Industrial Water Reuse
Understanding wastewater streams is a crucial step in designing a successful reuse scheme. This involves knowing the water quality of a wastewater treatment plant’s influent and effluent as well as being aware of the potential variability in water quality. This variability can be due to changes in flows and/or concentrations of contaminants entering the wastewater treatment plant, or variations in the performance of the effluent treatment plant itself. Wastewater from the industrial sector often contains compounds that are difficult to remove and may require specialised treatment processes to ensure suitability for reuse.
Our specialists can provide:
- Reuse opportunity assessment: WRc can review wastewater stream characteristics and provide recommendations on suitability for recycling and reuse.
- Wastewater stream mapping services: WRc has the capability to map the wastewater streams to identify the opportunities for wastewater minimisation, water reuse and alternative treatment systems.
- Sampling and analysis: WRc can design a sampling program to gather representative data, conduct sampling and water quality analysis, and review and interpret water quality data.
- Resource Recovery: WRc can assess the opportunities for resource recovery and potential end users.
Municipal Wastewater Reuse
Reusing wastewater from municipal treatment plants requires additional advanced treatment. WRc can provide independent advice on various advanced treatment technologies, such as membrane technology, advanced oxidation processes (AOP) and ion exchange processes.
Our specialists can provide:
- Feasibility and optioneering studies
- Desk-based technology identification and evaluation
- Design, construction and operation of bench-scale and pilot-scale trials
- Delivery of concept-level design of a reuse treatment plant
- Toxicology-based risk assessment (e.g., disinfection, reuse failures)
- Water Safety Plan (WSP) development
Identification of End Users
Finding suitable end users for reused water presents several challenges, primarily due to varying water quality requirements. Different applications, such as agricultural irrigation, industrial processes, and landscape maintenance, demand specific water quality standards to ensure safety and effectiveness, which can complicate the matching process. Additionally, public perception and acceptance of reused water can be a significant barrier, as concerns about health and environmental impacts often lead to resistance, even when the water meets regulatory standards.
Our specialists can provide:
- End-user searches: WRc can identify potential end users in close proximity to the source.
- Independent treatment technology selection: WRc can identify and evaluate technologies that are fit-for-purpose and tailored to the requirement of the end user whilst water safety and quality are achieved.
- Customer and societal analysis: WRc can identify costs, benefits and risks associated with individual wastewater reuse schemes and wider impacts to customers and local communities.
