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Recent Developments in Potable Water Reuse

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Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 45))

Abstract

Potable water reuse through the use of treated wastewater effluents has been practiced for more than 50 years. The majority of projects worldwide are characterized as indirect potable water reuse, where an environmental buffer (groundwater aquifer or surface water reservoir) provided retention, additional attenuation, and blending prior to use as drinking water. In order to protect public health, these projects have utilized different treatment processes and combinations to establish multiple barriers against microbial and chemical contaminants. Due to the advancements in environmental analytical chemistry and the recognition of contaminants of emerging concern occurring in reclaimed water that might exhibit adverse health effects, additional advanced treatment processes (including ozone, advanced oxidation, activated carbon) were implemented. With increasing reliability of advanced water treatment processes and operational experience over several decades, the role of the environmental buffer to provide treatment and retention time has been revisited in projects that came online during the last 10 years. Recent trends are favoring direct potable water reuse applications in particular in the USA and Southern Africa that might evolve as the new paradigm for drinking water augmentation using impaired source water. However, questions remain regarding proper protection of public health, reliability and degree of treatment, appropriateness and design of monitoring strategies, maintenance requirements, and cost.

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Abbreviations

ADD:

Acceptable daily dose

AOP:

Advanced oxidation processes

BAC:

Biologically active activated carbon

BNR:

Biological nutrient removal

CA:

California

CAS:

Conventional activated sludge

CDPH:

California Department of Public Health

CEC:

Contaminants of emerging concern

DAF:

Dissolved air flotation

DALY:

Disability-adjusted life years

DEET:

N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide

DPR:

Direct potable water reuse

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

EQS:

Environmental Quality Standard

EU:

European Union

GAC:

Granular activated carbon

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

HAA:

Haloacetic acid

IMS:

Integrated membrane system

IPR:

Indirect potable water reuse

LOD:

Limit of detection

MCL:

Maximum contaminant level

MF:

Microfiltration

NA:

Not available

NDMA:

N-Nitrosodimethylamine

NRC:

National Research Council

O3 :

Ozonation

PFOA:

Perfluorooctanoic acid

PFOS:

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid

PNEC:

Predicted no-effect concentration

RBAL:

Risk-based action level

RBF:

Riverbank filtration

RfD:

Reference dose

RO:

Reverse osmosis

SAT:

Soil-aquifer treatment

spp.:

Species pluralis

TCEP:

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate

TCPP:

Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate

TDCP:

Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate

THM:

Trihalomethane

TTC:

Thresholds of toxicological concern

UF:

Ultrafiltration

UncFactor:

Uncertainty factor

USA:

United States of America

UV:

Ultraviolet light

WTP:

Water treatment plant

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technische Universität München, Am Coulombwall 8, 85748, Garching/München, Germany

    Jörg E. Drewes (Chair) & Nils Horstmeyer (Chair)

Authors
  1. Jörg E. Drewes
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  2. Nils Horstmeyer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jörg E. Drewes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Despo Fatta-Kassinos

  2. Department of Biomedical, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Dionysios D. Dionysiou

  3. Institute of Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Klaus Kümmerer

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Drewes, J.E., Horstmeyer, N. (2015). Recent Developments in Potable Water Reuse. In: Fatta-Kassinos, D., Dionysiou, D., Kümmerer, K. (eds) Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse . The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 45. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2015_341

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