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Peri-urban Water and Sanitation Services pp 63–89Cite as

Prospects for Resource Recovery Through Wastewater Reuse

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Abstract

This chapter attempts to show the inter-related nature of the water cycle and its uses, which in turn highlights its cross-sectoral character. It examines the concept of the water footprint and how urbanisation through creating a demand, leaves a mark on the hydrological cycle, via pollution of the environment through unmanaged/untreated wastewater flows. It includes a variety of concepts and approaches that explain the recent thinking behind water allocation and how this then relates both to the sanitation and agricultural sectors. The chapter argues how wastewater may be a feasible alternative for freshwater especially for irrigation in proximity to the city. Additionally, it is important not to overlook its value as a potential nutrient source, as this could enhance its overall resource worth, but this has to be accounted for, within the water management framework, and incorporated into the design of water systems from the conceptual stages. The chapter concludes by examining the typology of different reuse practices to assess the consequences and identify solutions. In this context the Design for Use paradigm that is gaining support, encourages source control of pollution, views wastewater as a resource, and designs systems for re-use with the potential for generating economic benefits, which can in turn be used in part to maintain the systems.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) is a measure of the relative public health and emphasises the real health weight and (cost) of disease, sometimes leading to death and/or long-term damage.

  2. 2.

    Ecological Sanitation available online at http://www2.gtz.de/ecosanienglish/subject,htm. SuSanA website – Sustainable Sanitation Alliance http://www.susana.org/.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Cantonments, PMB CT 112, Accra, Ghana

    Liqa Raschid-Sally

  2. Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom

    Daniel J. van Rooijen

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  1. Liqa Raschid-Sally
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  2. Daniel J. van Rooijen
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Correspondence to Liqa Raschid-Sally .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, Delft, 2611 AX, Netherlands

    Mathew Kurian

  2. , Global City Indicators Facility, University of Toronto, Bloor Street West, Suite 1100 170, Toronto, M5S 1T9, Canada

    Patricia McCarney

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Raschid-Sally, L., van Rooijen, D.J. (2010). Prospects for Resource Recovery Through Wastewater Reuse. In: Kurian, M., McCarney, P. (eds) Peri-urban Water and Sanitation Services. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9425-4_3

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