SET-UP OF WATER REUSE TECHNOLOGIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT PLANS IN MEDITERRANEAN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS

The increasing water demand, caused mainly by rapid population growth and growing consumption, is the principal driver for water reuse. This study investigates the potentiality and drawbacks of water reclamation solutions through a Life Cycle Thinking approach. UV and peracetic acid disinfection are applied to the full-scale WWTP of Peschiera Borromeo, while UASB-AnMBR system is set-up at pilot-scale. The outcomes highlight the need to change the traditional way we see WWTP since they can be considered as a resource recovery facilities in which not only water, nutrients and energy are recovered but also economic cost and carbon footprint are minimized. The fertigation by effluent from AnMBR system reduces the fossil depletion of 31% and the global warming of 28% respect to withdraw surface water and discharge in water body the wastewater treated in CAS system. At the same time, the experimental results hightlight the significance of operation conditions: the temperature and organic loading rate are the main influencing parameters. The safety of water reuse is also addressed. After a review of the existing guidelines on risk management applied to water reuse, this study provides a list of data to collect to lay down a Water Reuse Risk Management Plan, as requested by the new EU Regulation 2020/741. Concerning the Integrated Wastewater Reuse System (IWRS), the hazards and hazardous events may occur are analyzed, as well as the preventive measure to be adopted to reduce the risk.