Recycling/Reuse of Water for a Blue Growth Future

Although 70% of the planet is covered by water, only 0.7% of the global water resource is readily available as freshwater, and it is very unevenly distributed across the planet. Unlike oil, for which there are multiple energy options, freshwater has no substitute. And unlike oil, our needs for water can't be sustainably addressed by transporting water from water rich areas to water-poor, high demand areas. Over the next few decades, projected population and economic growth levels will, locally push the stress on this finite resource to the limit. In turn, limits on freshwater availability could become the worlds, main growth limitation factor.

To put things in perspective, it is estimated that if we maintain a "business as usual" approach to water management, by 2050, over $63 trillion dollars of the global GDP will be at risk. Industry can make a significant contribution to adopting a "blue growth" strategy, improving our water productivity (economic output per drop) by embracing water management practices, centred on sustainable water use. Water recycling and reuse is a key and achievable part of this strategy.

Benefits for local communities

With the high cost of transporting water, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies is helping more municipalities around the world turn to water reuse technologies to:

• help attract new industry
• support agricultural irrigation
• water lawns and parks
• wash streets
• maintain their tourism industry
• protect the environment

Wastewater is the only water resource of which volume increases proportionally to economic development and consumption.

Water reuse applications

Applications include facility cooling, boiler feed water, industrial process water, watering green spaces and golf courses, ground water storage and recovery and salt intrusion barriers in coastal communities.

Water reuse technologies

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies offers a range of water reuse technologies depending on application:

• Hydrotech Discfilters
• Biostyr Biological Aerated Filters (BAF) for simultaneous nitrification / denitrification
• Actiflo and Actiflo Pack high-rate sand ballasted clarifier, either in concrete or pre-engineered units
• Filtraflo Rapid Gravitational Filters, sending raw water through a granular media (sand, activated carbon, anthracite, pumice, shale, limestone, etc.)
• Biosep / Neosep Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) combining aerobic biological treatment (activated sludge) and immersed membrane filtration
• Membrane Technologies offering various MF, UF, NF and RO options

Veolia reuse solutions are helping conserve fresh water resources in Berlin, Singapore, Dubai, Milan, Barcelona, Durban, Windhoek (Namibia) and Wollongong (Australia).