Wastewater Treatment Plants in Mediterranean Spain: An Exploration of Relations between Water Treatments, Water Reuse, and Governance

Paula Rodríguez-Villanueva,David Sauri

doi:10.3390/w13121710

Paula Rodríguez-Villanueva, David Sauri

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w13121710

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Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are fundamental to enable the transition towards the principles of a circular economy in water supply. In Mediterranean Spain, an area with recurrent episodes of water stress, treated wastewater may become a critical resource for the future. However, its incorporation into the array of potential water options opens up questions regarding the different qualities obtained with each treatment, the extent of existing water reuse practices, or the governance regime of plants. In this paper, the state of WWTPs in Mediterranean Spain is analyzed, with focus on plant sizes, treatment technologies, water use, and governance regimes. The latter shows a strong presence of private WWTPs and a lesser extent of public–private WWTPs, while the number of public plants is small. Regarding treatment technologies, the most sophisticated systems are found in public–private plants that are also the largest in size. Reclaimed water is very significant for agricultural and golf course irrigation in some areas (Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia), but still relatively incipient for other uses.

Highlights

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a fundamental area for implementing the principles of the circular economy in water supply [1]
WWTPs can collect and treat wastewater generated in the municipality where the plant is located or treat the wastewaters of supramunicipal or metropolitan areas
The study area has characterized a marked difference between Catalonia, where respect, the study area has characterized a marked difference between Catalonia, where about 50 per cent of the plants treat wastewater from a single municipality, and the rest, about 50 per cent of the plants treat wastewater from a single municipality, and the rest, where the figure rises to 80 percent or more

Summary

Introduction

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a fundamental area for implementing the principles of the circular economy in water supply [1]. Recent technological advances involving sophisticated treatments such as reverse osmosis or ultraviolet light, among others, are improving the quality of the final effluents so that these flows can be reused for a variety of purposes [2]. Concepts such as treated wastewater, water reuse, water recycling, and reclaimed water tend to be considered as synonymous, which may lead to confusion [3,4]. In parallel, reclaimed water opens up several questions regarding, among others, the different qualities obtained according to types of treatment, the variety and extent of existing reuse practices, or the governance regime of this resource [7,8]

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