Water reuse in perspective: progress made and current challenges Rafael Mujeriego Prof. Emeritus Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya President of ASERSA
Congratulations t0… • Program Committee, IWA and Water Reuse Specialist Group (WRSG) members and CEBAS-CSIC for the excellent program • Covering ‒ Emblematic cases of water reuse for agricultural irrigation ‒ Its socio-economic and environmental aspects ‒ The benefits and potential negative impacts associated ‒ Implementation of new technologies for high quality water ‒ Monitoring of reclaimed water quality parameters ‒ Future challenges of water reuse in food production • One devoted to public perception, risks and regulations, and closing the gap for public acceptance
Water reuse progress in IWA • Specialists groups was an 1980’s strategy for IAWPRC • 1986, first initiative for SGWR: Dr. Asano at Rio de Janeiro • 1987, approval by IAWPRC management committee • 1988, first SGWR formal meeting at Brighton • By September 1991, the first international Symposium, in Costa Brava, Girona, Spain • Followed by a series of Symposia and Conferences • 2017, the 11th Conference in Long Beach, California • 2019, the next venue in Berlin, 16 – 20 June • In addition, specialized Regional Conferences
This regional conference • Another success story of that long series of events • Focused on water reuse in agriculture • With special emphasis on salinity management • Of particular interest in Mediterranean climate areas • Where rainfall may not be able to balance or counteract salt buildup in the root zone by natural evapotranspiration
Overall perspective… • WRSG promoting water reuse from more than 3 decades • Technical and economic excellence are instrumental for succeeding in planning, approval and implementation • One critical limiting factor in most latitudes: • The development and application of adequate regulations • Although incidental water reuse is not new… ….it has been taking place in our waterways… • Planned water reuse still has to become legitimate • It is negatively perceived by the public and even strictly forbidden by some water regulations
Worldwide interest • During all those 30 years, we have witnessed an increasing and impressive worldwide interest in the advancement of water reclamation and reuse • From the most diverse perspectives: ‒ Institutional ‒ Regulatory agencies ‒ Publications ‒ Associations and collaboration ‒ Actual water projects
Globalization… • We enjoy an spectacular availability of: ‒ Water quality and regulation ‒ Scientific and technical knowledge ‒ Practical experience ‒ Cost and financial strategies • Using the most diverse technologies: ‒ Nature based ‒ Conventional ‒ Advanced • Exchange faster (Internet) and accessible (Open Journals)
Institutional…
Criteria and regulations…
…IWA publications…
Associations…
Water reuse projects…
…landscape in CCB, 1989…
Title 22, Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1994
Wetlands, CCB, 1998
…in Port Aventura, 1995…
…Tossa de Mar, CCB, 2007
…Lloret de Mar, CCB, 2007
Landscape & street, Madrid
Agriculture in Murcia, 2002 100 hm 3 /y (planned and indirect)
EU Assessment 2014
Irrigation with reclaimed water • It is an old tradition, with diverse levels of treatment • A recent article, authored by a group of founding WRSG members, clearly describes the historical evolution of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal • Our Greek and Roman settlements clearly show examples of those early attempts to address urban sanitation • During the intense urban development of the 18th century land disposal assured sanitation and irrigation
The Monterey Project, 1980-85 • One of the best-controlled and documented studies on the benefits of water reuse for agriculture irrigation • Considered the quality implications prevailing at the time for crops, soils and groundwater • Beyond the well-known scientific and technical aspects of the project, others were equally important for success • A regulatory framework favoring a collaborative relationship between water resources and public health agencies, and support of the University of California • An extensive effort was made to assess public perception and acceptance from all stakeholders
Earlier sources of inspiration G. Pettygrove y T. Asano
25 years later
An Advisory Panel…
Epidemiological evidence… • … provided the Panel with additional evidence to confirm the conclusion …that modifying the standards to make them more restrictive will not measurably improve public health (2012). • …Monterey County recycled water used for irrigation of leafy greens and other produce is a local example of the reuse of treated wastewater for an extended period without any known link to human illness. • FDA dismissed irrigation with reclaimed water as causative agent during a 2007 food poisoning with fresh spinach • In clear contrast to the Spanish “ cucumber crisis ” in 2011
New droughts in the 1990s • New reclaimed water uses were adopted, mainly for industrial use and further momentum was given to the recharge of potable water aquifers • A change took place in the protocols for developing quality criteria for those uses • State offers funding grants, but leaves to users the responsibility to demonstrate water quality compliance • An emblematic example: 2012 Potable Reuse Initiative • Advisory panels became instrumental, within a favorable collaboration framework of project proponents, public health authorities and water resources agencies
An efficient framework • A new institutional framework emerged, involving ‒ project proponents ‒ demonstration facilities ‒ advisory panels ‒ water resources and public health agencies ‒ proactive programs for public information, outreach and acceptance • Has become an efficient way to advance in the development of successful water reuse regulations and projects
Emblematic examples… • June 2014, final Regulations for Groundwater Replenishment • December 2016, Report to Legislature on the Feasibility of Using Recycled Water for Drinking Water • March 2018, new Regulations for Surface Water Augmentation using reservoirs • April 2018, a proposal for Regulating Direct Potable Reuse • April 2018, Recommendations of Monitoring Strategies for Constituents of Emerging Concerns in Reclaimed Water ( an update of the 2010 version) • In summary: a working framework with the potential for helping many in the Mediterranean region to advance in the development of regulations for water reuse
As an illustration… • The success of the agricultural sector relay on the ability to produce excellent crops that meet the quality and quantity requirements established by ‒ regulatory agencies ‒ consumers and ‒ all involved in collection, storage, transportation and marketing • However, in order to succeed economically, those crops have to be converted in “real added-value” products • Need for additional organizational steps beyond those necessary to grow and produce the farming products
The water reuse sector… • Mediterranean countries, regions and cities host ‒ excellent scientists and engineers ‒ good experimental and research facilities ‒ considerable knowledge and experience ‒ numerous excellent water reuse projects and ‒ certainly a great number of satisfied users • We have serious difficulties in crystalizing all those ingredients into effective practical regulations and water policies • We need to develop “added-value” solutions for water reclamation and reuse
The EU Commission proposal… • For a regulation on Minimum quality requirements for water reuse • The difficulties and time is has taken to advance, particularly trying to produce a EU-wide regulation • A considerable knowledge is available at ‒ the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ‒ the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) and ‒ the staff and the national and international advisors of the EC-Joint Research Center • The proposal is still limited (irrigation and groundwater recharge) and pending from a wide debate
The water salinity issue… • The report on Accounting for Salinity Leaching (SCSC) offers another example on how to combine information in practical manuals for salinity management • We have plenty of information and experience available for discarding permanent concerns in agricultural production • We should be able to take the lead, get organize and prepare an expert review on salinity management during irrigation with reclaimed water • To assist authorities and get their support for its promotion at local, regional or larger levels
An integrated (systemic) view… • We should take the opportunity to approach salinity from a systemic vision: ‒ beyond salt accumulation at the root zones due to evapotranspiration and leaching effects ‒ Including other management elements like ‒ the benefits from desalinated water as an urban water supply source ‒ the precautions with ion-exchange water softeners and other processes generating salt rejections
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