Risk analysis of wastewater reclamation and reuse

Abstract

Wastewater reclamation and reuse involve alternative technologies for sewage treatment (biological oxidation, nitrification-denitrification, use of lagoons and aquifer recharge), different states of nature (climatic conditions, type of soils, irrigated crops, irrigation systems, socio-economic environments) and various preferences or criteria (economic, environmental, aesthetics, etc.). Although tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater should be applied before any recycling of wastewater a risk still exists from enteric virus and toxic contaminations. To determine risks from wastewater reclamation and reuse, the engineering risk analysis is a very useful framework (Ganoulis, 1994). The various steps to be undertaken for a comprehensive application of risk analysis techniques to wastewater reclamation and reuse are summarized in this paper. These are (a) identification of hazards, (b) risk quantification, (c) consequences of risk and (d) risk management. The main objective of the analysis is to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for managing the risks related to a particular application of wastewater reclamation and reuse.