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Integrated Wastewater Management Reporting at Tourist Areas for Recycling Purposes, Including the Case Study of Hersonissos, Greece

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Abstract

Wastewater treatment facilities in tourist areas, in comparison to other municipal facilities, require specific configurations and additional management actions in order to achieve a reliable and cost-effective treatment. For example, the same facility operates during winter with minimum flows and in summer with peak flows. Moreover, careful effluent management is required to minimize environmental impact and health effects on tourists. In this study, effluent management data, including quantitative and qualitative effluent characteristics, reuse, and economic aspects of the Hersonissos Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) in Greece, are discussed. It has been designed to treat both municipal wastewater from the Hersonissos Municipality and septage from the wider area. Analysis of effluent quantitative data showed two flow peaks in the summer period and only one in winter. The WTP was found to provide a reliable level of treatment in terms of biochemical oxygen demand (95.9%), total suspended solids (97.2%), and total nitrogen (87.7%) removal, but increased numbers of fecal coliforms were measured at some peak flow periods, suggesting the need for additional management strategies. Effluent is reused mainly for agricultural irrigation; secondary uses include fire protection and landscape irrigation. Economic analysis showed that for each cubic meter treated, the total annual economic cost for treatment, filtration, and reuse infrastructure was 1.07 €, 0.05 €, and 0.08 €, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Mr. D. Papamastorakis, from the Region of Crete, and Mr. M. Koumakis, from the Municipal Enterprise of Water Supply and Sewerage of Iraklio, for providing unpublished data. Finally, thanks are due to the anonymous referees for their valuable comments and recommendations concerning the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage of Hersonissos, 70014, Hersonissos, Greece

    K. E. Borboudaki

  2. United Association for Solid Waste Management of Crete, Iraklio, 71306, Greece

    K. E. Borboudaki

  3. National Foundation for Agricultural Research, Institute of Iraklio, 71307, Iraklio, Greece

    N. V. Paranychianakis

  4. Department of Economics, University of Crete, 74100, Rethymno, Greece

    K.P. Tsagarakis

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  1. K. E. Borboudaki
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  2. N. V. Paranychianakis
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  3. K.P. Tsagarakis
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Correspondence to K.P. Tsagarakis.

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Borboudaki, K.E., Paranychianakis, N.V. & Tsagarakis, K. Integrated Wastewater Management Reporting at Tourist Areas for Recycling Purposes, Including the Case Study of Hersonissos, Greece. Environmental Management 36, 610–623 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0115-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0115-9

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