Integrated Water Management
Integrated Water Management
Integrated Water Management
LOGO
INTRODUCTION
All water is recycled through the global hydrologic cycle. However, planned local water
reuse is becoming increasingly important for two reasons .
One is that the discharge of sewage effluent into surface water is becoming
increasingly difficult and expensive as treatment requirements become more and more
stringent to protect the quality of the receiving water for aquatic life, recreation, and
downstream users. The cost of the stringent treatment may be so high that it becomes
financially attractive for municipalities to treat their water for local reuse rather than for
discharge.
The second reason is that municipal wastewater often is a significant water resource
that can be used for a number of purposes, especially in water short areas. The most
logical reuse is for no potable purposes like agricultural and urban irrigation, industrial
uses (cooling, processing), environmental enhancement (wetlands, wildlife refuges,
riparian habitats, and urban lakes), fire fighting, dust control, and toilet flushing. This
requires treatment of the effluent so that it meets the quality requirements for the
intended use. Adequate infrastructures like storage reservoirs, canals, pipelines, and
dual distribution systems are also necessary so that waters of different qualities can
be transported to different destinations. Aesthetics and public acceptance are
important aspects of water reuse,
Virtual Water