Effluent from an advanced wastewater treatment plant — an alternate source of non-potable water for Kuwait

Abstract

During the past few years, Kuwait has been encouraging the development of alternative water resources. This stems from the fact that the available natural water resources are scarce, and water demands are growing due to increasing population growth. A potential alternative water resource which may replace existing water resources for non-potable use is renovated wastewater. Currently, a huge amount of municipal wastewater is conventionally treated in Kuwaiti sewage treatment plants, and a major portion of this treated effluent is discharged to the Gulf. Advanced treatment of treated wastewater would yield a better quality effluent which can be used as an alternative water resource and therefore reduces the demand on fresh and brackish water supplies. The potential for using advanced treated wastewater in meeting the growing water demands in the State of Kuwait was explored.