POINT-OF-SALE REUSE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES – A NEW WATER RESOURCE

Areas of the United States are experiencing severe water supply shortages. As a result, many communities are considering water reuse as a way to supplement their water supply. As communities continue to grow, an increased potential interest in reuse is emerging. By reusing water and not seeking out new freshwater supplies, communities can keep water tables from dropping, lakes from shrinking, and wetlands from disappearing. In effect, the reused water becomes a new water resource.Water reclamation facilities have been typically located within wastewater treatment facilities that are generally located at the fringes of the urban area. While potential users for this reclaimed product could be found in the vicinity, generally expensive storage, pumping and conveyance systems are required in order to deliver the product to potential end-users. “Satellite” water reclamation facilities have become increasingly popular. They are located adjacent to a major sewer trunk line and in proximity to a potential reuse customer – in effect point-of-sale water reclamation facilities.This paper identifies and discusses relevant issues regarding satellite water reclamation facilities. In particular, this paper presents recent technology developments suitable for these applications. The paper also discusses the methodology followed and the results obtained in the comparative evaluation of developing several urban reuse solutions in a southern California community based on a conventional scheme of upgrading the local wastewater treatment facilities and the long conveyance of the reclaimed effluent to developed areas, versus the implementation of three small satellite facilities located in the immediate vicinity of the targeted reclaimed water customers (two city parks, a country club, a community college, and a regional groundwater recharge system). Additionally, the paper traces the design and operating economics of a 0.4 mgd MBR-based satellite plant located in a coastal community in North Carolina that is currently under design.