Water Recycling : Challenges & Opportunities

Water Recycling: Opportunities & Challenges

(Presented at the Annual WateReuse Association Symposium XV
Napa, CA, September 2000)

Robert D. Whitley, Whitley Burchett & Associates
George Tchobanoglous, University of California, Davis

ABSTRACT

The history of civilization includes the development, movement, treatment and discharge of water as it serves the needs of that civilization. Water is a basic resource that has dictated the location of communities. In a perfect world all communities would chose to settle near a plentiful and pristine source of water. Unfortunately, not every community is so fortunate and settlements have risen, even with less than a perfect supply of water. The arid states of the world have created the most demanding situations to support a community. In the western region of the United States, communities continue to develop because of economic forces, even though water resources are limited. Water supply planners that forecast future needs recognize the importance of finding additional supplies or reducing demand. In most situations, water recycling can be used to enhance water resource management. The opportunities and challenges for using recycled wastewater are examined in this article.