The geographical context of wastewater treatment and reuse: a benchmarking analysis for Spanish Mediterranean Wastewater Treatment Plants

This paper examines wastewater treatment and reuse in Catalonia and Valencia through a benchmarking analysis of energy intensities of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the coastal municipalities of both regions also involving comparison with average European data on energy use by these...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rodríguez, Paula, Palma Heredia, David, Poch, Manuel, Cugueró Escofet, Miquel Àngel, Saurí Pujol, David
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10256/18205
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10256/18205
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Aigües residuals -- Depuració
Sewage -- Purification
Aigua -- Reutilització
Water reuse
Referenciació (Economia)
Benchmarking (Management)
Descripción
Sumario:This paper examines wastewater treatment and reuse in Catalonia and Valencia through a benchmarking analysis of energy intensities of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the coastal municipalities of both regions also involving comparison with average European data on energy use by these plants. The comparison of European and Spanish Mediterranean WWTPs indicates that small Mediterranean plants are less energy intensive than their European counterparts, while for larger plants (above 10,000 m3 /day) the reverse is true. As to the comparison between Catalan and Valencian plants, the latter are generally smaller than the former, and also slightly more energy intensive. Regarding reuse, the geographical context would explain these differences in terms of the final destination of effluents treated in these plants. The important presence of irrigated agriculture in Valencia is responsible for the reuse of 45% of potentially reclaimed water while Catalonia, with a different socioterritorial reality, reuses less than 3% of the total effluent treated