Interminable population growth, dwindling water resources and scarcity of water in many part of the world which is often polluted and high cost of energy required for treating and distribution of water have force us to search for innovative sources of water supply.
- The unbridled exploitation of ground water for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes has caused the water table to recede by two meters each year.
- The over exploitation of limited resources has caused not only a perceptible decline in the waste water table but has also resulted in concentration of pollutants on ground, which otherwise would have flowed away.
- Use of highly treated sewage effluent discharge into the environment is receiving more attention as the reliable source of water.
Is recycled water safe?
Yes!! Recycled water is safe for human contact but it is not intended for drinking. Recycled water has been use extensively throughout the U.S.A. including for food crops, over ground water aquifers and in recreational lakes for the past 40 years with no negative health impact.
Wastewater recycling can be done in number of ways depending on:
- The characteristics of wastewater.
- Surrounding environmental conditions.
- Its usage after recycling.
- Quantity required being recycled.
- Available sources for recycling of wastewater.
- If economically viable.
Different Techniques of wastewater recycling:
1. Conventional techniques:
- Disinfection
- Oxidation
- Chemical dosing for water quality correction
- Filtration
- Softening
- Activated carbon Treatment
- Anion/Cation exchange
- Reverse osmosis.
2. Non-conventional techniques:
A) Natural wetlands.
B) Constructed wetlands.
