Incidental potable water reuse in a Catalonian basin: living downstream
A preliminary assessment of incidental potable water reuse (IPR) in the Llobregat River basin has been conducted by estimating the dilution factor of treated effluent discharges upstream of six river flow measurement sections. IPR in the Llobregat River basin is an everyday occurrence, because of th...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2017 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/126515 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/126515 https://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wrd.2016.199 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Water reuse--Spain--Case studies Incidental water reuse Indirect potable water reuse Living downstream Unplanned reuse Aigua -- Reutilització -- Catalunya Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria civil::Enginyeria hidràulica, marítima i sanitària::Enginyeria sanitària |
| Sumario: | A preliminary assessment of incidental potable water reuse (IPR) in the Llobregat River basin has been conducted by estimating the dilution factor of treated effluent discharges upstream of six river flow measurement sections. IPR in the Llobregat River basin is an everyday occurrence, because of the systematic discharge of treated effluents upstream of river sections used as drinking water sources. Average river flows at the Sant Joan Despí measurement section increased from 400,000 m3/d (2007) to 864,000 m3/d (2008) and to 931,000 m3/d (2013), while treated effluent discharges upstream of that section ranged from 109,000 m3/d to 114,000 m3/d in those years. The highest degree of IPR occurs downstream of the Abrera and Sant Joan Despí flow measurement sections, from where about half of the drinking water supplied to the Barcelona Metropolitan Area is abstracted. Based on average annual flows, the likelihood that drinking water produced from that river stretch contained treated effluent varied from 25% (2007) to 13% (2008) and to 12% (2013). Water agencies and drinking water production utilities have strived for decades to ensure that drinking water production satisfies applicable quality requirements and provides the required public health protection. |
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